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The GALLUS Screen Test Collection
Over the course of two years Sarah curated the GALLUS Screen Test Collection; is a series of interviews with women working across the creative industries in Scotland, talking about their work, their industries, their struggles and the hopes for the future. You can find the entire GALLUS Screen Test Collection on Sarah's YouTube channel.
Episode 1. Jade Mitchell - Spoken Word Poet
Jade is the first of our contributors to tell their stories in the GALLUS Screen Test Collection. We are so lucky to have such a bright and passionate Glasgow based poet share her story. You ever want to see her perform in person you should check out the Live Poet Society at Strathclyde Uni.
Jade's Bio: "I'm an 21 year old performance poet based in Glasgow, Scotland, organiser of Live Poets Society at Strathclyde University, poetry reader for Up The Staircase Quarterly. Published within: Persephones’ Daughters, Words Dance Publishing, Rising Phoenix Press, and more."
See more of Jade's work at the following;
Twitter: Mitchellljade
Facebook: Jade Mitchell
Poetry Blog: vagabondly.tumblr.com
Episode 2. Camelia Cazan - Director and Video Journalist
Cam is one of Glasgow's strongest female directors working on the freelance and independent scene. She has headed up projects for BBCIII, The Social and STV Glasgow, and has won awards for her short film "Monday" and her entries into the 48 Hour Film Project.
Camelia's Bio: "I'm a filmmaker and occasional poet. I make short form factual films for work and films in my spare time. I love combining genres and finding different and unusual characters to tell stories."
Episode 3. Lynsey McCammon - Production Designer
Lynsey is a graphic designer turned model maker turned production designer, and the resident art director for filmmaking group One More Stone. Lynsey is a jack of all trades artist and there's no problem she doesn't have a creative solution for.
She talks about her love of sci-fi and desire to one day work on huge Pinewood sets for Hollywood movies.
Episode 4. Elizabeth Clutterbuck - Offline Editor
Elizabeth is a recent graduate and aspiring offline editor, although she currently works in all stages of production for Glasgow company, Raise the Roof.
She talks about her love of the Handmaids Tale and her desires to work in Canada, and how she came to editing through the desire to really be the team member that pulls the story together.
Episode 5. Charlotte Ryder - Actor
Charlotte is a Newcastle based actor who spends a lot of time working in Scotland along with people she attended Stirling Uni with. She currently has a recurring role as Heather in the Tin Can Audio drama, "Middle:Below", she has spent the last two years working on a touring production of "War of the Worlds" with Northern Stage, and is currently developing her own gothic story radio series, "Charlotte Ryder's Morbid Curios".
She talks about her dislike of the word "actress", and how all actors need to be students of life to really be successful in their fields.
Episode 6. Shannon O'Neil - Spoken Word Poet
Shannon is a Glasgow based artists and part of the spoken word theatre company, In The Works. She and her team have recently completed a run at the fringe with their 2nd full length show, "The 900 Club" which takes place on the 900 bus between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The show has also played at venues and festivals across the UK. Their first show, "A Matter In Time" sold out a short run at the Fringe two years ago.
Shannon talks about her work and her current solo project, "Gaff", which is essentially if Plato's "Republic" was set in an East end of Glasgow house party. She also talks about her interests in hip-hop and how she thinks the two mediums naturally go together, and her plans to create something that does so in the future.
Episode 7. Billie Lamont - Horror Writer
Billie is a long time lover of gothic horror fiction, and with a Masters in Creative Writing, is a long time writer of it too.
Billie talks about the process of writing the same story for years, and the difficulties and liberties of writing with a male voice. She also talks about the expectation for women to write all genres except horror, and her experiences in dealing with prejudice within the writing community.
Episode 8. Isla McLean - Stand Up Comic
Isla tragically lost her husband at age 22 to cancer. She dealt with her grief by writing and performing a full length stand up show called "Widow Me This".
Isla talks about the process of healing and the line between comedy and tragedy. She talks about her experience as a nurse also gives her space to talk about cancer from a healthcare professional side of things and also that wicked sense of humour that helped her deal with the worst situation imaginable.
GALLUS Special Episode - Bitch Night
Stand up comics, Isla McLean and Heli Kostadinova were sick of the comedy scene being so populate by men and not a welcoming space for women who wanted to get into comedy. To tackle this, they started Bitch Night, the only female friendly variety night in Edinburgh. They provide a friendly environment for new acts, a balanced and varied bill and a welcoming environment for all.
The talk about why the felt this night had to exist and how it feels to have gotten so popular so fast.
Episode 9. Amanda McKinlay - Craft Therapist
Amanda is an artists and craft therapist. She teaches other to manage stress, trauma and other negative aspects of life through a healthy dose of artistic expression.
She talks about her work and some of the projects she has been involved with over the years.
Episode 10. Katie Ailes - Spoke Word Artist and Academic
Originally from Philly, Katie has spent that last four years studying, researching and performing spoken word across Scotland with the poetry collective, Loud Poets. She is currently researching the subject of authenticity within spoken word within the UK. She is also a dancer.
Katie talks about her work and research and why spoken word is tool for play and growth.
Episode 11. Megan McCorquodale - Punk Poet
Glasgow based artist, Megan McCorquodale crosses the raw and brutal punk movement with the contemporary art form of spoken word; the results being a painfully beautiful performance that is bound to leave you gasping for breath every time. She is the author of the full length collection "What I Told Frank", published by Chloderick Press in 2018.
She talks about punk and a movement and how she brings it into her work. She also talks about female rage, and the difficulty for women to be seen as angry without also being seen as fragile.
Episode 12. Heli Kostadinova - Stand Up Comic
Heli is a Bulgarian comic who started off as a child threat actor touring across Europe with her family. She is also a co-founder of the Edinburgh female friendly variety night, Bitch Night.
Heli talks about her work in stand up and her experiences of the comedy scene here compared to Bulgaria.
Episode 13. Fiona Liddell - Musician
Fiona is a woman of many talents; she sings, plays violin and guitar and a host of other instruments, plays in about 14 bands and is a music tutor alongside everything.
Fiona talks about the decision to go full-time freelance and the highs and lows of working for yourself in the arts.
Episode 14. Catherine Wilson - Writer and Poet
Catherine is an Edinburgh Based writer and poet who's writing has been featured by institutions including the British National Gallery, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Scotland News, Forth Radio, BBC Radio 4, StAnza Poetry Festival and TEDx. She is also a master of puns.
Catherine talks about the many places spoken word can crop up in, and how it is one of the only art forms that teaching both self-confidence and self-worth.
Episode 15. Angie Strachan - Spoken Word Poet
Angie is a champion of the everyday. Her poems about pigeons and dugs and Aldi are bound to have you rolling in the aisles. She writes about the every days things that we all can relate to, and puts a spin in them to turn the mundane into episode stories.
She talks about balancing the artists life and the family life, and how even though women have made many advancements, we are still expected to be the primary home keepers and the ones who remember birthdays and bake sales.
Episode 16. Lauren Tanner - Production Trainee
Lauren is a licenced financial adviser who fell into the production team of a One More Stone short film and has been asked back several times because of her organisation and savvy. She is using her background in finance and backstage theatre, and her willingness to go above and beyond to help people and putting it to good use getting as much film experience as possible.
Lauren talks about what she has seen so far and where she wants to go in the creative world.
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