Tamasha Playwrights is a writer-led collective founded in October 2014 by Tamasha’s Artistic Director Fin Kennedy and formed of 10 emerging playwrights from diverse cultural backgrounds. Writers meet for weekly sessions in Tamasha’s office from October to July. The group is refreshed with a new cohort every autumn.

The content of each session is determined by its participants, and can include any aspect of playwriting; self-producing; fundraising; teaching; writing for radio; visiting speakers; and more. Visiting speakers so far have included representatives from the National Theatre, Soho Theatre, Tricycle Theatre and the Royal Court, as well as freelance producers, directors and award-winning playwrights.

It’s free to take part. We actively encourage applications from writers of colour. A limited number of bursaries to contribute towards travel costs may be available to writers from outside of London.

Deadline

Noon, Friday 27 September 2019

Sessions will take place on Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30pm at Tamasha’s offices at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, East London. The sessions are fully subsidised and offered free of charge. A limited number of bursaries to contribute towards travel costs may be available to writers from outside of London.
Sessions are from October 2019 – July 2020.

The aims of the group are:

• to offer long-term career development in a supportive environment to emerging playwrights from culturally diverse backgrounds.
  to train playwrights as producers, fundraisers, workshop leaders and project managers, as well as offering craft-based session on playwriting itself.
• to support and encourage members to be the creative leads on their own project ideas, and to empower them to make a living as artists in between play commissions.
• to offer regular showcase opportunities to promote the writers to the wider theatre industry.
• This group isn’t aimed at absolute beginners. Applicants will need to have written at least one full length play for the stage, 70 mins+ (though it need not have been produced).
• Writers with more experience are welcome to apply – though those with established professional careers will not be given priority.
• This group is not about generating new plays for Tamasha to commission and produce in the immediate future. In the interests of managing applicants’ expectations, they would like to stress that Tamasha is a small company which produces 1-2 plays per year. Following the 2017 Arts Council funding round, the company has committed to its professional productions up to 2021.
• Group members will be expected to work towards developing wholly new ideas for the stage, not further developing pre-existing plays. Plays submitted during the application process are writing samples only. Taking part in Tamasha Playwrights does not guarantee your work being showcased.
• Writers who applied unsuccessfully for Year 1, 2, 3, 4 and/or 5 are welcome to reapply, but Tamasha would request that they submit a different (ideally new) full-length writing sample.

http://www.tamasha.org.uk/playwrights-year-6-callout/