Platfform New Writing Call Out: Writing Theatre for Young Audiences

Theatr Iolo have launched their biennial new writing call out, inviting Welsh and Wales based writers to surprise and inspire them with new work for the stage, written especially for young people.

The children’s theatre company, who are based in Cardiff, are asking writers to write a new piece of work for any age between 3 and 16 years and are keen to receive script ideas in both English and Welsh. Writers have three months to develop their ideas before the submission deadline at the end of August 2020.

“Platfform New Writing is an opportunity for emerging and established writers to experiment with their writing in ways that they may not have done before. Writing for young people offers endless creative possibilities and we’re looking forward to reading scripts that reflect and represent the wide range of backgrounds of young people in Wales, as well as their experiences.”

Lee Lyford
Artistic Director, Theatr Iolo

Theatr Iolo Artistic Director, Lee Lyford, will then choose four writers who will be offered the opportunity to workshop their ideas over a weekend at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff. Writers chosen to take part in the workshop weekend early in 2021, will be paid £200 and given a professional director from the JMK Sherman Directors programme to work alongside in order to develop the piece. The weekend will culminate with a short rehearsed reading, performed by professional actors at the Sherman Theatre.

Theatr Iolo are hopeful that the project will discover new work that can be developed into full-scale, future productions. In previous years, the New Writing Call-out has resulted in a new piece by Kyle Lima currently being developed further and the wider Platfform project has led to the creation of new shows including Catherine Dyson’s Transporter and Elgan Rhys’s Chwarae, both of which have gone on to have successful tours at venues in England and Wales.

If you have an idea for a new play, write the synopsis and the first scene and send it for us to read by emailing hello@theatriolo.com