Mission

To advance the arts, heritage and culture through the development of new theatrical works by:
  • Supporting emerging talent in the performing arts;
  • Supporting the work of Scottish playwrights and other theatre artists;
  • Supporting cross–cultural / multilingual theatrical work to enrich the global theatre community, bringing Scottish theatre to the world, and global theatre to Scotland;
  • Creating accessible productions of the classics of the theatrical canon that reach and connect with a broader audience;
  • Promoting, establishing, operating and/or supporting other projects and programmes which further similar charitable purposes.
Sarah Macdonald
Sarah Macdonald
Artistic Director

Sarah is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (MA Classical Text – Acting) and performs internationally under the name Sarah Linnell. As a recognized Global Talent, she splits her time between the US, Japan, and the UK where she is currently based.

Sarah developed a passion for multilingual/multicultural theatre at an early age, and is a firm believer in both the power of language, and the power of theatre to surpass language barriers.

The first 10 years of her career were spent in Japan, where her work included stage, tv, film, radio, voiceover, and motion capture. She was a regular participant – both as actor and translator – in a bilingual workshop series for new writing in collaboration with playwrights Takeshi Kawamura and John Jesurun. She went on to write the official English translation of Kawamura’s ‘On the Street Vol. 5–Tokyo Lockdown’ for publication in the Japan Playwright Association’s ‘Engeki: Japanese Theatre in the New Millenium’. She has since translated Laura Schellhardt’s ‘Shapeshifter’ into Japanese, organizing a bilingual workshop in NYC and a Japanese staged reading in Tokyo.

Robert Macdonald
Robert Macdonald
Secretary

Robert is a retired investment / financial services executive and long-time supporter of the theatrical arts in the US and UK. He is a founding trustee of Somerled Arts, a U.S. based charity dedicated to supporting the development of new theatrical work and the artists who create this work, and serves on the boards of other arts and health care related charities.

Wendy Macdonald
Wendy Macdonald
Treasurer

Wendy attended the Berklee College of Music and is a graduate of The Broadway League's Commercial Theater Institute 14-Week Producing Intensive (Spring 2011). As a freelance musician, Wendy toured the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America, Japan, and Taiwan with the Artie Shaw Orchestra, Harry James Orchestra, Benny Goodman Tribute Orchestra, and Makoto Ozone Big Band. She has also performed with major artists including Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Paul Anka, Johnny Mathis, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Manhattan Transfer. During her 30 years as a musician Wendy played in the pit orchestra for hundreds of musicals throughout New England, and was a member of The American Federation of Musicians.

Legal

Incorporated 10 July, 2023 as
a private company limited by shares
under the Companies Act 2006

Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) #SC052683
Companies House Company #SC775165

 FY2023 Annual Report and Unaudited Statutory Accounts

US Holding Company

Somerled Charitable Foundation
dba Somerled Arts
501(c)(3) 4942(j)(3) Exempt Private Operating Foundation
formed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Declaration of Trust dated 4 November 2005
US EIN #20-3771709
NY Registered Charity #43-03-02
MA Registered Charity #045247

Thistledown Arts, LLC is a foreign eligible entity with a single owner electing to be disregarded as a separate entity effective July 10, 2023
US EIN #98-1747013

Contact Us

Thistledown Arts
℅ Anderson Strathern LLP
George House, 50 George Square
Glasgow G2 1EH Scotland

Email the Trustees