Associates
We offer space, resources, and expertise to nurture creativity, expand collaboration, and strengthen connections
Designed to bring new voices, audiences, and perspectives into the building, the programme will broaden the reach and make-up of our work while providing valuable learning opportunities for artists keen to understand how a producing theatre operates.
Associate Companies
Bijli
Led by Mariem Omari and Shilpa T Hyland, Bijli creates work that celebrates diversity across cultures and art forms for communities in Scotland and the UK. Known for its commitment to new writing, Bijli will deliver a series of masterclasses for Global Majority artists titled Threads, host a monthly drop-in café in the Citizens Theatre bar and circle foyer, and bring their new production Revolutionary Days – the true story of a Scottish aid worker during the Arab Spring – to the Studio Theatre in 2026.
Wonder Fools
Led by Jack Nurse and Robbie Gordon, Wonder Fools creates ambitious theatre with and for young people and communities. Fresh from their production Oran performed in the Citz Studio Theatre in October 2025, the company will also scratch nights and collaborate on a new play by Uma Nada-Rajan, inspired by Brecht’s Fear and Misery of the Third Reich. Nurse previously worked at the Citz as an Assistant Director in 2016/17.
Associate Artist
Joanna Bowman
Previously at the Citizens Theatre as a Birkbeck Trainee Director in 2018/19, Joanna has since directed at Chichester Festival Theatre, Dundee Rep and the RSC, and won the 2024 CATS Award for Best Director. At the Citz, she will co-direct this year’s Christmas production Beauty and the Beast, followed by Sweat by Lynn Nottage in 2026. Her role as Associate Artist will allow her to deepen her understanding of how a producing theatre operates and the role of Artistic Director.
Our Associate Companies and Artists programme is part of a new chapter for the Citizens Theatre. We aim to open up our building, share our resources and expertise, and create genuine partnerships that will help artists and companies flourish. It brings distinctive voices and artistic ambitions that resonate deeply with what the Citz stands for – creativity, community, and collaboration.
Reflecting the theatre’s belief that creativity thrives through collaboration, this initiative marks a major step in the our commitment to investing in artists and companies whose work enriches the cultural fabric of Scotland.
