Every year, Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland supports projects generated and led by playwrights themselves. This set of supports is self-designed and delivered, so is most suitable for playwrights who have had experience of professional practise i.e. mid-career or experienced playwrights. They normally consider this to be artists who have had at least two professional productions paid at industry rates (though there are some exceptions – please check here if you would not otherwise be eligible). Other opportunities are available for playwrights who have less experience and would benefit from more structured support.

The projects they provide resource to generally either:

• contribute to an artist’s professional development
• contribute to the development of a piece of live performance
• create a new opportunity for collaboration (across artform, international boundaries or geographical distances)
• further an artist’s practice in a way that would be hard for them to otherwise resource

Eligibility

• A mid-career or established playwright who has had at least two professional productions paid at industry rates or A playwright who meets the criteria detailed here.
• Be resident in Scotland or from Scotland and living elsewhere.
• Applying with activity that takes place in Scotland.

They are unable to accept applications from playwrights who:

• Are in full-time formal education (i.e. 16 hours or more per week). If you are in part-time education, please contact us to discuss your options.
• Have directly received support from Playwrights’ Studio in the previous 18 months (this doesn’t include attending workshops or groups run by Playwrights Studio Scotland).

You should have in principle agreement for your Self-led Project from any named collaborators or partners before submitting.

You can apply for the following type of activity up to £4,000; if you’d like in-kind support from Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland, this can be added on top of this sum. Budget for all projects in this round is £8,000.

They can offer the following type of support:

• Fees (to cover your time and that of any collaborators, or a course)
• Finances to cover physical costs like space hire, per diems, or equipment
• In-kind support (space, logistics, administrative)

Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland does not commission or produce work; as a result, they  cannot offer funds to substitute commissioning or production fees, nor for artists to self-commission or top up commission payments from a theatre.

Therefore they are not able to support in part, or sum, the following:

• Commission fees for a new play (though you can apply to pay yourself for writing or thinking time as part of an application)
• The costs of producing a play
• Plays that have already been produced or received significant script development elsewhere
• In practice this means that if you are applying solely for money to pay yourself to write a play, you may find the Play Development Bursaries a better fit.

You will be able to set specific dates for your project and the rate at which your work progresses. They ask that writers apply only if they anticipate being able to complete the projects within one calendar year. Case Study Sessions happen around once a month.

Deadline: 1pm, Monday 3rd April 2023.

Self-led Projects — Playwrights’ Studio Scotland (playwrightsstudio.co.uk)