Biography

Calum is a writer-director who applied to the Dewar Arts Awards whilst living and studying in Glasgow.

In 2018, Calum gained a first class degree in English Literature from Stirling University, specialising in Creative Writing.  As part of his dissertation at Stirling University he was able to write his first play, ‘The King’s Child’, and chose to present this in full iambic pentameter.

Through this process, Calum discovered his desire to create a series of Verse Dramas, using the same poetic imagery and witticisms as traditional Shakespearean verse but with modernised language, references and relationship dynamics (a sub-genre of ‘New Verse’). From here, Calum spent six months working to achieve an ATCL in Directing at Acting Out Drama School in Edinburgh, for which he gained a Distinction. This proved extremely helpful in achieving a place to study on the Masters in Classic & Contemporary Text at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Calum has worked alongside Scottish Youth Theatre’s National Ensemble Project, has been an Assistant Director with Fizzgig Theatre, an ensemble member of the Dundee Troupe in the National Theatre of Scotland’s FUTUREPROOF Project, and a Free Fringe Performer with Some Kind of Theatre.  He has also served as a Theatre Teacher at the International Summer School for Teens.

How the Award Helped

Since the Award

Update January 2020:

Calum writes “the course has gifted me knowledge in Acting/Directing Technique, as well as lessons in Movement, Voice and Textual Analysis. It has granted insight into my personal strengths as an artist and given me the confidence in my craft to some day join the theatre directing industry professionally. Additionally, the MAACT programme grants its directing students the chance to lead their own creative projects – including a Movement-based Ensemble Project, a Realism Unit focussing on Chekhov’s Writing, the chance to direct a full modern Contemporary Production along with the opportunity to Assistant Direct for Professionals in the field.

Significantly for my own practice and artistic aspirations, our cohort will be spending a month residency at the Globe Theatre (January 2020). This grants us the chance to learn from professionals specialising in Shakespeare and Verse Drama and is thus an opportunity of a lifetime.

My course is a full-time project, with classes and creative research tasks keeping me busy 7 days a week, and thus one I could not balance alongside extended working hours. The Dewar Award has allowed me to grant my degree the time and dedication it requires without having to worry about finding funds for living costs.
For this, I am incredibly grateful.”

Some Kind of Theatre Production of The Steampunk Tempest (2017)

Graduate in Directing from Acting Out Drama School (2019)

National Ensemble with Scottish Youth Theatre (2019)

SYT’s ‘Act of Repair’ (2019)