The Story So Far
Persistent and Nasty is a podcast series and creative activism initiative for women and other marginalised voices in the stage and screen industries. We are a collective endeavour that is informed by the community we serve. We engage in advocacy work with the Scottish arts and culture sector. Our focus is on achieving better representation, safety and wellbeing and to affect positive and long lasting change in working practises in theatre and film.
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The initiative began in January 2018 - led by the original cohort Elaine Stirrat, Louise Oliver, Emilie Patry and Belle Jones. It started as a script reading and discussion event, the context of which was right on the crest of the #MeToo wave. A sold out event that held a lot of charged conversation and an electric need for change propelled P&N forward into running further script readings and panel debates at the Centre for Contemporary Arts and Tron Theatre in Glasgow and regularly during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. With the podcast series running parallel to these events, Persistent and Nasty has evolved into a grassroots, community led, coalition for change.
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Between 2019 and 2021, Persistent and Nasty was a producing trio that included Misha McCullagh.
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Present day - the OGs Elaine and Louise are now the sole producers behind all things Nasty.
We are committed to an intersectional approach - ALL women and non-binary people are welcome in our spaces. We aim to use the platform we’ve created to amplify unrepresented voices in the arts and create opportunities for our community to network and collaborate. Our goal is to create a project that is fun, safe and supportive, but is also an act of protest. Persistent and Nasty is about changing the cultural narrative through the stories we tell.
We run monthly coffee mornings at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow that serve as a community hub and a place for all women and non-binary people working the arts in Scotland to network, reflect on challenges and find avenues for advice and support. You can book for the next coffee morning here.
Introducing the Nasty Gals
Elaine Stirrat
Founder | Producer
Elaine is an actor, writer, facilitator, podcaster and has begun dipping her toe into directing. Elaine’s backgound is theatre but she has always had a passion for stories told in all mediums. “Everyone should be able to see/hear themselves on stage, screen, or in art. It’s how we all know we’re connected and that everyone’s story is important. You matter”
Founder | Producer
Louise Oliver
Louise is an actor, writer and producer based in Glasgow. She has a Masters in Theatre Studies from the University of Glasgow and trained as an actor at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. She is currently the producer for the Paisley Book Festival, OneRen Arts + Culture and Bar Italia Films. You can find out more about her work at her website - www.mslouiseoliver.com.