Tour the Writer: Year Two
Year 1 of the programme was called Meet the Writer, where we went across England to meet as many of you as possible in our local partner regions. Over the past year we’ve built up a network of over 500 writers that we hope will continue onto the second and third years of Tour the Writer.
Year 2 will be called Develop the Writer. We’ll looking to guide every writer that we’ve worked with through a three draft process to create a new original piece of writing for stage. We will be holding an online Zoom masterclass every two months, setting assignments and deadlines, as well as having in-person feedback and social meetups where you and other writers can discuss your work. This Open Pathway is available to anyone that has engaged in the TTW programme to date.
Alongside that, we’re excited to announce that we will also work with 15 Mentored Writers in each region. Mentored Writers will receive additional support from Paines Plough and your local partner organisation to develop your play which includes written and in-person dramaturgical support.
Whether you’re on the Open Pathway or one of the Mentored Writers, the journey you’ll be going on will be the same. At the end of the year, we hope you’ll have a piece of writing which you can take with you into Year 3 to be developed further.
How do I apply?
If you would like to apply to be one of our Mentored Writers, we’re opening a short application process to anyone that has attended a Tour the Writer event previously.
We’d love for you to answer the following questions:
- What would you like to write about?
- Why would you benefit from being mentored by Paines Plough?
- What or who inspires you creatively?
Please do answer those three questions in whichever way feels right for you.
We suggest one of the following:
- An email or written document (no more than 500 words).
- A video (no more than three minutes).
- A voice note or audio recording (no more than three minutes).
Please also include a writing sample of up to three pages for scripts or 500 words if other forms of writing (such as prose or poetry).
Who are we looking for?
We’re looking for anyone who wants to write a play for the stage. You don’t have to have written one before. You don’t have to know how to write one. You just need a desire to create something that is meaningful to you.
We’re hoping to work with creatives from a range of backgrounds. This includes playwrights, novelists, musicians, poets, spoken word artists, and more. We believe that any artist can create a powerful piece for stage.
What if I don’t have a writing sample?
You can submit any piece of creative writing that you think represents you and your voice. This includes the Come to Where I’m From monologues about home that may have been written if you attended one of our Open Writers Labs. We also have a few exercises linked on our call out page which you can use to write your own monologue if you’d like to create something new.
We stress that we don’t want anyone to feel pressure to create a new piece of writing to apply. If you have something already then send that in!
But we’re also hoping to connect with new writers who may benefit from mentoring so acknowledge that for some they may have never written for stage before. If that’s you, give some of the exercises a try and see if you can create a monologue about home.
Where do I submit?
Applications will open in early 2024 and will be announced through the Tour the Writer mailing list.
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