Jack MacGregor becomes the 2026 IASH/Traverse Creative Fellow

2024 Bursary recipient Jack MacGregor becomes the 2026 IASH/Traverse Creative Fellow to develop Foil, an anti-biographical play about British Olympic fencer Hannah Mayfield.

The IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship is a long-running partnership between the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) and the Traverse Theatre that provides a unique space for writers to interrogate urgent social, political or cultural themes through the lens of contemporary theatre, offering dedicated time, dramaturgical support, and opportunities for collaboration and public engagement.

Jack received an MGCfutures Bursary in 2024 to write a play about the 1928 Achnacarry Agreement. As the 2026 IASH/Traverse Creative Fellow, he will now develop Foil, an anti-biographical play about British Olympic fencer Hannah Mayfield and the infamous life-changing event that occurred in the final round of foils at the Tokyo Olympics, a violent clash between art and science, between the mind and body, truth and fiction. This play bridges the disciplines of sport, drama, and the medical humanities, an invitation into the high-powered world of olympic fencing, an arena of speed and violence where the winner takes it all.

Jack 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.”

Jack macgregor, writer and 2024 bursary recipient