Eastgate Theatre set to mark 20th anniversary
A PEEBLES theatre is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary and the efforts of those who made the venue possible.
The Eastgate will mark its birthday next weekend with a special exhibition.
The theatre hopes the anniversary celebrations will shine a light both on the creative space built in the Borders, but also the people behind its success.
An Eastgate Theatre spokesperson said: “The year 2004, and as the re-opening of the Statue of Liberty excited New Yorkers and the unveiling of the Gherkin caused controversy in London, it was the opening of the Eastgate Theatre that put Peebles on the artistic map of Scotland, realising the community’s dream of creating a professionally equipped theatre and creative space.
“In 20 years the Eastgate has, in common with most arts organisations, had many ups and downs, a couple of crises but many more triumphs. One highlight was winning the 2014 Peebles Creative Place award – when Creative Scotland named Peebles the most creative small town in Scotland and awarded it £100,000 to boost arts activity for the full year.
“Today the theatre is open six days a week, often 12 hours a day and has an annual footfall of around 100,000. Local groups are central to the programme and currently the Eastgate works in partnership with at least 20 of them to stage events each year.”
The ‘Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made On’ exhibition will first open to anyone involved with the creation of the venue in 2004 – such as staff volunteers, donors, performers and those behind the scenes – for a private viewing on Friday (April 5).
The exhibition will feature programmes, posters, photos, cuttings, and quotes from the last 20 years, and also includes items from the years of preparatory work done by volunteers to raise funds to open the theatre before 2004.
Then on Saturday, April 6, the theatre will host a celebration open day featuring free live music, a children’s storytelling of Wee Seals and Selkies, based on Janis Mackay’s Scottish tales of nature and friendship and accompanied by Donald Scott playing the fiddle and performing sea shanties.
The weekend celebrations then
come to a close on Sunday, April 7, at 2.30pm when The Carducci Quartet – who were the first musicians to perform in the theatre in 2004 for a Music in Peebles concert – make a wonderful return to the venue.
For tickets, and information on the events, visit: eastgatearts.com