{"id":518332,"date":"2025-10-22T00:48:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T00:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/518332\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T00:48:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T00:48:11","slug":"glasgow-playwrights-given-a-new-creative-outlet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/518332\/","title":{"rendered":"Glasgow playwrights given a new creative outlet"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Glasgow Playwrights Collective brings NYC flair to Scotland<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not every day that a performer will move overseas, find their footing, and then give others a leg-up. Meet Karen Cecilia, a New York theatre-maker who has just started the Glasgow Playwrights Collective<\/a>. Coming off a successful run at this year\u2019s Edinburgh Fringe Festival with her show TIMESTAMP, Karen says that Glasgow is the Scottish city that ultimately won her heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I came to the city, I just loved it immediately. It was a very lateral feeling for me coming from Brooklyn, where on a Tuesday night you can go to the theatre or listen to music. You don\u2019t have to search for it or wait for the weekend. It\u2019s always available.\u201d However, she felt that Glasgow currently lacks an adequate amount of resources for its artists, some of whom might feel that they must head south to London.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really got the sense that there is a huge artistic community, including writers. It\u2019s one of the many reasons I love Glasgow, but I also felt like there weren\u2019t enough resources to facilitate them getting somewhere with their work. You have writers who have major productions on the West End and the major theatres around here, and there\u2019s Edinburgh. I thought, where do the people that fall in the middle go?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ginny Leigh, an MLitt student on the University of Glasgow\u2019s Playwriting & Dramaturgy programme, echoes Karen\u2019s sentiments about Glasgow\u2019s arts scene.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI[\u2018ve] lived in London, and I lived in Newcastle most recently. What I love about Glasgow is there\u2019s so much going on. It means that while it\u2019s quite difficult to cram everything in, you\u2019ll never be searching for long. There\u2019s always gonna be something that drops in your lap. It makes you question things as an artist and makes you think quite creatively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hailing from a family of musicians, her affinity for the arts became immersed in theatre, citing the Glasgow Playwright Collective as the latest development on her journey. Naturally cheerful and outgoing, she admits the writing process can be isolating.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an extremely personal thing to share your writing with someone. You have to handle the developmental process with care. If you\u2019re working with people where that\u2019s their primary focus, it can be a really welcoming group. Otherwise, writing is extremely lonely. Sometimes you can\u2019t see the wood for the trees. I personally really love the collaborative side of it, because it means I see people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Karen felt it was important to make the endeavour accessible in every sense of the word, removing financial barriers by making the programme free, acknowledging the Clutha Trust, which assisted with securing a venue for the Collective.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted it to really be what I was searching for. People who were just really interested in working the craft, and it didn\u2019t matter what your background was. That was the key component that you needed to have. And I think I have successfully found a wonderful group.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked if there\u2019s anything she\u2019d like the public to know about her future endeavours, Karen gives a warm smile.\u201cI\u2019m available for work if you want to commission me<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n