Capital Theatres: Ideas – Residency

Capital Theatres – First Steps Residency (Open to Ideas)

Capital Theatres’ dedicated R&D residency for early‑career theatre makers, offering five days of studio space, up to £2,000 in seed funding, two days of technical support and 1:1 mentorship.

Capital Theatres’ First Steps residency is back for Spring 2026. Created especially for early‑career theatre makers in Scotland, this Open to Ideas R&D residency offers dedicated support to help you explore, test and develop bold new work.

For this opportunity, we’re looking for artists in the first two years of their professional practice. This might mean that you’re a student or recent graduate, you’ve made or are exploring your first Fringe show, you’ve assisted on a production, or you have a spark of an idea and the drive to pursue it. It might mean something different to you – and that’s absolutely fine.

If you see yourself at the very start of a professional theatre‑making journey, we want to hear from you.

Whether you’re working solo or beginning to form a creative team, and whether your idea is fully formed or just a seed, we’re here to help you take those first steps in a safe, supportive environment. We don’t expect you to hold a sharing at the end of the week (though you can if you want), and we aren’t promising to program the work in the future.

Instead, it’s a genuine offer for you to experiment, explore and get an idea up on its feet.

• Five days of rehearsal space in the Studio Theatre
• Two days of technical support, if needed
• Up to £2,000 in seed funding, agreed with you based on your idea and development interests
• Dedicated wrap‑around support, including:
  • A professional mentor for 1:1 guidance
  • Help with budgeting, planning, and building a team (if needed)
  • Pre‑residency meetings to shape your goals
  • Wellbeing support during the residency week
  • Optional dramaturgical input
  • Support planning a sharing – if you want one (no pressure)

• Anyone aged 18+
• Scotland‑based artists
• Those with 0–2 years of professional theatre‑making experience
• People who are not in receipt of RFO funding from Creative Scotland
• Artists applying with a new, unproduced idea

• Dates:
  Mon 13 – Fri 17 April 2026
• Location:
  
  Studio Theatre, Edinburgh
• Final date to receive applications:
  Fri 6 March 2026, 5 pm
• Decisions shared:
  Mon 16 March 2026

Apply via the form on Capital Theatres’ website, or email  to use another route.

For further information, please contact  or visit our residency page.

Capital Theatres – 5 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AN

Phone:
Email: