| SCRIPT
NEWS - May 2008
Script
is currently undergoing a re-focusing exercise
following the news that it will no longer operate
as an Arts Council Regularly Funded Organisation
from April 2009. As part of this process,
we are looking to appoint an individual, or organisation,
to devise, manage and deliver strategic organisational
refocusing and secure the necessary resources
to meet Script's aims. Please see the full
advert on the homepage and download
further information here.
The
West Midlands Branch of the Writers' Guild of
Great Britain will be holding a meeting on Wednesday
18th June (7.30pm) at The Birmingham
Repertory Theatre (St Paul's Suite) to
discuss the future of new writing in the region.
All writers are welcome to this free event; please
RSVP as soon as possible to wmidwritersguild@aol.com
SPECIAL
FEATURES
Award-winning
screenwriter Ben Welch talks about Intro to Screen.
Click on the link on the left to find out more.
OPPORTUNITIES,
TRAINING AND COMPETITIONS...
STAGE...
dumbFUNDED
PRESENTS:
NEW
COMEDY SKETCH-WRITING COMPETITION
Following
the success of their Town and Country
extravaganza, dumbFUNDED theatre are launching
a new - and even bigger - comedy sketch writing
competition with the theme Man vs Woman.
Winning entries will be performed in a live comedy
showcase in the Falmouth area in July. Winners
will also have the chance to workshop their scripts
with the best of local acting talent and will
receive a free DVD of the show.
For
full details of the competition and how to enter,
please visit:
www.dumbfunded.co.uk
Deadline:
23rd May 2008 (midnight)
THE
ROYAL COURT YOUNG WRITERS FESTIVAL
The
Royal Court's Young Writers Festival has an unrivalled
reputation for discovering new voices for the
British stage, showcasing the very best young
talent. If you are 25 or under and have
an original play up your sleeve, in a drawer or
burning a hole in your pocket, send it into the
Young Writers Festival. Your play can be
of any length and on any subject.
The most exciting plays will win a production
at the Royal Court in Spring 2009.
Further
information: http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/ywp_festivals.asp
Deadline:
31 May 2008
SWAN
PLAYWRIGHTS SEEKS THRILLER SCRIPTS
Have
you a one-hour thriller in you?
Swan
Playwrights are inviting submissions from writers
for a one-hour Thriller. 2 plays will be
selected and performed in the main house of the
Rose Theatre, Kidderminster in September 2008.
Submissions should be sent anonymously, with a
cover sheet showing name and contact details of
the writer to:
E. Parkes,
14 Winchester Drive, Oldswinford, DY8 2LH
Please
keep a copy of your script as we regret that we
will be unable to return them. Should you
require an acknowledgment of receipt, please enclose
an S.A.E.
Entry
Fees: £15 (to include a year's
membership of Swan Playwrights) £35 (if
you would like feedback on your script)
Deadline:
31 May 2008
Swan
Playwrights is a group which meets monthly at
The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster to foster, encourage
and produce local playwriting for performance.
THE
ROD HALL MEMORIAL AWARD 2008
The
Rod Hall Memorial Award is presented every two
years to an outstanding new playwright.
This award is intended to launch a writing career
- the winner will receive a £5000 commission
to write a play for renowned new writing company
Paines Plough, and representation from the The
Rod Hall Agency. We are looking for playwrights
aged 18-30 who are not, nor have ever been, professionally
represented. Writers must be UK residents
and qualifying plays must be over 60 minutes running
time.
How
to apply: All entries should be submitted
unbound with a covering letter detailing experience
to: The Rod Hall Memorial Award, c/o Paines Plough,
4th Floor, 43 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4DN.
Entries cannot be returned, so please do not send
master copies, Email entries cannot be submitted.
Deadline:
1 June 2008
The
winner will be announced in October 2008
BRUNTWOOD
PLAYWRITING COMPETITION
The
Bruntwood Playwriting Competition is a unique
opportunity for anyone, aged 18 or over, to enter
their original, full-length screenplay in a competition
which aims to reward the best plays by writers
across the country. You can be anyone, of
any experience, living anywhere in the UK and
Ireland. You might never have written a
play before. Or, you might have written
lots. Entry is anonymous, so the competition
is absolutely fair and inclusive to everyone.
The Bruntwood Playwriting Competition will offer
awards of £15,000 as a First Prize, £10,000
for Second Prize and £7,500 for Third Prize.
There will also be a special Bruntwood Prize of
£5000. This competition represents
one of the world's biggest awards for playwriting.
For full details of the competition, including
how to submit, please visit the website:
www.writeaplay.co.uk
Deadline:
13 June 2008
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND
ICEANDFIRE INTRODUCE THE "PROTECT THE HUMAN"
PLAYWRITING COMPETITION
iceandfire
create compelling theatre exploring stories of
displacement and conflict. Amnesty International
is a movement of ordinary people standing up for
humanity and human rights across the world, protecting
individuals wherever justice, fariness, truth,
and freedom are denied. By pairing up to
create the Protect the Human playwriting competition,
our aim is to harness theatre's ability to make
real and relevant the impact of human rights on
our everyday lives. To do this we are looking
for insightful and engaging plays that imaginatlvely
interpret this aim. Winning play receives
a prize of £3000 plus readings in London,
Leeds, Birmingham and Plymouth.
Further
Details: www.iceandfire.co.uk/protectthehuman
Contact:
protectthehuman@iceandfire.co.uk
Stage
One: Window for submissions - July 28th
- August 1st 08
Stage
Two: Finalists announced - October 20th
2008
Stage
Three: Rehearsed Readings of finalists
at Soho Theatre, London - December 1st-3rd 08
Stage
Four: Rehearsed Reading of winning play
in London, Theatre Royal Plymouth, West Yorkshire
Playhouse, Leeds and The Birmingham Repertory
Theatre
RADIO
TILT
Tilt
is a new topical sketch show that takes you behind
the week's news. And then mucks about with
it a bit. It's being recorded live every
Wednesday night from 26th March - 1st May and
it's broadcast on BBC7 on Thursdays at 11.30pm.
Right now they're looking for topical material
from new writers to support the core writing team.
In particular, they're looking for one-liners
in the shape of headlines (real or fictional,
but funny in either case) and stand-alone sketch
topics.
Make
sure you submit your sketches in radio script
format, and send only your very best sketches
- no more than three in any one week. Make
sure that those three sketches have been written,
edited, rewritten, honed and polished until you
are convinced that they are as good as they can
possibly be.
If you would like to try writing on
a non-commissioned basis for Tilt, email your
sketch or sketches to: tilt@bbc.co.uk
Deadline:
Every Tuesday by 3pm
RADIO
4 COMMISSIONING GUIDELINES
If you've
ever thought about writing for Radio 4, take a
look at the BBC's Commissioning Guidelines:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/commissioning.shtml
SCREEN...
BURSARIES
TO ATTEND CHELTENHAM SCREENWRITERS' FESTIVAL
Screen
West Midlands are delighted to announce a brand
new screenwriter bursaries scheme!
The scheme will support 10 writers to attend the
popular Cheltenham Screenwriters' Festival from
Tuesday 1st to Thursday 3rd July. The Festival
brings together professional industry delegates,
high profile guests and new talent from aound
the world to debate and discuss screenwriting.
For more information about the Screenwriters'
Festival, please visit www.screenwritersfestival.com
For
more information about the Screen WM screenwriter
bursaries scheme, please see our website: www.screenwm.co.uk/production-and-development/development/Festival_Bursaries.asp
or contact:
production@screenwm.co.uk
RAPID
EYE MOVEMENT 2008
The
best of regionally produced shorts, including
dramas, animation and documentaries, are on display
in Rapid Eye Movement at the Warwick Arts Centre.
If you would like to offer your film for consideration
for the programme, please send to:
John
Gore, Film Programmer, Warwick Arts Centre, University
of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL
THE
SHORT CUTS FILM PROGRAMME
ArtsFest
2008 are now looking for submissions. Short
Cuts is an established and brilliantly attended
part of the Festival weekend and a great showcasing
opportunity.
Further
info: Contact Kate Sullivan on 0121 464
5678 or kate_sullivan@birmingham.gov.uk
THE
ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO HOW TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY
Saturday
17th May, 10.30am-4.30pm
Ever
dreamt of writing a feature film script? Or wondered
how a film script is written? Come along and have
some fun writing your first ever screenplay.
For complete beginners who've always dreamed of
writing a screenplay, by the end of this workshop
you'll have completed your first one-minute script.
Venue:
The Drill Hall, 16 Chenies Street, London,
WC1E 7EX
Cost:
£85 (£75 concessions)
Contact:
fenella.greenfield@euroscript.co.uk
07958
244656
UK
FILM COUNCIL SHORT FILM COMPLETION FUND 2008
Producers
or production companies are now invited to send
a rough cut of their unfinished short film to
Maya Vision International. Full guidelines,
forms and more information can be found at:
www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/shortfilm
Closing
Date: Friday 30th May
EVERY1SACRITIC
- COMEDY WANTED
Producers
Declan Hill and Simon Wright have just won a fringe
award for Best Encouragers of Talent, for their
work developing sitcom scripts. They're
now working with the Arts Theatre in the West
End to promote new work and are actively looking
for new sitcom scripts or character-based comedy
of no more than fifteen minutes long. Scripts
must be self-contained, and the premise, situation,
and characters must be immediately obvious to
an audience. Each week there will be an
evening of either sitcoms, group sketches, or
character comedy. They compete against each
other and the audience will vote for one that
will go through to that month's Final, with the
producers and a guest judge deciding on which
of the runners-up will join them.
To find
out more and apply, see: http://every1sacritic.com/Home.html
First
Deadline: 15 April 2008
FOUR
DOCS SHORT DOC COMPETITION
The
Festival is now open for documentaries under 30
minutes running time. Films can be about
any subject set in any country. For full details,
including terms and conditions, please visit the
website:
www.britdoc.org/festival/applyfor/shortfilmcomp
Deadline:
Friday 16th May
BBC
SHARPS
Think
you can write for TV?
This
is an open call by BBC Writersroom to find the
next generation of writing talent. We want
writers with the talent, ideas, insights and imagination,
to captivate an audience. We are looking
for a fresh, surprising, entertaining take on
a universal theme.
To apply,
send us an original 30-minute TV script exploring
"the nation's health". It doesn't
have to be a hospital precinct drama -you can
explore "health" in its broadest possible
senses.
Twenty
writers will be selected for a workshop, which
will involve writing exercises as part of the
selection process.
Eight
final writers will be a selected for a week-long
residential, with an intensive focus on developing
their work craft, and writer's "toolbox",
with input from BBC Drama Production and professional
writers.
Each
of the writers will also receive a £5000
bursary, mentoring from in-house development teams
at the BBC, and a showcase rehearsed reading with
professional actors.
To apply,
you must also complete our online submission form
- available soon - and attach it to your script.
Make sure you check our submission guidelines
before you send your script to:
SHARPS,
BBC writersroom. 1st Floor Grafton House. 379
Euston Road, London, NW1 3AU
Further
details: www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/sharps.shtml
Deadline:
16 June 2008 (noon)
Masterclass:
30 June 2008
Residential:
28 July - 1 August 2008
CO-OPERATIVE
YOUNG FILM-MAKERS
You
might be a group of friends from a school, college
or youth club. You could be a youth worker,
teacher or tutor working on a film project with
young people. Entries in Welsh, Gaelic and
other languages, particularly those of local ethnic
communities, are welcome, as are first-time film-makers.
Think about changing the world with your film.
Be co-operative, be creative and express yourself.
Tackle an issue that concerns you such as climate
change, fairtrade, animal welfare, healthy living
or education. Tell others about your life
or community, make an original pop video or change
the world through laughter. It's entirely
up to you. Your film must be under 6 minutes
long and films under 3 minutes are particularly
encouraged. You must be 21 or under (or
working with young people aged 21 or under).
For full entry details, rules and regulations
and selection criteria, download our entry
form.
Website:
www.youngfilm-makers.coop/enter.html
Deadline:
Friday 27 June 2008
BRITISH
SHORT SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
The
BSSC, regarded internationally as "the best
and the most presitigious short screenplay competition
in the world" is now accepting submissions
for the 2008 competition. This year, the
BSSC is being split into two competitions: LIVE
ACTION and ANIMATION. Two winning Live Action
screenplays and one Animation will go into production.
No other screenwriting competition in the world
offers a bigger prize package to one winner, let
aloner three!
BSSC
is the only writer-let programme that puts the
writer first and offers writers access to the
'A-list' of the British film industry. All
the finalists are personally read by eminent film-makers
like Kenneth Branagh, Sir Alan Parker and Stephen
Woolley.
The
early deadline for entries is Friday 28
March 2008 and the final closing deadline
is Saturday 28 June 2008.
For
rules and entry forms, please go to www.kaosfilms.co.uk
4TALENT
AWARDS 2008
We're
scouring the country for the UK's most exciting
young creative talent for the 4Talent Awards.
From filmmakers to comedy writers, animators to
actors, journalists to radio presenters - we want
to hear from YOU.
Writer
categories include: Dramatic Writing and Comedy
Writing.
Full
details: Click
here
Closing
Date: 29th August 2008
POSTGRADUATE
DIPLOMA IN WRITING FOR PERFORMANCE
The
Postgraduate Diploma in Writing for Performance
embraces the concept of collaboration; it reflects
professional working models and facilitates awareness
of how actors, producers, mentors and directors
can bring a writers's single idea to life.
We will introduce you to, and empower you in,
approaches to writing for theatre, radio and film.
At the heart of each script is the writer, the
focus of this intensive course is enabling you
to produce your own work with a developed sense
of what the writing process actually involves.
Contact:
Victoria Muir
Email:
vmuir@ccm.ac.uk
Website:
www.thearden.ac.uk
Tel:
0161 279 7257
EVENTS...
