BBC Wales announces second £10,000 Wales Drama Award
BBC Cymru Wales and National Theatre Wales, in partnership with BBC Writersroom, are inviting submissions for the second, prestigious £10,000 Wales Drama Award.
Published: 22 July 2014
This award recognises and supports the best of Welsh and Wales-based writing talent. We know that Wales has a rich seam of creative talent, and tapping into that is hugely exciting - we can't wait to find the next generation of drama writers, for both stage and screen!
BBC Cymru Wales and National Theatre Wales, in partnership with BBC Writersroom, are inviting submissions for the second, prestigious £10,000 Wales Drama Award.
The biennial award is both a celebration of writers in Wales and an open call to Welsh talent, whether emerging or established. It’s a collaboration between two creative leaders in drama – BBC Cymru Wales and National Theatre Wales, in partnership with BBC Writersroom – and was first launched in 2012.
The winner of this year’s Wales Drama Award will again receive £10,000, and an opportunity to develop their script and work closely with both BBC Cymru Wales and National Theatre Wales. Two runners-up will each receive £1,000 each.
The competition is open to any writer residing in Wales. Writers must submit a full-length script in any medium, unperformed or unproduced and in the English language and at least 30 minutes long. Please visit bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities for details on how to submit your script. BBC Writersroom will be accepting submissions for the Wales Drama Award between Monday 22 September and 5pm on 7 October 2014.
A series of forthcoming open sessions will be held in Cardiff, Aberystwyth, and Wrexham, in which writers can find out more. For further details and to book a place at one of these workshops, please visit bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities.
Kate Rowland, Creative Director of New Writing, will lead the judging panel with Faith Penhale, BBC Cymru Wales' Head of Drama; John McGrath, Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales; and writers Andrew Davies and Lucy Gannon.
Up to six shortlisted writers will be invited to a meeting with the judges in November 2014 to discuss their script and any ideas they want to develop, and the winner will be announced in December 2014.
John McGrath said: “I am delighted that National Theatre Wales is once again collaborating with BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Writersroom on the Wales Drama Award. We are undoubtedly living in a time of very rich new Welsh dramatic writing, and the Wales Drama Award throws a spotlight on this explosion of talent.”
Faith Penhale, Head of Drama at BBC Wales, says: "This award recognises and supports the best of Welsh and Wales-based writing talent. We know that Wales has a rich seam of creative talent, and tapping into that is hugely exciting - we can't wait to find the next generation of drama writers, for both stage and screen!”
Katherine Chandler was the winner of the inaugural Wales Drama Award in 2012, beating nearly 250 other applicants for her script Parallel Lines. Her original drama short, Tag, was subsequently produced on BBC iPlayer.
Katherine says: "Winning the inaugural Wales Drama Award in 2012 was an exciting turning point in my career, raising my profile and presenting me with several new opportunities and possibilities. I would urge all Wales-based writers to enter their work this year."
KSD
Welsh-language version
GWOBR DDRAMA CYMRU
Mae BBC Cymru Wales a National Theatre Wales, mewn partneriaeth â BBC Writersroom, yn gwahodd ceisiadau ar gyfer ail Wobr Ddrama Cymru, sydd yn werth £10,000.
Mae'r wobr, sy’n cael ei chynnig bob yn ail flwyddyn, yn dathlu gwaith awduron yng Nghymru ac yn agored i dalent o Gymru, boed hwnnw’n dalent newydd neu sydd wedi sefydlu ei hun. Mae'r wobr yn ffrwyth cydweithio rhwng dau arweinydd creadigol yn y maes drama - BBC Cymru Wales a National Theatre Wales, mewn partneriaeth â BBC Writersroom - a chafodd ei lansio gyntaf yn 2012.
Bydd enillydd Gwobr Ddrama Cymru eleni unwaith eto yn derbyn £10,000, a chyfle i ddatblygu eu sgript a gweithio'n agos gyda BBC Cymru Wales a National Theatre Wales. Bydd y ddau yn yr ail safle yn derbyn £1,000 yr un.
Mae'r gystadleuaeth yn agored i unrhyw awdur sy'n byw yng Nghymru. Mae'n rhaid i awduron gyflwyno sgript hyd llawn mewn unrhyw gyfrwng, heb ei berfformio na’i gynhyrchu, yn Saesneg ac o leiaf 30 munud o hyd. Ewch I http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities os gwelwch yn dda am fanylion am sut I gyflwyno eich sgript. Mi fydd BBC Writersroom yn derbyn ceisiadau am Wobr Ddrama Cymru rhwng dydd Llun 22ain o Fedi a 5pm a’r 7fed o Hydref 2014.
Bydd cyfres o sesiynau agored yn cael eu cynnal yn fuan yng Nghaerdydd, Aberystwyth a Wrecsam, lle gall awduron fynychu er mwyn cael rhagor o wybodaeth. Am fwy o fanylion ac i fwcio lle yn un o’r sesiynau agored, ewch i www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities.
Kate Rowland, Cyfarwyddwr Creadigol Ysgrifennu Newydd, fydd yn arwain y panel beirniadu gyda Faith Penhale, Pennaeth Drama BBC Cymru Wales, John McGrath, Cyfarwyddwr Artistig National Theatre Wales, a’r awduron Andrew Davies a Lucy Gannon.
Bydd hyd at chwe awdur ar y rhestr fer yn cael eu gwahodd i gyfarfod gyda’r beirniaid ym mis Tachwedd 2014 i drafod eu sgript ac unrhyw syniadau maent eisiau eu datblygu, a bydd yr enillydd yn cael ei gyhoeddi ym mis Rhagfyr 2014.
Dywedodd John McGrath: “Rwy'n falch iawn bod National Theatre Wales unwaith eto yn cydweithio â BBC Cymru Wales a BBC Writersroom ar Wobr Ddrama Cymru. Rydym yn sicr yn byw mewn cyfnod o ysgrifennu dramatig newydd cyfoethog iawn yng Nghymru, ac mae Gwobr Ddrama Cymru yn taflu goleuni ar y ffrwydrad hwn o dalent.”
Dywedodd Faith Penhale, Pennaeth Drama BBC Cymru: “Mae'r Wobr hon yn cydnabod ac yn cefnogi’r gorau o dalent ysgrifennu Cymreig a’r talent hwnnw sydd wedi’i leoli yng Nghymru. Rydym yn gwybod bod gan Gymru wythïen gyfoethog o dalent greadigol, ac mae manteisio ar hwnnw yn hynod gyffrous - fedrwn ni ddim disgwyl i ddod o hyd i’r genhedlaeth nesaf o ysgrifenwyr drama ar gyfer y llwyfan a'r sgrin!”
Katherine Chandler oedd enillydd cyntaf Gwobr Ddrama Cymru yn 2012, gan drechu bron i 250 o ymgeiswyr eraill gyda’i sgript, Parallel Lines. Cafodd ei drama fer wreiddiol Tag ei chynhyrchu wedyn ar BBC iPlayer.
Meddai Katherine: “Roedd ennill Gwobr Ddrama Cymru am y tro cyntaf yn 2012 yn drobwynt cyffrous yn fy ngyrfa, cododd fy mhroffil a chyflwynodd i mi nifer o gyfleoedd a phosibiliadau newydd. Mi fuaswn yn annog holl awduron Cymru i roi cais arni eleni.”
KSD
