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About Us

21Common are an arts collective based in Glasgow. We create spectacular dance experiences that consistently challenge the traditional ideas of who can be a dancer by amplifying those most under-represented in that role. Our key collaborators are Artistic Directors Lucy Gaizely and Gary Gardiner, Leading Learning-Disabled Dancer Ian Johnston, Executive Director Louise Irwin and Acclaimed Artist The Late Adrian Howells.

Our show Dancer was presented at UNLIMITED at Southbank and The Place, London (2015); Edinburgh Fringe 2016 (Made In Scotland Showcase / Total Theatre Award Nominee); GAM, Santiago, Chile, 2017; Nøtterøy Kulturhus, Ibsenhuset, Skien, Bølgen Kulturhus, Larvik and Drammens Teater, all Norway 2017 and Made in Scotland Festival, De Kriekelaar, Brussels 2019.

The Ballad of the Apathetic Son and His Narcissistic Mother was presented at Tramway, Glasgow, The Place, London (2017); Made In Scotland Showcase, Edinburgh Festival Fringe (2018); Kontrapunkt Festival, Szczecin; EUROPEAN BÜRGERBÜHNE FESTIVAL, Dresden; Taranaki Festival, New Zealand, Sydney Fringe Touring Hub Headline Act, Australia (all 2019) and tanzhaus nrw, Dusseldorf (2023).

Who we are

We work with many people but our key team are:

Lucy Gaizely, Artistic Director lucy@21common.org

Gary Gardiner, Artistic Director gary@21common.org

Ian Johnston, Associate Artist

Louise Irwin, Executive Director louise@21common.org

Minnie Crook, Project Manager
minnie@21common.org

IN THE INTEREST OF HEALTH AND SAFETY CAN PATRONS KINDLY SUPERVISE THEIR CHILDREN AT ALL TIMES was nominated for The Herald Culture Award for Best Dance Performance 2019, presented at Tramway, Glasgow (2019) and Made in Scotland Showcase, Edinburgh Festival Fringe (2022).

During lockdown 2020 we created two new digital works. The first was a dance film called Anyone, an immersive experience about loneliness, love, boredom and Tiktok, designed to be watched on a mobile phone. That was followed by Non Optimum: When It’s Safe To Do So, a dance collage and artistic enquiry revealed the lives of four learning disabled protagonists during COVID.

Common Is As Common Does: A Memoir, part of the Future Paisley Partnership (2023) appeared in the Made in Scotland Showcase 2024 at ZOO Venues, Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

In 2023, we launched our arts based learning programme Disruptive Pedagogy, funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.  In 2024-2025 we were commissioned by National Theatre of Scotland to tour our work Thank U, Next to high schools across Scotland.

21Common is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) and Charity Number SC047513. It is governed by a voluntary Board of Trustees. We are members of The Federation of Scottish Theatre. 21Common was awarded A Regular Funding Organisation status by Creative Scotland for the period 2018-2025 and Multi-Year Funding for the period 2025-2028.

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