about ME

hello

My name is Heather Cassidy and I am a theatre maker, engagement artist and creative producer based in Dundee, working primarily with children, young people and adults in educational contexts.

After seven years on staff as part of Dundee Rep’s renowned Engage department, latterly as their Education and Pathways Associate, I have returned to my freelance practice. Previous projects span various social contexts, including education, community, participation, health, wellbeing and human rights. I am also a voluntary Board Director for Creative Dundee.

In 2003, I graduated from the University of Glasgow with an M.A. (Honours) Degree in Theatre Studies and English Literature. As part of my course, I studied Directing and I also researched the Representation of Disability in Theatre for my Dissertation. Then in 2007, I was awarded a full scholarship from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly RSAMD), to study for a Postgraduate Masters in Arts in Social Contexts, specialising in Arts and Refugees, Youth Theatre and Early Years Storytelling. I graduated with Merit in November 2008.

Over the last 16 years, I have facilitated and produced a diverse range of projects for many of Scotland’s most respected cultural organisations and theatre companies, including the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Refugee Council, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company and Giant. To date, I have delivered projects with over 600 schools and in every area of Scotland apart from the Western Isles.

Please take a look around my website and feel free to get in touch with any enquiries.

“The benefits to the class are immeasurable. The pupils challenged themselves and succeeded beyond their expectations - what a confidence builder! Thank you for giving me this opportunity too. I can honestly say that it has been the most rewarding experience in my teaching career.” - Primary Teacher

EXTEND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

In 2016, I completed some professional development as part of the 2015/16 cohort for Extend. Led by Engage (National Association for Gallery Education), this year-long programme enables a small cohort of mid-career professionals from across the UK to acquire and apply leadership skills through a combination of intensive residentials, group projects and mentoring. As part of the programme, I attended two residentials based at the Tetley in Leeds, carried out a research project with colleagues from North Edinburgh Arts Centre, National Museum Wales (Cardiff) and The National Archives (London) on nurturing and sustaining leadership in harder to reach young people, created a bursary scheme for aspiring young leaders, and received mentorship from Stella Kanu (Executive Producer, London International Festival of Theatre).

After completing the programme, Engage invited me to be on the panel for selecting the Scotland-based members of the 2016/17 cohort as well as speaking to the whole cohort at their first residential in June 2016 to share my research and experience of the programme.

To view our research report on Creative Leadership and Young People, visit the resources page.

TRAINING

2008
Master of Arts - Arts in Social Contexts (Postgraduate)
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow (formerly RSAMD)

Final project presentation: ‘Scotland: The land of milk and honey or a place to call home? - attitudes, integration and the arts’

2005
Foundation Certificate - Dance Movement Therapy
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

2003
M.A. (Joint Honours) - Theatre Studies and English Literature
University of Glasgow

Dissertation: ‘Fit To Be Seen - Performing Dis/ability: The Representation of Disability in Theatre’

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

I am always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to further my professional development and so I have participated in training on a range of topics including: directing, generating material, storytelling, site-specific theatre, early years arts, exploring physicality and movement, approaches to an inclusive practice, working with young people and child protection.

Here are some of the artists and companies who have delivered this training:

Arts Award (London) / Birds of Paradise / Catherine Wheels Theatre Company / Communicado / Company of Angels (London) / Conflux / Creative Scotland / Creeping Toad (Derbyshire) / Crooked House Theatre (Ireland) / Cultural Enterprise Office / Dundee Rep Theatre / Earlyarts (Yorkshire) / East Dunbartonshire Council / Edinburgh International Festival / Federation of Scottish Theatre / Fevered Sleep (London) / Filuren (Denmark) / Firefly Arts / Frantic Assembly (London) / Goat Island Performance Group (Chicago) / Graeae (London) / Handspring Puppet Company (South Africa) / Helios Theater (Germany) / Imaginate / Improbable (London) / Julian Boal (Brazil) / Kopergietery (Belgium) / Licketyspit / Mabou Mines (USA) / Malthouse Melbourne (Australia) / Mark Storor (London) / National Theatre of Scotland / Oily Cart (London) / Perth Autism Support / Pilot Theatre (York) / Poorboy / Professor Jonothan Neelands (University of Warwick) / Quarantine (Manchester) / Queen Margaret University / Respect Me / Rogaland Teater (Norway) / Royal Conservatoire of Scotland / San Francisco Ballet (USA) / Scottish Book Trust / Scottish Dance Theatre / Second Wave (London) / Shakespeare’s Globe (London) / Smallpetitklein / Solar Bear / Starcatchers / TAG Theatre Company / Teatret Møllen (Denmark) / Theatre Modo / Toonspeak / Tramway / 20 Stories High (Liverpool) / Visible Fictions / Vox Motus / Youth Theatre Arts Scotland / Zendeh (Newcastle) / Zygo Arts (Brighton)

CLIENTS

ARC Glendaruel
Argyll and Bute Council
Borderline Theatre
Cairndow Arts Promotions
Cat in a Cup Theatre
Catherine Wheels Theatre Company
Collusion
Dundee City Council
Dundee Rep Theatre
East Dunbartonshire Council
East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture Trust
Edinburgh International Science Festival
Emergency Exit Arts
Falkirk Council
Firefly Arts
Flexible Deadlock

Giant
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Rep
Horsecross Arts
IndepenDance
Inver Cottage
Lyceum Youth Theatre
Melting Pot Arts
Mischief La-Bas
National Health Service
National Theatre of Scotland
North Lanarkshire Council
Pack of Trews Theatre Company
Paper Tiger Theatre
Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Pollenpot Theatre

Reeling and Writhing
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Scottish Refugee Council
Scottish Youth Theatre
TAG Theatre Company
Theatre Babel
Toonspeak
Unique Events
University of Glasgow
Untitled Projects
Visible Fictions
West Lothian Council
Youth Theatre Arts Scotland