The Institute is delighted to announce that playwright Jack MacGregor has been selected as the 2026 IASH/Traverse Creative Fellow, continuing a long-running partnership with the Traverse Theatre. The full announcement, along with insights into the forthcoming season at the Traverse, is here: https://www.traverse.co.uk/news/traverse-theatre-announces-spring-2026-season-and-new-iash-traverse-creative-fellow
As Scotland’s new writing theatre, the Traverse Theatre is a dynamic centre for performance, experience and discovery, often referred to as Edinburgh’s ‘beating heart of the Fringe’ in August. Enabling people across society to access and engage with theatre is its fundamental mission. The Traverse's year-round programme bursts with new stories and live performances that challenge, inform and entertain. They empower artists and audiences to make sense of the world today, providing a safe space to question, learn, empathise and – crucially – encounter different people and experiences. Conversation and the coming together of groups are central to a democratic society, and they champion equal expression and understanding.
Since IASH's foundation in 1969, more than 1,500 scholars from 70 countries have held Institute fellowships, with playwrights such as Femi Fatoba, David Harrower, Rona Munro and Jo Clifford among those who have developed new work while in residence. IASH and the Traverse have collaborated since 2010, with recent commissions including Still by Frances Poet and Variant by Peter Arnott.
Jack MacGregor said:
The IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship has been the home to some of the most daring and insightful work in Scottish theatre since it was established in 2003. It is the honour of a lifetime to be counted among the ranks of its Fellows. My goal is to live up to the high standards set by the Fellowship alumni - and to deliver a brand new piece of work that captures the imagination, ambition, and excitement worthy of IASH and the Traverse Theatre.
Professor Lesley McAra, Director of IASH, said:
We treasure our long-running relationship with the Traverse Theatre. The brilliant writers who visit us each year enrich our community both through their commitment to creating bold new work for Scotland, and through the novel ideas and creative methods that they exchange with scholars from around the world. Jack joins a host of playwrights-in-residence who have together changed the face of Scottish theatre over the past five decades. We are proud to have him as part of our community in 2026 and look forward to helping him develop his new play.
Jack will be in residence at IASH from January to October 2026, taking over from the 2025 Fellow, Michael John O'Neill.
The call for applications for the 2027 Fellowship will be released next summer.
Image Credit - Josie Morrison Young