For many writers who have a ‘day job’ to pay the mortgage, put food on the table etc, a Bank Holiday is a great time to crack on with writing and exploring useful opportunities that are out there. So, we’ve grouped together (in no particular order) a mixture of 12 competitions and opportunities which could inspire you, challenge you or hopefully give your writing career a shot in the arm!
• Brave New Word are currently inviting submissions for ‘Break-Up Britain’, an event taking place at SLAM King’s Cross, 18 September. Short stuff wanted – but making it bold!
• Old Vic Seeks New Artists: The Old Vic 12 represents a unique opportunity for a dozen developing artists who want to take the next step in their careers. The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 30 August, 2016.
• Director’s Cut Theatre Company is inviting submissions for The Secret Life of Sally, a theatrical event comprising a mixture of monologues and duologues. Deadline for submissions is midnight, Wednesday, 31 August, 2016.
• Entertain Us Productions are organising a charity event to benefit the New York Foundling… The show’s in the States but you can contribute! Deadline: 31 August.
• The Traverse has launched their open script submissions round and are accepting scripts until the end of September. Fancy getting your full-length play staged? Then why not go for it?
• Write to Play is an initiative from Graeae Theatre Company designed to cultivate and promote Deaf and disabled writers. They’ve got some cracking opportunities lined up including free ‘taster’ days.
• Pontardawe Arts Centre is inviting submissions of new writing for their annual Script Slam. The closing date for submissions is Monday, 5 September, 2016.
• Here’s a playwriting competition looking for new and emerging writers from British East Asian, South Asian and South East Asian communities who are interested in contributing and sharing their contemporary and traditional stories… Deadline for submissions is 1 October, 2016.
• Little Pieces of Gold is seeking short, Brexit-inspired plays for their 16th October production at Southwark Playhouse. The deadline for script submissions is 7th September.
• The Dangerous Women Project is an initiative which asks what does it mean to be a ‘dangerous woman’? You can seek to contribute with a video, prose or other forms.
• Submissions are now being accepted for the Sultan Padamsee Award for Playwriting, 2016. The deadline is 31 August, 2016 and entrants should be ‘a person of Indian origin from any country’.
• This one is for authors but it looks interesting… Penguin Random House UK is looking to find, mentor, and ultimately publish new writers from communities that are under-represented on the nation’s bookshelves. Applications are open until Friday, 2 September, 2016.
You’ll find more opportunities, including job vacancies (there’s a golden opportunity for any gifted script editors for example…) over on our opportunities page. It’s regularly updated so keep an eye on it!
