Write to Play awarded a further three years of funding

We are delighted to announce that following a highly successful three years of the Write to Play programme for aspiring D/deaf and disabled writers (and with a fourth year about to launch), Esmée Fairbairn Foundation will be supporting the programme for a further three years, with a grant of £300,000.

The Write to Play programme runs annually in partnership with some of the leading producing venues across the UK, with five writers per year working with some of the most creative minds in the industry.

“We are thrilled that Esmée Fairbairn has once again given their generous support for Write to Play for another three years. Write to Play is a programme at the very heart of Graeae designed to put the enormous talent AND diversity of D/deaf and disabled artists at the forefront of British theatre.”
Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director and CEO, Graeae Theatre Company

The yearlong programme includes Playwriting 101 (a crash course in the art of playwriting), specialist workshops, mentoring sessions and opportunities to have short pieces of work performed in front of an audience. Not only does this provide the writers with the opportunity to develop their skills, Write to Play introduces a new generation of D/deaf and disabled playwrights to the wider theatre landscape.

Applications for Year 4, which will be open to writers based in the Midlands, with partners Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Leicester Curve and the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, will open on Monday 5 September 2016.

Writers from previous years of the programme have gone on to win awards and have their work professionally commissioned and performed.

“Esmée Fairbairn aims to support the artistic and financial sustainability of the arts sector and make sure that the widest range of people can participate. We are proud and excited to be continuing our support of Graeae’s Write to Play, a programme with the potential to create meaningful, lasting impact across the theatre sector that will significantly broaden the opportunities and progression routes available to D/deaf and disabled writers.”
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation