Riding the Live in Leith Wave in a Sea of Music
It’s August and, for us, that means music, music, music! But before it completely swallows us up and we get over-excited about live music and real audiences inside this amazing auditorium, our chat has turned to our very own Live in Leith series. This has been so important for us in filling a music void and solidifying a music future, despite the world’s Covid pause.
It’s been an incredible process and one of which we are all immensely proud. Twenty one months ago, the as-yet-unnamed concept was being pieced together and considered as part of a funding application. Yes, we wanted to be working with the creative network again and yes, we had the space to do something unique. But it also had to deliver something bigger, more permanent, as part of our future and our dream to have Leith Theatre as a leading light on the national music stage.
Funding success brought frantic white-boarding, planning and outlandish, coffee-fuelled ideas (we
reserve every right to bring these back to the table another time…) What a privilege it’s been to conceive the look and feel of what Live In Leith could be. Each of the team brought their own brand of expertise and ideas were carefully married up with Callum’s curatorial flair. It’s hard to cast our minds back to the beginning when we were having introductory conversations with (then unknown to us) creative wizards, who would join us to help design and capture our programme. These important and valued creative friends have since collaborated on other projects in the space.
This was to be our first in-house production, where we could curate and programme. We stood behind camera monitors, lenses and lighting desks. We discussed sets with artists and witnessed their
excitement as they tumbled into the space with flight cases and big personalities, radiating warmth onto a chilly yet expectant stage. During recordings, we knew we were capturing something special as we listened in the shadows. The content was TV-quality and the initial rushes were hauntingly beautiful - hardly surprising really, as audience-less gigs in a semi-derelict 1930’s theatre.
Long roads of learning followed as we worked with consultants to develop expertise in navigating copyright and IP. Branding and marketing meant further partnerships and creative decisions. What did we want this to look like? What does a ticket represent? Once fully branded, trademarked and bill-postered to the world, Live in Leith was made available via the online streaming platform DICE during a period of national lockdown. What an achievement! The team all watched separately but together and clinked a virtual glass in celebration. Almost instantly, we wondered how it would be possible to share Live in Leith more widely with music fans across the country, eventually embarking on a relationship with STV Player.
Around 18 months in the making, our first Live in Leith series is now available to stream on STV Player
and has been since early July. It includes big stage performances and small intimate experiences and is a taster of what we want to continue to do. If you’d like to get to know the rising stars of Scottish music and watch them perform in the legendary Leith Theatre, click here and let us know how you get on.
With this year’s TRNSMT festival and the ebb and flow of summer gigs, our social media channels have been full of our various Live in Leith alumni artists making huge waves in the industry. It’s been a joy to see, and they will always have a solid fanbase at Leith Theatre. It’s rare for us to take a moment to pause and reflect as we are generally always planning for what is next, but Live in Leith has been a major achievement and ambition realised for us, with more to come.
So what is next? There’s definitely a Live in Leith glow that we’ve been basking in - mainly due to the creativity and connections that the journey brought - even as we look towards opening our physical doors this August to the contemporary live music programme of the Edinburgh International Festival.
It means that you can join us in person - and see just how live music lights up this legendary venue - or you can stay firmly on your sofa and watch Live in Leith and understand what it means to new artists to follow in famous footsteps on our stage.
Live in Leith… our baby (which is eager to grow into Leith Theatre’s future!) Watch it and let us know what you think, won’t you?
See you soon,
Lynn, Anna and Callum