HAYLEY EARLAM - PERFORMER

Hayley received training at Northern School of Contemporary Dance.  After graduating, she undertook an apprenticeship with Indepen-dance, Scotland's leading inclusive dance company providing dance for those with and without disabilities. Hayley is a company dancer with Indepen-dance4, an integrated, performance ensemble touring Scotland and beyond.  With Indepen-dance4, Hayley has toured extensively with diverse works by Stop Gap, Christine Devaney (Curious Seed), Ramesh Meyyappan, George Adams, Laura Jones, Anna Newall and Marc Brew in collaboration with Scottish Ballet. 

As a freelance dance artist, Hayley is interested in diverse performance roles and exploring her improvisation practice. She has had the pleasure of performing in works by Marc Brew Company, Curious Seed, Barrowland Ballet, Rosie Kay Dance Company and Retina Dance Company.

Hayley is a dance education specialist delivering on a local and national level. She delivers education for Scottish Ballet (Dance for Parkinson's Scotland programme, youth and repertoire based activities), Rambert Dance Company (choreographic, education and tour activities), Matthew Bourne's New Adventures (youth engagement and rehearsing young cast members) and Edinburgh International Festival (school engagement activities).

Teenage memories: I had the album Nevermind by Nirvana that I would play on my CD Walkman over and over and over. I had all the pent up frustrations of being a teen and not quite sure how to express or really understand these feelings, I would listen to angst filled songs instead.

Most memorable teenage song: Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

andrew gardiner - performer

Andrew has trained and received BA(hons) in both Theatre and Dance, and has a PGDip from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (distinction). He works as a dance artist and actor.

Andrew has worked with choreographers and companies such as Ben Wrights bgroup, Luca Silvestrini's Protein Dance in their work 'May Contain Food' and 'BorderTales', Andrew worked with Curious Seed in ‘PUSH' 2012 and had since worked in collaboration with the company on various projects. He has also worked with Stephanie Schober, James Wilton, Smallpetitklein, LaBanda's 'Struileag Children of the Smoke' as part of the 2014 commonwealth games, Riccardo Buscarini: works ' No Lander' and 'L'eta dell'Orror' and Steven Hogget on the development of a duet for PIXARS 'How to train your dragon 2' with Christine. Andrew is also an associate artist and collaborator of Encounter Productions on their works 'I heart Catherine Pistachio', 'Streets in the Sky', ‘Island’ and ‘Deaf Choir’. In 2016 he played The Dancing Bear in Jamie Fletcher's company 'Dancing Bear Trilogy' and has just finished working on Simon McBurney's 'The Rakes Progress' by Igor Stravinsky in Collaboration with Festival Aix and The DNO.

Teenage memories

Most memorable: leaving to go to university and having the freedom I wanted.

Most horrendous: 13 auditioning for Oliver in school play and the song being too high - things were changing. I didn’t get the part

Most memorable teenage song: Steal my Sunshine by Len

NEREA GURRUTXAGA - PERFORMER

Nerea Gurrutxaga grew up in San Sebastian, Basque Country where she gave her first steps in dance. She performed in Venezuela , at age 15 as a soloist within a young orchestra from the Basque Country. She became part of a company called ‘ Aukeran’ with 17 years old, a company that fusions contemporary dance with traditional Basque dance. She graduated from LCDS (2014) and undertook an apprenticeship with Scottish Dance Theatre as part of her postgraduate diploma, where she internationally toured and performed pieces by Anton Lachky, Jo Stromgren and Fleur Darkin. She is a member of Collective Endeavour, which focuses in music and dance improvisations, one of her main interests. She has worked for the company Curious Seed , choreographer Christine Devaney in creations called Teenage Trilogy and MamaBabaMe, this last one being a collaboration between Starcatchers and Curious Seed. She has being studying the methods of flying low and passing through with David Zambrano. 

