Our Story

Centrestage was established in 2005 by Fiona McKenzie and Paul Mathieson, with the aim of allowing anyone in the local community and beyond the opportunity to participate in theatre related activities and projects that can make a real difference to individuals and the community as a whole.

Leadership through the Arts is at the core of all activities at Centrestage, regardless of the age, background or ability of the class member and over 800 members of the community aged from 6 months to 80+ years attend mainstream and outreach activities every week.

We develop programmes, partnerships and collaborations that will have a positive impact on the lives of members of our community. We want Centrestage to be seen as a place where leadership, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities are available. By consistently listening and providing relevant resources, we aim to build strong trust and relationships and to identify what our members need in order to continue to learn and grow. We will always work to support and develop leadership that is connected to the community at all levels of our organisation. We believe that by focusing on the strengths of our leaders and volunteers we create an environment that allows everyone to believe in and attain their own potential.

Our goal, despite the high standard of work achieved by participants, is not to promise anyone a career in the arts industry. Instead, we aim to give our members an experience of what they can create and a sense of their own value. The ultimate goal is to offer them a new possibility for their own lives and for the influence they can have on others.

We believe that young people are not a problem to be solved but a vital part of the community and we passionately believe in the leadership potential and ability of youth. The junior leaders working under the supervision of senior team members are young people just a few steps further down the road who have made a commitment to those coming behind them. Projects delivered at CS on behalf of the local authority and other agencies, have quickly and successfully engaged hundreds of teenagers to participate in short term programmes, addressing root causes of disengagement and low attainment .

Nothing guarantees that a young person will see new possibilities but we aim to create the conditions where that choice is more likely and that they see themselves first as having value within our community then as part of wider society.

The company has continued to evolve and develop and Centrestage is now a social enterprise with charitable status.