Solar Bear

09/10/2026

Some photos from our first Make A Change Deaf Artist Bursary project with Clare and Lesley.

What was particularly striking was how the piece evolved throughout the week. The window, fabric and changing light began to shape and inspire the creative process, leading to an exploration of identity, queerness and conversations with a younger self.
The project was further enriched by the beautiful live music of cellist Lucia Capellaro.
This is what Make A Change is all about: creating a safe space to experiment, explore and take creative risks. When artists are given that freedom, unexpected and magical things can happen.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming interview with Clare and Lesley, where they'll share more about the project and the ideas that sit at its heart.


Image 1: Silhouette of a cellist in front of a backlit white sheet, with a blurred performer moving behind the fabric. The image combines music, shadow and movement in a theatrical setting.
Image 2: Shadowy silhouette of a 2 performers behind a translucent white sheet, arms raised with hands pressed against the fabric. Backlighting and flowing material create an abstract image of movement and shape.
Image 2: Blurred silhouettes of dancers move behind a translucent white sheet. Flowing fabric and soft lighting create an abstract image of movement and shadow on a dark stage.
Image 4: Blurred arms move through the centre of translucent fabric on stage. Flowing material and soft lighting create an abstract image of motion from a dance performance.
Image 5: Two silhouetted performers stand behind translucent fabric on a dark stage. Backlighting and layered material create an abstract image of shape, shadow and movement.
Image 6: Blurred hands move translucent fabric across a brightly lit stage. Layers of flowing material create an abstract image of movement and shape during a dance performance.

07/10/2026

✨ We recently had a fantastic Strategy Planning Day with the Solar Bear team, led by the brilliant .

It was a chance to step back, reflect, and ask ourselves some big questions: What is Solar Bear here to do? What impact do we want to make? How do we communicate who we are? And how do we set meaningful, achievable goals while working as a small team with limited resources?

Of course, it wasn't all serious discussions. There was plenty of creativity, laughter, and even some time spent imagining what the Solar Bear Garden might look like! 🌱✨

We're excited to share more of the ideas, plans and actions that emerged from the day over the coming months.

Watch this space!

02/10/2026

A huge thank you to Trades House Glasgow for supporting Deaf Youth Theatre through the Commonweal Fund. Trades House of Glasgow

It was fantastic to celebrate the award alongside some of our young people, as well as many other inspiring organisations and individuals.

This funding will help sustain Scotland's only Deaf Youth Theatre, providing a creative space where Deaf, Deafblind and CODA young people can learn new skills, build confidence, express themselves, and make lasting friendships.



Image: Group photo at a Trades House Glasgow funding award event. Seven people stand in front of a branded Trades House Glasgow and Commonweal Fund backdrop inside a wood-panelled hall. Two young people wearing grey Deaf Youth Theatre hoodies stand among the group, with one holding a framed Commonweal Fund award certificate. Several attendees wear ceremonial chains of office. The group is gathered to celebrate funding support for Deaf Youth Theatre, with wooden flooring, historic interiors and framed artwork visible in the background.

02/10/2026

This looks really interesting Dunedin Consort

A free one-year traineeship in BSL interpretation of classical musi...

30/09/2026

As our mini-series comes to an end, we want to say a huge thank you to Amy Murray and Yuki Neoh for helping bring it to life.
We hope these videos have given you a glimpse behind the scenes of The Singer and a deeper understanding of the creativity, care and collaboration involved in creating theatre for both deaf and hearing audiences.
A huge thank you to our venues: Traverse Theatre, Aberdeen Performing Arts, Citizens Theatre and Dundee Rep, and to our brilliant co-producers Dundee Rep.
Special thanks to KT Tunstall, whose contribution went far beyond creating the music.
The story of The Singer stretches back years, beginning when Cora Bissett saw Jamie Rea perform in a showcase. Their later collaboration on the short film The Singer sparked the journey that ultimately led to this production.
Together with Petre Dobre, Dylan Wood and Hannah Jarrett-Scott, and backed by an incredible team behind the scenes, we were ready to take to the stage:

