What is Scottish Casting Network (SCN)?

SCN is a commitment from the Scottish theatre industry to hold 3 open casting workshops every year.

It is the evolution of the Scottish Casting Workshops held by actor Neil John Gibson since 2019. Since then, over 600 actors have been seen by industry professionals, and feedback from acting and casting participants has been overwhelmingly positive.

Gibson says, ‘I have been so heartened by how enthusiastically the industry has taken ownership of these workshops. The Scottish Casting Network will mean that the workshops are not reliant on one person running the event. Each building has agreed to hold their own workshop every two years regardless of staff changes. This way, actors will know that there will be three workshops held every year in perpetuity.’

The workshops allow creatives access to a wider pool of actors when they are casting a project. Gibson says, ‘It has been amazing to hear the number of actors who have got in touch to say they have had an audition, meeting, or job off the back of a workshop. More importantly than that, it’s been a brilliant way to grow a sense of community amongst actors and help individuals feel less isolated in the industry. The workshops are playful, fun, and designed by actors, for actors.’

How will it work?

We are delighted to be alongside five other Scottish theatres who have agreed to organise and host an SCN workshop once every two years.

The institutions are:

- Citizens Theatre - Traverse Theatre

- Dundee Rep - Tron Theatre

- Lyceum Theatre - Pitlochry Festival Theatre

For Example:

Jan 2025 Citizens Theatre 
May 2025 Traverse Theatre 
Nov 2025 Dundee Rep
Jan 2026 Tron Theatre 
Feb 2026 Lyceum Edinburgh 
Jul 2026 Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Feb 2027 Citizens Theatre 
Jun 2027 Traverse Theatre

Dates for the workshop will be entered into the ‘shared theatre calendar’ as early as possible to give as much opportunity for casting participants to attend.

Why are we doing this?

There is a narrative that Scottish theatre is a closed shop and that there is no interest in meeting different actors. SCN will put a commitment to meeting different actors into the fabric of the industry.

While the full schedule of the workshops is yet to be announced, keep your eyes peeled for the first one in March, with the dates of the remaining opportunities to follow. Workshops will be held in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Pitlochry, where casting participants will attend as actors take part in a performance workshop, including warm-ups, vocal work, and script work.

Information about how to apply for the workshops will be posted on the Dundee Rep and Scottish Casting Network social media, @scottishcastingnetwork, and via the social media and websites of the theatres involved. For more information, email scotcastworkshop@gmail.com.