Launch of new design suite at heart of £7.8m Adam Smith Theatre transformation

The state of the art facilities will be open to everyone from novices to seasoned professionals as part of the venue’s £7.8m transformation into a major creative hub. The doors to the theatre officially re-open on September 23 after a three-year closure.

The design suite, which occupies part of the ground floor, is a key strand in the building’s future, and the innovative space promises to foster ingenuity, artistic expression, and entrepreneurial spirit, inviting designers, artists, illustrators, filmmakers and animators to tap into this new catalyst for creativity. It will enable creatives access to digital design tools and will have a strong emphasis on co-working spaces. 

Ross Christie, OnFife’s creative instigator, said: “Kirkcaldy’s creative community is vibrant, diverse and innovative, and a vital part of this is to encourage and support start-up businesses and creative entrepreneurship.

“So many creative practitioners work in isolation at home, or commute. This is a chance to build community, to share insights and develop relationships. The new suite can help us build on strong foundations and create a place where people can learn new skills, share ideas and make connections.”

The design suite offers a range of working areas, including fully equipped creative workstations and flexible spaces where users can bring their own laptops. There are also meeting areas, relaxed working zones and a dedicated edit suite for anyone who needs peace and privacy to work on audiovisual projects. All the suite’s computers include the latest design software and tools.

The suite can also provide access to a 3D printer, laser cutter and Virtual Reality goggles. Also part of the mix are iPad Pros as well as spatial mapping and 3D scanning tools.

Workspaces will be bookable for full day slots, with a sliding-scale pricing model that is designed to make the service accessible to a broad range of users.

“We’ll be running a series of workshops from October to introduce innovative design tools,” said Ross, “and there will be free drop-in sessions to inspire the next generation of local creative talent.”

To help create a bright, colourful creative space, OnFife has commissioned local designer Lauren Morsley to produce a striking large-scale mural in the suite.

Illustrator and printmaker Lauren studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee before returning to her childhood home of Kirkcaldy.

“Lauren has fond memories of the Adam Smith Theatre from growing up here,” sid Ross. “Fusing that local knowledge with a bright, graphic style makes Lauren the perfect fit for this commission.”

Lauren will be putting the finishing touches on her mural during the design suite’s soft launch, from September 11-16. The finished work will be unveiled when the venue opens the following The theatre also re-opens with a special gala concert featuring all the local amateur groups who see the Adam Smith as their home. It6 will be hosted by Grant Stott, with two perfomances on Saturday 23rd.