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Steven Thomson

STEVEN THOMSON

Steven attended Stanley Green High School 1977-1983 and is a resident of Glenburn, Paisley.

Currrently, he is a Creative Producer for Paisley 2021 working on the bid to be UK City of Culture.

From 2004-2014 Steven Thomson was Producer of the award winning Glasgay! Festival.  Established in 1993 it was Scotland’s annual celebration of queer culture.  During his decade he grew the festival to a large month long celebration at nearly 20 venues attracting up to 25,000 visitors per year.  He commissioned a number of leading Scottish writers during this time including Louise Welsh, Jo Clifford, Jackie Kay, Liz Lochhead and Stef Smith.  As a Producer he also brought major talent to the festival including Alan Carr, John Waters, Penny Arcade, Bette Bourne, Tim Fountain, Marc Almond, Pam Ann and Craig Hill amongst many others.  He was awarded several times for his work including a Pride Scotland award in 2005 and listed for several years as one of the Top 100 talents in Scotland by the List Magazine.

He began his career firstly as actor-manager of a young, community touring Theatre Company. In 1983 Arc Theatre Company he staged John McGrath’s ‘The Game’s A Bogey’.  Prior to that he spent a summer at the Citizens’ Theatre as part of the Scottish Youth Theatre.  He was mentored by Elaine C. Smith and Robert Carlyle where he met and worked with Michelle Gomez (The Green Wing) Ronnie McCann (Doctors), and Graham McLaren (National Theatre of Scotland).

From 1983 to 1987 he worked at the Tron Theatre under Michael Boyd (Royal Shakespeare Co.) followed by a long stint (1987-93) at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama as theatre and marketing manager.  During this time he founded a new professional student theatre ensemble, Made In Glasgow, staged the first Scottish Student Drama Festival at the RSAMD and Edinburgh Fringe and worked with Alan McHugh and David McVicar. In 1992 he produced Suzanne Bonnar (River City) in ‘I Cover The Waterfront – the Billie Holiday Story’ and made his directorial debut for the Scottish première of Nice by Mustapha Matura.

From 1993-94 he worked freelance with New Moves – Scotland’s international contemporary dance festival and Winged Horse Productions.  He followed that with an appointment as General Manager for Promenade Productions, producers of ‘The Big Picnic’ at the Harland & Wolff Engine Shed, Govan, written and directed by Bill Bryden (BBC Scotland & The Royal National Theatre). He also worked principally with Producer, Nicholas Newton (Bush Theatre and son of actor Robert Newton). The production was staged to great acclaim to over 50,000 people and recorded for Broadcast by BBC Television.

Between 1995 and 1996 he worked a citywide Theatre Manager at The King’s, Mitchell and Tramway Theatres and additionally the Scottish Claymores World Bowl Championship at Murrayfield Stadium. In 1997 Steven relocated to London to work on a new six-part TV drama entitled SOHO for Channel 4. During that time also worked NFL Europe London as well as string of productions with Promenade including Baby Doll by Tennessee Williams and Sacco & Vanzetti starring Brian Cox.  From 1998 to 2004 he Administrative Director of New Moves International Ltd, producers of the National Review of Live Art and the New Moves festival.