We never post opportunities that require a submission fee. LEARN MORE.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Bloomsbury Festival New Wave Theatre Writing and Production Opportunities 2023

Website

Deadline: September 23, 2022 5PM

In partnership with Bloomsbury Radio & Macready Theatre

https://www.bil.ac.uk/bloomsburyradio/ https://macreadytheatre.co.uk/

Bloomsbury Festival 2023 Opportunities

Bloomsbury Festival is seeking submissions from emerging writers and companies (aged 18+) to produce work as part of our 2023 festival, in response to the theme ‘Grow’. Scripts and theatre productions might explore self-development, ambition, biology, globalisation, or subjects like the exploration of space or the contemporary impact of the industrial revolution - whatever our theme inspires for you as a writer!

We welcome both young emerging writers/companies and more mature entries who are starting their professional careers. You may have recently been part of professional or academic development programmes in theatre or similar disciplines, or have had some prior experience producing your own work.

Bloomsbury Festival is a local festival based in central London and so the production opportunities we offer are focused towards writers with a connection to London through their home base or studies. We are therefore unable to offer travel or accommodation support for successful participants.

Please submit your applications to submissions@bloomsbury.org.uk by 5pm Friday 23rd September 2022. 

In the subject line of your email, please note which opportunity you are applying for: Radio Competition 2023, or Macready Improvisation 2023, or Bloomsbury Theatre 2023. 

Please state if you are applying for more than one opportunity and include in your email the details requested at the end of this document.

Entries close at 5pm on Friday 23rd September, and the selected writers and theatre companies will be announced during Bloomsbury Festival 2022 (14th-23rd October). The opportunities for 2023:

1. Bloomsbury Radio 2023 Radio Play Competition
Winning Writer’s Fee - £1,000
With performer and production costs supported by Bloomsbury Radio


As part of Bloomsbury Festival 2023, the festival’s partner radio station Bloomsbury Radio is seeking submissions of completed new writing/theatre scripts in response to our 2023 festival theme ‘Grow’ to be considered for a radio play production. The winning writer will be awarded a £1000 writer’s fee, with their work programmed to be produced and broadcast by Bloomsbury Radio as part of Bloomsbury Festival 2023.

We are looking for a completed script of approximately 50 minutes in length, which should be suitable for broadcast to a general adult audience. We expect the playwright to take into account that production will happen within a limited recording slot at a radio studio, with 1 day of rehearsal time and 1 day of studio time for the production. We are able to provide 3 actors for this project and advise that cast lists reflect this, though there is an opportunity for actors to multirole.


2. Macready Theatre - Writer for Script Development Through Improvisation

Selected Writer’s Bursary - £1000
With Possibility to Attend Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023

We are seeking an emerging writer to develop a new script that responds to our 2023 festival theme ‘Grow’ through an improvisation process with Macready Theatre Young Actors’ Ensemble. The selected writer will be awarded a £1000 bursary payment to develop a full script, supported by Macready Theatre and its sponsors Cemex and Rugby School Department of Theatre & Performing Arts. Bloomsbury Festival is able to facilitate any costs incurred travelling to workshops outside of London.

We are asking for submissions to contain a previously completed full script which does not have to relate to Bloomsbury Festival 2023’s theme ‘Grow’, but which does show the writer has previously developed a script through an improvisation process, and an outline of the writer’s previous work with young performers.

The winning writer will work with a professional director and student performers aged 16-18 from Macready Theatre Young Actors’ Ensemble. The first workshop day with the director and student performers will take place during this year’s festival, on Monday 17th October 2022 - the writer must be available to attend. Further development will take place across the academic year 2022-23 at the Macready Theatre in Rugby, with the possibility to take the production to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023, and/or return to Bloomsbury Festival 2023.

A further £100 contribution to the writer will be made available to visit the production if it is presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023. Please note that Macready Theatre’s plans to tour the production will be subject to satisfactory development of the script alongside workshops.

3. 3 x Opportunity to Present Work at Bloomsbury Festival 2023
£300 Bursary Towards Production
Offer of venue and rehearsal space, marketing and box office share at Bloomsbury Festival 2023

We are offering opportunities to 3 emerging theatre companies to present productions of new work that responds to the theme of ‘Grow’ at next year’s festival.

The successful applicants will receive £300 bursary towards production, as well as the offer of dramaturgy sessions, venue and rehearsal space, marketing support and a box office share at Bloomsbury Festival 2023.

We are looking for completed scripts or new works for theatre currently in development. The length should be approximately 50 minutes, and we welcome applications from new companies wishing to establish themselves through this process. You should include details of your training, theatre and professional experience as relevant.

Entries will close at 5pm on Friday 23rd September, and the winner will be announced during Bloomsbury Festival 2022 (14th-23rd October).

TO APPLY:
Radio Competition 2023: submit 1 script approximately 50 minutes in length in response to the theme ‘Grow’.

Macready Improvisation 2023: submit 1 script that you have previously developed through an improvisation process (any subject matter) and an outline of your past experience working with young performers.

Bloomsbury Theatre 2023: submit 1 script, or description of devised project and process, of approximately 50 minutes in length in response to the theme ‘Grow’, and an outline of the writer’s/production company’s previous experience including earlier script where available.

Please email a .pdf copy of your application to submissions@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk by 5pm Friday 23rd September.

In the subject line of your email, please note which opportunity you are applying for: Radio Competition 2023, Macready Improvisation 2023 or Bloomsbury Festival Theatre 2023.

In the accompanying email, please submit a 20-50 word synopsis of your script/play with:

Name: 
Age:
Email:
Phone Contact:
Contact Address:
Any recent writing courses (not essential) – course name and institution: Any other relevant information you would like us to be aware of.

Selected writers will be announced during Bloomsbury Festival 2022 (14th-23rd October).

Please Note:

Whilst all entries are welcome, Bloomsbury Festival would like to encourage applications from people who are currently underrepresented in the arts, and are particularly interested in hearing from global majority, lower socio-economic background, d/Deaf and disabled, LGBTQ+ writers. We are a festival based in the London Borough of Camden, and will pay particular attention to the work of writers with connections to the local and surrounding areas.

By applying for this opportunity you guarantee that your script is entirely your own original work, and does not infringe on the copyright of any other writer or artist.

For Radio Competition 2023 applicants you also agree that, if selected, you allow the director and Bloomsbury Radio to have the final say in casting and production decisions.

Bloomsbury Festival is a local festival based in Central London, and so the production opportunities we offer are focused towards writers with a connection to London as a home base or through their studies. We are therefore unable to offer travel or accommodation support for successful participants.

Blog Archive