Teenage memory:

Most memorable teenage song: Bozgorailuetatik by Esne Beltza

ALEX MCCABE - PERFORMER

Alex has an MA and PhD in Modern Languages and Cultures (Glasgow University, Paris IV - La Sorbonne, Moscow State Linguistic University). He was awarded Scotland's Dancers Emerging Bursary in 2013 to complete his formal training. He now works as a dancer, choreographer, musician and facilitator. Current collaborations include choreographing a new work for Scottish Opera; co-creating two duets with Riccardo Olivier; working as assistant diirector with Marc Brew company; dancing in current works by Luke Pell, Caroline Bowditch, Curious Seed, Fattoria Vittadini; facilitating with Paragon Music and fiddling in various ceilidh bands. Alex also translates and interprets between English, French, Russian, Italian and Japanese for international festivals of opera, dance and circus.

Teenage memory: Alex spent his teenage years playing piano, hanging about the streets of East Kilbride or heading into Glasgow for endless conversations in bookshop cafes. At 16 he got his first job as a cleaner in a local factory, and at 17 he won a scholarship to Japan, where he studied orchestral percussion and fell in love for the first time.

Most memorable teenage song: Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead

CHRISTINE DEVANEY - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Glasgow-born Christine trained at London Contemporary Dance School and has been performing, choreographing and teaching throughout her extensive career, which started with Dundee Rep Dance Company (Scottish Dance Theatre). She performed and was associate director with V-tol Dance Company for 9 years.

She has an outstanding track record as a performer, choreographer and teacher, with her work spanning across dance and theatre. Companies she has worked with include: Plan B, Quarantine, Frantic Assembly, Yolander Snaith Theatre Dance, TAG, The Unicorn, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company and Lung Ha Theatre Company.

Her work for The National Theatre of Scotland includes movement direction on their production of Macbeth (2012, Broadway run 2013), The Wheel (2011), and co-directing the award-winning Venus As A Boy (2007).

Christine was an associate artist with Imaginate 2011-2013 and, in 2014, was the recipient of a Creative Scotland Artists' Bursary. Curious Seed joined the portfolio of Creative Scotland Regularly Funded Organisations in 2015.

Passionate about dance and the transformative possibilities of experiencing dance, theatre and art through participating, creating or the observing of it, Christine has always been interested in, and continues to explore and develop her creative process in relation to, working and collaborating with high calibre, prolific and acclaimed artists and collaborators from a range of art forms.

Teenage memory: Going on a wonderful holiday in Mallorca with mum and my wee brother Peter.  I had a very sweet holiday romance with a Spanish boy. I was even allowed on his trail/motor bike, which was pretty cool.

Most memorable teenage song: Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? by Culture Club. I thought Boy George was so different: his voice, his look... it was this song that was playing all the time in Mallorca too. It was playing everywhere.

LUKE SUTHERLAND - COMPOSER & MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Luke Sutherland has played, collaborated and toured with many groups and people over the years including Mogwai, Long Fin Killie and Music A.M. His composition credits include scores for the National Theatre of Scotland’s Venus as a Boy, Curious Seed’s Found, Whiteout by Barrowland Ballet, and Second Coming, the debut feature film by writer/director debbie tucker green.

Teenage memory: Scoring 25 lay-ups in 45 seconds as part of a basketball skills assessment...

Most memorable teenage song: Girls Just Want To Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper

KAREN TENNENT - PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Karen is a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art .Her work has toured all over the UK and abroad from village halls to Sydney Opera House.

