New writing opportunity with international theatre, Royal Court
Applications deadline Sunday 14 April 2013.

The British Council is offering South African playwrights the opportunity to work with one of the UK’s leading national theatre companies for a new writing project. There are 12 places for emerging playwrights who can show evidence of a track record of writing plays regardless of whether they have been published or performed. The applications will be assessed by a panel consisting of representatives of the British Council, Royal Court and South African theatre professionals.

Royal Court will travel to South Africa to host the workshop (held in Magaliesburg from 6 July to 14 July) which aims of to support each playwright in writing a new contemporary play. The workshop will be designed for the needs of each writer, explore individual interests, and by the end of the week each writer will be asked to propose an outline of a new idea for a contemporary and original play.

Following the workshop, the participants will be asked to submit their play to the Royal Court who will continue to work with playwrights over the coming two years to develop the plays.

The London-based Royal Court runs long-term play development projects in many different countries, helping to stimulate new writing across the globe.

MAKING AN APPLICATION

Please send your application, with the below items, to Lois Anguria (lois.anguria@britishcouncil.org.za):

• a brief statement (motivation letter) of why you would like to attend the workshop
• a single page CV including your date of birth and gender
• one scene from a recent play you have written and a synopsis of that play
• two letters of recommendation.

We ask that the application be in English and the workshop will be conducted in English but samples of your work can be written in any language and we will arrange for appropriate translations to be made.

DEADLINES

12 March 2013 – Open call
14 April 2013 – Application deadline
7 May 2013 – Announce participants
6 July – 14 July 2013 – Workshops

There will also be further activities beyond the workshops, so by applying you are committing yourself to being involved in the project for up to two years.

FURTHER INFORMATION
The workshop will be a residential in Magaliesburg, South Africafrom 6 – 13 July 2013. Accommodation, food and workshop spaces will be provided.The British Council office in Johannesburg will facilitate travel.

CONTACT
Please contact Lois Anguria, British Council South Africa, on lois.anguria@britishcouncil.org.za or011 560 9340 if you have any further queries.

The British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide. We are a Royal Charter charity, established as the UK’s international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations. Our 7,000 staff in over 100 countries work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year through English, arts, education and society programmes. We earn over 75 per cent of our annual turnover of nearly £700 million form services which customers pay for, education and development contracts we bid for and from partnerships. A UK government grant provides the remaining 25 per cent. We match every £1 of core public funding with over £3 earned in pursuit of charitable purpose. For more information please visit www.britishcouncil.org. You can also keep in touch with the British Council through www.twitter.com/britishcouncil and www.blog.britishcouncil.org.