Profile On: Al Seed

Artist in residence at The Arches

Al has made The Arches his home since commencing his partners theatre residency there two years ago. Its edgy underground environment has provided the perfect platform for developing his distinct brand of high-octane physical theatre and his commitment to supporting exciting new talent through a range of workshops and directing commissions.

Al will shortly extend this support for young performers through a new residency at The Byre Theatre, St. Andrew.  He will become one of the core tutors on Scotland’s first ever full-time course in physical theatre run through The Adam Smith College, Fife.  

Al creates both solo and collaborative works of theatre drawing on a variety of physical styles including clown, buffoon and mask-work and often combines the use of these styles with original text.

As well as teaching and developing his own work in Scotland, Al also enjoys relationships with companies further afield. In the coming year he hopes to travel to St Petersburg to devise a new show with Russia’s BlackSkyWhite as well as to Prague to work with Farm-in-the-Cave Theatre who won a string of awards at last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He will also continue to tour his hugely successful solo The Factory at home and abroad, and is looking forward to a run of his new solo The Fooligan in Edinburgh this August.

Biography

Al attained an MA in Theatre, Film & Television from The University of Glasgow before studying Physical Theatre and Contemporary Circus Skills at Circomedia, Bristol.  He co-founded Vanishing Point Theatre Company with whom he performed for three years before going on to create Hoax Productions with Ivan Marcos, Alberto Santos and Aggelika Spetseri.

Al was nominated for a Total Theatre Award in 2006, won The Jury Prize for exceptional work at The Arena Festival, Germany in 2006, was a Fringe First winner 2004, and received a Jerwood Foundation Award 2002 for outstanding work in the field of circus-theatre. Directing and choreography credits include work with The National Theatre of Scotland Young Company, Arches Theatre Company, B-Boy crew Random Aspekts, Choto-Ooki, Big-State Theatre Company, Mischief La-Bas, and Miren Theatre Company.

Al has held tutoring posts in performance-related disciplines at the RSAMD, Glasgow, Bath Spa University College, The Adam Smith College, Fife, The University of Glasgow, and Circomedia, Bristol.

partners: Scotland's Artist Residency Programme is supported by the National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council. For more information on the partners programme, please visit our partners section.