Theatre credits include: Our Fathers (Magnetic North) How to Fix a Broken Wing , The Voice Thief , Lifeboat ,Hansel and Gretel (CATS best design 2006), Lost at Sea, Kes, Martha, Cyrano, (Catherine Wheels) Glory on Earth, The Iliad, Caucasian Chalk Circle (Royal Lyceum). Something Wicked This Way Come, Home (Catherine Wheels / National Theatre of Scotland) Dr Stirlingshire’s Discovery (Lung Ha /Gridiron)Light boxes (Gridiron. Fringe First 2015) God of Carnage, This Wide Night (Tron Theatre Glasgow) Expensive Shit (Adura Onashile. Fringe First 2016) ChalkAbout, Push, Dust (Curious Seed) ThingamyBob, The Hold, Petit Moliere (Lung Has) Guide Gods (Claire Cunningham) Weans in the wood, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, (Macrobert Stirling) Much Ado about Nothing (Blue Apple) Crumbles Search for Christmas (West Yorkshire Playhouse)

Teenage memory: Going to the Crosshouse disco and kissing Willie Ross outside at the end , then going back in and having the last dance with him, which was Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Most memorable teenage song: Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

SIMON WILKINSON - LIGHTING DESIGNER

This will be Simon's third design for Curious Seed, having designed MamaBabaMe and PUSH.

For the National Theatre of Scotland, Simon lit The 306: Dawn, Dragon (with Vox Motus and Tianjin People's Art Theatre, China), The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, Roman Bridge, Truant and A Sheep Called Skye. For Vox Motus, his designs include Flight, Dragon, The Infamous Brothers Davenport (with the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh), The Not-So-Fatal Death of Grandpa Fredo, Bright Black and the multi-award winning Slick. Work for Magnetic North includes Our Fathers, Kora (with Dundee Rep), Sex and God, Pass the Spoon, Wild Life and After Mary Rose.

Other theatre designs include Knives in Hens, Aladdin (Perth Theatre), Crumbles Search for Christmas (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Meet Me at Dawn, Letters to Morrissey, Black Beauty, Grain in the Blood and Tracks of the Winter Bear (Traverse Theatre); Glory on Earth, The Iliad, The Weir, The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, Hedda Gabler, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The BFG, Bondagers, A Christmas Carol and Cinderella (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh); God of Carnage and This Wide Night (Tron Theatre, Glasgow); Dr Stirlingshire's Discovery and Light Boxes (Grid Iron); Fisk, The Lost Things and Feral (Tortoise in a Nutshell); MamaBabaMe and PUSH (Curious Seed); Citizen (Plan B); Pondlife (Catherine Wheels); The Rise and Inevitable Fall of Lucas Petit (Sleeping Warrior); Blow Off (Julia Taudevin); Dance of Death (Candice Edmunds), Grounded (Firebrand); Moonbeam on a Cat's Ear and In Her Shadows (Jabuti Theatre); After The End and Topdog / Underdog (Citizens Theatre, Glasgow); 13 Sunken Years (Stellar Quines and Lung Ha); Chalk Farm and The Static (ThickSkin); HeLa and Skewered Snails (Iron Oxide); Whatever Gets You Through the Night (The Arches); My Name is Rachel Corrie (Mull Theatre); The Mark of Zorro and The Hunted (Visible Fictions); Honk! (Royal & Derngate) and Encourage The Others (Almeida Theatre). He lit the 2010 season for Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

Simon has won the CATS Award for Best Design twice - with Jamie Vartan for Bondagers in 2015 and with Shona Reppe for Black Beauty in 2017.

Most memorable teenage song: Nightswimming by REM (really that whole album, which I just had stuck on repeat).

ELLEANOR TAYLOR - ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER

Originally from New Zealand, Elle moved to Scotland with a scholarship to study lighting technology. Upon graduating and receiving two university awards, she has worked throughout the United Kingdom and overseas within the lighting and special effects field.

Recent work she has lit is: Eric the Elf (Macrobert Arts Centre) 'Cosmonaut' (Edinburgh 2017 Science Festival), 'Drunk Enough to Say I Love You' (Citizen Studio, 'Invisible Army' (Terra Incognita, '16 Autumn Tour) 'Little Red Riding Hood and Wolves of Winter' (Howden Park Centre), The Tempest (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Beijing Theatre Festival), Coriolanus (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland).

