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LIVE PLAYWRITING

Do you want to be a playwriting voice of the future?

We’re on the lookout for budding North East writers interested in writing for the stage. To help you on this journey we offer Live Playwriting. This friendly and informal course is an introduction to playwriting and aimed at those at the beginning of their playwriting journey. The course explores some of the key aspects of writing a play for the stage. It also lifts the lid on playwriting, giving you an understanding of how the theatre industry works and how writers get their plays on stage.

Hosted by Live Theatre’s creative team, with workshops from leading theatre professionals, this 10-week course will cover storytelling, plot, character, dialogue and theatricality.  

Previous workshop leads have included: Bruntwood Prize winner Anna Jordan (Succession/Killing Eve/YEN) - BAFTA Breakthrough Vinay Patel (Murdered By My Father/Doctor Who) - Writer and Artistic Director of Tiata Fahodzi Chinonyerem Odimba (Unknown Rivers/Adulting/My Best Friend Married A Warrior) - Bruntwood Prize winner Phoebe Eclair-Powell (Fury/Wink/Epic Love and Pop Songs) - Joint Artistic Directors of Paines Plough Charlotte Bennett & Katie Posner - Writer Luke Barnes (There Should Be Unicorns/The Jumper Factory/All We Ever Wanted Was Everything), Olivier Award winning producer and writer Chris Foxon (Old Bridge/Shook/Hanna) and screenwriter and playwright Karim Khan (Corrosive/Beyond Shame/Orange Juice)

Throughout the 10 weeks, you will also develop and write a first draft of a fifty minute stage play. You will submit the work at the end, and will receive an hour long feedback session with the Live Theatre team. 

The 10 sessions will take place both in person at Live Theatre and online for those who would prefer from Sat 4 Nov 2023 to Feb 2024. 

Application deadline Tue 30 May 2023
Applicants must be 16+

If you have any questions, please contact creative@live.org.uk

Our Live Playwriting courses are generously supported by the Garrick Charitable Trust.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this for? 

  • Theatre writers from the North East of England  
  • This is an introductory course but we welcome writers with any level of experience 
  • Theatre Writers who are 16+ 

What is the process? 

  • Submissions will open later in 2023 and will be via the Apply button 
  • We ask for a short (no more than ten pages) example of some of your writing to accompany your application. This can either be a short script or a section of a larger script. You may also film your application (no more than 10 minutes) and send to creative@live.org.uk if you prefer. 
  • From the applications, a group of writers will be selected and offered a place on the course. The selection process will be based on the writing example provided and who we think will benefit most from being on the course 
  • We aim to let all applicants know the outcome of their applications by Autumn 2023. 
  • Writers on the course will need to come up with an idea for a stage play to develop over the duration of the course. 
  • Arts Council England
  • Community Foundation
  • European Regional Development Fund
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