Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland...the story so far
Forthcoming projects
Contact details
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'A great and pioneering model - an uncompromising initiative by artists for artists'
Jessica Dromgoole, New Writing Co-ordinator for BBC Radio Drama |
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The Playwrights' Studio, Scotland, is a new national initiative designed to directly engage the people of Scotland with new playwriting and to celebrate, promote and develop Scotland's already rich and growing culture of writing for live performance. |
The idea for a playwrights’ studio was championed over many years by Tom McGrath and the Traverse Theatre. It followed research in 2001 which clearly demonstrated the demand for the Studio.
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The Studio aims to:
- Improve access to plays
- Identify new talent
- Increase the number of new plays produced
- Develop the quality of new plays
- Develop skills and experience of playwrights
- Make best use of existing skills, experience and contacts
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The Playwrights’ Studio is a small organisation – run by a team of two - with a very large brief. It is perhaps a measure of the belief in the Playwrights’ Studio that, in their inaugural year, they are being supported by three of Scotland’s most respected playwrights, David Greig, Liz Lochhead and Nicola McCartney.
Since its inception in March this year, they have been working hard to promote The Studio’s activities and raise its profile.
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In four months they have:
- attracted over 20,000 hits to their website
- held writing sessions with over 60 members of the public (and turned away half as many again)
- been in regular contact with over 800 people including meetings with over 40 writers & 25 companies
- informed writers about plays wanted in Italy and Germany
- held workshops in Edinburgh, Inverness, Dundee and Cambridge and competitions in London and Glasgow
- begun mentoring six emerging writers
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'So many plays begin as a vague idea in the mind of a writer. Having a studio to take those ideas to, rather than have them torture you in isolation, can only be a good thing.'
Gregory Burke, Playwright – Gagarin Way & The Straits |
Over the next six months the Playwrights’ Studio will be focusing on the following projects:
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EVOLVE
Evolve is a national playwriting project for aspiring playwrights. As part of this, in February the Studio will select four aspiring writers through the competition IGNITE. These winners will be given support in the development of their entries into full plays with the assistance of directors, actors and dramaturges. Readings of the resulting plays will be given to select public groups in autumn 2005. |
Play Resource Scotland
Over the next few years the Playwrights' Studio intends to create an online directory of all new plays professionally produced in Scotland. This directory will allow people all over the world to search for Scottish plays by a variety of categories and learn more about Scottish plays. The resource will ultimately allow users to purchase copies of each play via publishers or a fee-based download facility.
Writers Forum
The Studio will host quarterly writers meetings to discuss set topics and network with other writers and theatre practitioners.
Creating Space
Creating Space is a platform for established playwrights to support the development of unproduced scripts. This development will be writer led, putting the playwright at the heart of the process.
Dramaturgy and the Word
On 1 April 2004, in collaboration with GAIN and QMUC, we will be holding a dramaturgy event to explore models of practice, assess demand for dramaturgical support and identify practicing and potential dramaturges.
Dramaturgy means the theory and practice of dramatic composition.
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The results of this day-long event will form the basis of a document that can be used by theatre practitioners as a guide to best practice and help further the development of dramaturgy.
Resources
As well as delivering activities, the Playwrights’ Studio has formed a central resource for information about Scotland’s plays and playwriting. |
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Information Resources include: Writers Groups, Script Reading Services, Workshops, Competitions and Festivals. All resources are available on line at the company’s Playwrights' Studio website.
From January 2005, we will be creating monthly e-bulletins to inform contacts about our activities and other opportunities available to them throughout Scotland, elsewhere in the UK and abroad.
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If you would be interested in receiving these bulletins or would like more information about the Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland, please visit our website or contact:
Caroline Newall
Operations Manager
Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland,
CCA
350 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow
G2 3JD
Tel: +44 (0) 141 332 4403
Fax:+44 (0) 141 332 6352
info@playwrightsstudio.co.uk | |