EXTENDED DEADLINE

Noon 22^nd June 2018.

The Lancaster Playwriting Prize is a new initiative arising out of the cultural partnership between Lancaster University and The Dukes Theatre, Lancaster; it is supported by Lucy Briers, Tamasha Theatre Company and Arts Council England.

In this inaugural year, the Prize is focused on BAMER (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee) playwrights. The aim is not just to discover new voices, but to empower playwrights from culturally diverse backgrounds in general by building skills, confidence and networks.

All eligible scripts will be read in full by at least two readers from a panel including Fin Kennedy (Artistic Director of Tamasha Theatre), Sarah Punshon (Artistic Director of The Dukes Lancaster), and Tajinder Singh Hayer (Lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University). A shortlist of up to five entries will be read by a panel of readers over the summer including the above and Lucy Briers (actress and patron of the Lancaster Playwriting Prize).

All longlisted scripts will be read in full. Up to five shortlisted finalists will have their script workshopped with professional actors and directors, and see extracts performed at a public showcase event held at The Dukes Lancaster.

The winner will receive £1500 and will be invited to become part of the Tamasha Playwrights group for 2018/19, receiving tailored training and mentoring as they develop their careers. The winner will also receive travel support to attend weekly Tamasha Playwrights workshops in London from October 2018 to July 2019.

Two of the other shortlisted writers will receive writer on attachment bursaries at The Dukes of £500 each (with further support to cover travel costs)

Guidelines

• The competition is open to any BAMER (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee) writers who are originally from, resident or work in the North West of England. For the purposes of this prize, the North West consists of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.
• Writers must be over 16.
• The play must be an original, unpublished and unproduced piece of work. It cannot have had a professional production anywhere in the world. For the purposes of this prize, development performances (such as rehearsed readings and workshops) do not constitute full productions; amateur productions also do not count as full productions under these criteria.
• Adaptations of existing works of musical theatre, radio, television or other media are not eligible; translations of said works are also excluded.
• Musical theatre scripts are not eligible.
• Scripts must be a minimum of 40 minutes long and all pages must be numbered.

For more information including a series of ten workshops in the North West from 23^rd April to 22^nd May and to apply please go to http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/english-literature-and-creative-writing/about-us/playwriting/