Leading theatre company Stellar Quines moves out of Edinburgh to new Kirkcaldy base

The highly regarded Stellar Quines, Scotland’s leading intersectional feminist touring theatre company has unveiled its move out of Edinburgh to the Lang Toun as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

It will be based initially in the Kings Theatre before securing its own local base as it aims to create a hub for feminist theatre-making and collaborate with local communities after basing its youth theatre in the Kingdom three years ago.

Over the last three decades Stellar Quines has championed gender equality in the arts and beyond and presented award-winning theatre productions across the country.

Its first programme of work created in Kirkcaldy will see the launch with a new site responsive production -a feminist adaptation of Frankenstein - take place in the Lang Toun in Spring 2025. Written by Julia Taudevin, and directed by Caitlin Skinner, artistic director, it will feature a professional cast performing alongside Young Quines and a community company.

The company’s vision will see community engagement work equally weighted and integrated into its professional output.

Since arriving in Fife in 2021, Young Quines, has shone a light onto the need for increased arts presence that works with and serves the community in the region. Alongside this work, Stellar Quines will continue to produce high quality, innovative touring theatre, made in collaboration with Scotland’s best theatremakers - it said it remains committed to using theatremaking to share understanding, improve representation and drive change to create a gender equal Scotland.

From its Kirkcaldy base, it will continue to develop world class professional theatre productions which will tour Scotland and the UK, collaborate with professional theatre-makers across Scotland, run artistic development programmes; launch new community engagement projects with local people; and continue to develop Young Quines with new opportunities for youth leadership.

Caitlin said: “Over the last three years Stellar Quines has been interrogating what it means to be an intersectional feminist theatre company and gaining knowledge and understanding in how our artistic practice can drive change not just within the theatre industry but for wider society.

“We recognise to facilitate the change we want to see at individual, community and societal levels, we need to put down roots, build deeper connections and create space for more people to be part of our mission and vision. “

The move to Fife is a huge boost for the cultural sector here.

The average cultural spend per head in its current Edinburgh base was £50.85 in 2022-23. In Fife, that figured drops to just £3.15 - that significant inequality is at the part of its commitment to bringing our resources and expertise to the region which is currently missing out.

Rachael Keiller, creative engagement associate at Stellar Quines said: “As a Fifer and artist, I am really chuffed about Stellar Quines’ move to Kirkcaldy.

“For the majority of my career, most opportunities to work as a performer, theatre maker and facilitator have been in the big cities. To be working back home feels like a long time coming. As a young person, youth theatre in Buckhaven really shaped the direction of my life, giving me community, acceptance, life long friendships and the start of my career in the arts.

“It is crucial young folk here have opportunities to be ambitious, creative, challenge and make change. Theatre can do that. Fifer’s can do that. I’m really excited about what Stellar Quines can do for Fife and what Fife can do for Stellar Quines.”

The move was welcomed by Heather Stuart, chief executive of OnFife which operates the region’s theatres, galleries and libraries in area. She said: “Theatre and drama can be tremendous vehicles to challenge thinking and share powerful ideas. Connecting with communities who have had limited engagement with any kind of theatre needs imagination and drive which Stellar Quines have been delivering over the last three decades. We look forward to exploring working in partnership here in Fife."

It is also good news for the young people who have been involved in Young Quines since its relocation to the Kingdom.

One participant said: “Stellar Quines moving to Kirkcaldy allows us to make more friends along with creating and performing more shows for the public!”

> The name Stellar Quines is a combination of two old Scots words: Stellar, meaning 'starry', and Quines, meaning 'women' - it was suggested by Gerda Stevenson, who established the company in 1993 to "address the lack of opportunities for women in theatre."