As an associate lighting designer credits include Dance of Death (Candice Edmunds, LD Simon Wilkinson) Puss in Boots (Platform, LD Lizzie Powell), In Her Shadows (Blank Canvus/Jabuti Theatre, LD Simon Wilkinson) Light Boxes (Grid Iron, LD Simon Wilkinson) and Three Little Pigs (Platform, LD Lizzie Powell).

Elle loves lighting theatre in all different forms and seeing lighting design’s influence on live performance.

Teenage memory: During the summer months grabbing some kayaks putting camping gear and food in them, going island to island, final destination unknown.

Most memorable teenage song: Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall

DAVID MAXWELL - VISUAL ARTIST

Based in Glasgow, David is an artist working across the genres of visual art, music and film and television. He initially trained as a musician in Perth (91-94) and then as a cameraman based in London (97-03) where he regularly worked for BBC, MTV, Channel 4, LWT, Celador and others.  On return to David's hometown of Edinburgh, he undertook a painting course at Leith School of Art and has worked as a visual artist ever since.

 As a musician, David has been collaborating with the dance and theatre community since 2010, working with Curious Seed, Lyra Theatre, Lou Brodie, Michael Sherin, Robbie Synge and more. Teenage Trilogy is his first collaborative project as a visual artist and has been involved documenting the project with Christine Devaney since research first started. 

Teenage memory: I remember walking the streets of my old hometown of Musselburgh with my 2 friends Natalie and Mark. I really fancied Natalie but sadly she was going out with Mark and it was my secret to carry. I used to try very hard to make her laugh and it would sometimes work and I would wonder if that might just be enough to win her! I'm sure Mark would have beaten me up, had this happened.

Most memorable teenage song: Always on My Mind by the Pet Shop Boys,  reminds me directly of this situation.

JONATHAN CHARLES (D FIE FOE) - DIGITAL FILM PROJECT PRODUCER

Jonathan mixes-up animation, CGI & live action film at production company D fie foe, and is involved in similar creative blending with software developers Hippotrix.  He has an intimate knowledge of traditional animation, live action and CGI, which he uses to produce cutting-edge, cross-artform work.  He moves across a range of projects from large scale film for theatre to smaller software delights on mobile.

Notable film work: three acclaimed music videos for Orbital. One starring a pixillated Tilda Swinton, another with Roger Moore.

In education: he's led projects with Macrobert, ENO, Scottish Ballet, and facilitated seven films for London 2012 reflecting the lives of local children with an edgy reality. Which were so well received, they were screened at the Olympic handover celebrations. 

Notable theatre projections: Josephine Bean intricate video for Shona Reppe's award winning puppet show. Something Wicked this Way Comes, ambitious multi-screen work for NTS & Catherine Wheels Theatre Company.

Software includes: collaborations creating companion apps, for example - White-: the app for Catherine Wheels, Fireworks for EIF. And the most recent adventurous app was collaborating with Curious Seed on Danceabout. Using green screen, to bring live-action dancers into an interactive world, using hitherto unexplored technology!

Teenage memory: On my first holiday away with friends and no parents, five nineteen year old (boys) stayed in a cheap Majorcan hotel. For some reason it seemed appropriate to all dance furiously or even pogo to "On the roof" by the Drifters - in a lift !!! The lift broke, free falling a floor and a half, and ended up stuck between two hotel floors. Thirty minutes later we were rescued and sheepishly had to clamber out.

Most memorable teenage song: Toda Menina Baiana by Gilberto Gil

NICK MILLAR - PRODUCTION MANAGER

I am an artist and technical/production manager. During a number of decades I have worked with many of Scotland and Britain's leading companies and artists. My theatre/performance work is often in non traditional spaces or with companies who challenge established theatrical forms. As an Artist I work with my partner on, what it is to be human in a more than human world, recently our work has focused on water.