BSL Associate Director/Benedetta Zanetti
Musical Director & Arranger/Michael John McCarthy
Set & Costume Designer/Jenny Booth
Sound Designer/Garry Boyle
Lighting Designer/Emma Jones
Creative Captioning/Daniel Hughes
Dramaturg/David Greig
Production Manager/Jessie Ward
Wardrobe Supervisor/Lara Bauchop
Wardrobe Assistant/Sophie Chen
AV Technician/Natalie Welch
Sound No.1/Jed Gillies
LX Programmer/Fee Dalgliesh
Production LX (Tour)/Rory Kay
Production Sound (Tour)/Keir Marten
Company Stage Manager (Book)/Alex Tosh
Stage Manager (Tech)/Heather Wilson
Assistant Stage Manager (Trav)/Ruby Nobel
Assistant Stage Manager (Props)/Debbie Campbell
Producer/Joanne Clark
Producer/Anne McCluskey
Producer/Angela Coates
BSL Consultant/Clare Canton
A team of interpreters led by Yvonne Strain
Dundee Rep Creative Director / Andrew Panton
Solar Bear Creative Director / Jennifer Bates

BSL/English Interpretation Team: Yvonne Strain, Mel Morbey, Jill Gallacher, Elizabeth Malcolm, Sula Brookes, Rachel Amey, Lucy Niven, Janice Murdoch, Lou Hanson, Nathan Imeson, Georgina Donohoe, Elliot Webster Mockett, Rachel Wilson, Hamish Denerley, Mark Sherwin, Lisa Li, Victoria Paulo

Dundee Rep Theatre and Solar Bear, in collaboration with Aberdeen Performing Arts
Music & Lyrics by KT Tunstall. Book by Cora Bissett
Directed by Cora Bissett.
Creative Scotland Dundee Rep Theatre Aberdeen Performing Arts

27/09/2026

What a journey. ❤️

The Singer 2026 has come to an end, and what an incredible adventure it has been.

From Edinburgh to Aberdeen, Glasgow to Dundee, we've shared this story with audiences across Scotland, collected a host of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews, received the Fringe First Award, the Deaf Excellence Award (part of the Neurodiverse Awards), and have even been nominated for the UK Theatre Awards.

A production like this is only possible because of the extraordinary people behind it. Please take a moment to read through and celebrate the amazing cast, crew and creatives who made this journey possible.

Director & Book Writer/Cora Bissett
Music & Lyrics/KT Tunstall

CAST
Jamie Rea - Joe
Dylan Wood - Andy
Hannah Jarrett-Scott - Oracle and myriad characters
Petre Dobre - Oracle and myriad characters

CREATIVE TEAM
BSL Associate Director/Benedetta Zanetti
Musical Director & Arranger/Michael John McCarthy
Set & Costume Designer/Jenny Booth
Sound Designer/Garry Boyle
Lighting Designer/Emma Jones
Creative Captioning/Daniel Hughes
Dramaturg/David Greig
Production Manager/Jessie Ward
Wardrobe Supervisor/Lara Bauchop
Wardrobe Assistant/Sophie Chen
AV Technician/Natalie Welch
Sound No.1/Jed Gillies
LX Programmer/Fee Dalgliesh
Production LX (Tour)/Rory Kay
Production Sound (Tour)/Keir Marten
Company Stage Manager (Book)/Alex Tosh
Stage Manager (Tech)/Heather Wilson
Assistant Stage Manager (Trav)/Ruby Nobel
Assistant Stage Manager (Props)/Debbie Campbell
Producer/Joanne Clark
Producer/Anne McCluskey
Producer/Angela Coates
BSL Consultant/Clare Canton
A team of interpreters led by Yvonne Strain
Dundee Rep Creative Director / Andrew Panton
Solar Bear Creative Director / Jennifer Bates

Dundee Rep Theatre and Solar Bear, in collaboration with Aberdeen Performing Arts
Music & Lyrics by KT Tunstall. Book by Cora Bissett
Directed by Cora Bissett.

official show photos - 📸 Tommy Ga-Ken Wan ()

26/09/2026

One more time! Dundee Rep Theatre

25/09/2026

As we come to the end of The Singer tour, we asked our brilliant BSL Associate Director, Benny Zanetti, to share some top tips for working with Deaf talent.

✅ Undertake Deaf awareness training before the project begins
✅ Bring Deaf creatives into leadership roles
✅ Build in time for BSL translation and access requirements
✅ Cast Deaf actors in Deaf roles

❌ Don't assume accessibility happens automatically
❌ Don't rely on interpreters to speak for deaf artists
❌ Don't leave deaf voices out of the creative process

Meaningful inclusion starts with preparation, valuing deaf expertise and recognising that accessibility is a creative process, not an afterthought.

From directors and dramaturgs to performers and cultural consultants, our industry is full of talented deaf creatives. The best work happens when deaf voices are empowered to lead, create, and shape the conversation.