Meet our new Producer, Alison Thomas
Image Credit, Alastair More
Shotput are excited to introduce our new Producer, Alison Thomas.
Co-Artistic Directors, Lucy and Jim say, "Alison has an inquiring mind, a real generosity, and deep curiosity for performance in Scotland. Her love of dance is palpable from the moment that you meet her. We are so thrilled to welcome her in this key position within the Shotput team. She's already cooking several very nice dishes, and we can't wait to share them with you..."
Alison says, "I like that Shotput straddle lines; of form, across dance and theatre, and of scale, one foot still firmly connected to their freelance history, with the other stepping into their future as a Multi-Year Funded organisation. I’m excited to be joining the team at this key moment, and am looking forward to supporting the next steps of their progress, and taking on new challenges alongside them. I firmly believe that art can do genuine good in the world, and feel aligned with Shotput’s desire to ‘grapple with contemporary challenges and to do so together’."
A little bit more about Alison:
Alison is a Producer with a specialism in dance. She supports the realisation of bold creative ideas, motivated by her belief in art's value, urgency and vitalness, and its power to connect us via collective experiences. Originally from Kent, but with three influential teenage years in Hong Kong, Alison studied Human Geography and Social Psychology at the University of St Andrews, before completing an MA in Creative Practice at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
Alison began producing via the Fi.ELD programme at East London Dance and by supporting emerging artist friends to achieve their first funding grants. The scale of her work has since expanded, producing for independent artists Eli Lewis and Joe Garbett, Sung Im Her and Bar Groisman (Sababa Co.) and organisations Dundee Rep, Sadler's Wells, The Place, and Independent Dance. She also previously served as a trustee of 2Faced Dance Company.
After six years in London, last year she returned to Scotland, in pursuit of more trees and mountains, and feeling called to the people, place and art here. She has just finished a year as Senior Producer (maternity cover) at Scottish Dance Theatre, producing the company's programme including international tours to Colombia, Italy, Serbia and Poland, and performances across Scotland.
Her interest lies in humans, our stories and experiences, and how we relate to each other and the world around us. She is passionate about widening access to the arts by challenging who can do it and view it, and she advocates for care in creative processes, and projects that put people first.