Teenage memories: As a teenager I had no idea that I would do any of the things I have done in my life. As a teenager I had so many ideas but little context in which to express them.

My first important teenage musical experience was seeing the Clash and Suicide at The Music Hall in Aberdeen in 1978 (I was thirteen).

Most memorable teenage song: Road Runner (once) by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers

LAUREN ROBERTS - STAGE MANAGER

Lauren graduated from Edinburgh Stage Management School in 2016 after a year course in stage management and production. During her time studying, Lauren undertook placements with various companies and theatres in Scotland, including Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, National Theatre of Scotland and the Traverse Theatre. Since graduating, Lauren has worked as a stage manager with Catherine Wheels (Pondlife, Lost at Sea), National Theatre of Scotland (We're Here Because We're Here), and Grid Iron (Jury Play). Lauren also enjoys working at different festivals, including Bradford Literature Festival, Abu Dhabi Science Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This is her second production with Curious Seed, after touring MamaBabaMe, a co-production with Starcatchers, in 2017.

Teenage memory: Lauren spent her teenage years in Huddersfield, watching bands every weekend at her favourite live music venue, Bar 1:22.

Most memorable teenage song: anything by Alkaline Trio (she couldn’t possibly choose!)

NIK PAGET-TOMLINSON - TECHNICAL MANAGER

Nik is a musician, sound designer and technician working predominantly in theatre and dance in Scotland. Nik is an Associate Artist with Platform Theatre and Starcatchers and was nominated for a CATS Award for his sound design work on Drift from Vision Mechanics & Nordland Visual Theatre.

For more information visit www.nikpt.com

Teenage memory: Going to see The Stone Roses at Glasgow Green in 1990

Most memorable teenage song: Hear Me by Firehose

LEIGH ROBIESON-CLEAVER - PRODUCER

Teenage memory: When I was 15, I had a massive crush on a boy at my school for ages - I even sent him a mystery Valentine's card saying, "Someone somewhere thinks you're very special". A few months later, during the summer holidays, I finally plucked up the courage to call him and ask him out on a date - he said yes! We arranged to go the cinema... On the appointed night, I waited nervously outside Royal Oak tube station - when he arrived, he looked awful and told me he had the flu but he didn't have my phone number and hadn't wanted me to think he had stood me up, so he came just to tell me he couldn't make it and then went home again. That was the start of my first relationship and my first love, awwwww....

Most memorable teenage song: Marian by The Sisters of Mercy

VICKY RUTHERFORD-O'LEARY - PRODUCER

Teenage memory: This photo was taken in my best friend's bedroom. We spent the entire summertime of my fifteenth year discussing the mysteries of life and love, wiling away the hours by cutting out pictures from magazines to put on our bedroom walls, planning a trip to Mexico that never happened, drinking "real coffee" and bottles of Rolling Rock (so naff) because we liked the bottle, listening to Van Morrison tapes and the Screamadelica LP endlessly!

Most memorable teenage song: Damaged by Primal Scream

CLARICIA KRUITHOF - ASSISTANT PRODUCER

Teenage memory: Aged 16, getting past the door staff of an over 21's club Escape in Amsterdam on my older cousin's birthday night out going 'stappen' with my sister, cousins and aunties- one of whom I remember swiftly batting away the unwanted advances of a questionable gentleman sidling up behind me... My first introduction to underground house, techno and smoky dark sweatboxes!

Most memorable teenage song: Teardrop by Massive Attack

SALLY WILSON - MARKETING & PR

Teenage memory: My sister and I were lucky enough to go on a couple of summer exchange trips to Paris when we were in our early teens. It was so exciting to get that first taste of independence and to spend time with another family and other teenagers in such a wonderful city. It was there that I tried pizza with a lightly cooked egg in the middle of it for the first time - that was quite exotic in those days...

Most memorable teenage song: Another Girl, Another Planet by The Only Ones