SCREEN+
ADULT
LEARNERS' WEEK 2008
Join
Screen West Midlands to celebrate Adult Learners'
Week with screenings and events across the West
Midlands.
Thursday
15 May, 7.30pm
Quiet
Storm + Discussion
An engrossing
political action thriller about four Black men
who confront corrupt African leaders, their patrons
in the West, and underworld rivals. Followed
by a discussion with the film-makers. £4
Venue:
The Drum www.the-drum.org.uk
Sat
17th & Sun 18th May, 10.30am-5pm
Animation
Workshops
Drop-in
animation workshops for adults and young people
will be taking place throughout the weekend as
part of the Stoke Your Fires Animation Festival.
Admission Free
Venue:
The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery
www.stokeyourfires.com
Sun
18th May, 7pm
Happy
Go Lucky + Talk
A screening
of Mike Leigh's acclaimed new film, followed by
a talk by film studies lecturer Ken Page. £5.50
Venue:
Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury
www.oldmarkethall.co.uk
Monday
19th May, 6.30pm
Persepolis
+ Discussion
A poignant
animated story about a young girl in Iran during
the Islamic Revolution. Followed by a discussion
led by lecturer Julia Condon-Jones. £6.25
Venue:
Warwick Arts Centre
www.warwickartscentre.co.uk
Friday
23rd May, 5pm
Annie
Liebovitz - Life Through a Lens + Talk
A documentary
tracing the evolution of photographer Annie Liebovitz
followed by a discussion on 'Photography and Celebrity'
led by Richard Heatly. £6
Venue:
The Courtyard, Hereford
www.courtyard.org.uk
Saturday
24th May, 7.40pm
Rugby
Blue + Q&A
A screening
of this new British drama starring Bob Hoskins
with an introduction and post-show screening discussion
and Q&A wiht Writer/Director Jan Dann and
Producer Elaine Wickham. £5.20
Venue:
The Light House, Wolverhampton
www.light-house.co.uk
MICHAEL FRAYN IN CONVERSATION
Warwick
Arts Centre
Wednesday
21st May, 7.15pm
Michael
Frayn began his career as a journalist on The
Guardian and The Observer. His novels include
Towards the End of the Morning, The Trick
of It and A Landing on the Sun.
His thirteen plays range from Noises Off
to Copenhagen, and he has translated
a number of works, mainly from Russian.
Michael
will be discussing his latest book Stage Directions
covering half a lifetime and the whole range of
theatrical writing, right up to his latest play
Afterlife. It is also a reflection on
his path into theatre: the "doubtful beginnings"
of his childhood, his subsequent scorn as a young
man and, surprisingly late in life, his reluctant
conversion.
Tickets:
£5 (£3.50 concession)
Box
Office: 024 7652 4524
EUROSCRIPT:
FREE NETWORKING EVENT
Find
out who's commissioning who and what and why.
Glean the latest trends, themes and constraints
in the industry today.
Thursday
22nd May, 7.30pm
Venue:
The Green Man, 383 Euston Road, London, NW1 3AU
Contact:
enquiries@euroscript.co.uk,
07958 244656
BITE-SIZE
A
Theatrical Tasting Menu
Warwick
Arts Centre
31st
May 2008
We're
pleased to present you with a day-long festival
of performances by some of the freshest talent
from the West Midlands. Treat it like tapas
and go for the bits that tickle your fancy, or
choose the full tasting menu and enjoy the complete
range of work on offer.
Our
carefully selected collection of bite-sized performances
will take your dramatic taste-buds on a whirlwind
tour of the region's best theatrical produce.
Nothing will last more than an hour, most of it
will be less than helf, with plenty of time to
eat, drink and talk about what you've just seen.
Bite-Size
has been produced by Experiment: GROW,
an ACE funded initiative which aims to facilitate
the development of experimental theatre practice
across the West Midlands by offering support to
emerging companies and key regional venues, and
by acting as a conduit between the two.
Tickets:
Day Package £25
Box
Office: 024 7652 4524
MISC
SCRIPTS
AVAILABLE
David
Lloyd-Howells has two fringe plays available for
groups/companies to perform:
Walking
on the Grass
Vernacular
Cheek
For
further details, please email david_lloyd_howells@yahoo.co.uk
DO
YOU HAVE SOME NEWS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE
SCRIPT MEMBERSHIP? If so, then e-mail
info@scriptonline.net by the end of the month
and it will go into the following month's Newsletter.
Script
asks you to note: These listings are drawn from
varying sources, all current at time of publishing.
Script
endeavours to investigate and validate all information
and opportunities listed here. We advise you to
make contact with companies before submitting
scripts.
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