Sphinx Theatre Announces Major Opportunity For Female Playwrights For Company's 30th Anniversary

Sphinx Theatre, the UK's longest established and a leading women's theatre company, has announced Sphinx 30, a major new writing programme for female playwrights to mark the company's 30th anniversary.

In the context of the coronavirus crisis, as stage one of the year long project, ten £1000 seed commissions have been announced to support emerging - mid-career female playwrights, with more opportunities for mid-career - established female playwrights to follow.

The 10 female playwrights to be selected via an open call will also have the opportunity to take part in the Sphinx Lab, a pilot new writing programme providing support and development for female playwrights in the UK, designed by Sphinx's Literary Director and based on her work with Yale School of Drama, who run one of the world's leading playwriting programmes, and the WP (Women's Project) Lab in New York.

The Sphinx Lab is also informed by Sphinx's recent year long research project into women in theatre and the company's recent major Women in Theatre Forum which was run in partnership with The Writers' Guild of Great Britain, Equity, ERA 50:50, University Women in the Arts, Stage Directors UK, Black Womxn in Theatre, The Stage, the December Group and Trafalgar Studios (with the report from the Forum forthcoming).

In the climate of the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the Sphinx Lab will provide selected female playwrights with in person or online support in the form of advice from senior female playwrights, advice from the industry, business and craft skills, and the opportunity to write a new play with guidance, dramaturgy and mentoring, in addition to the £1000 seed commission.

Tutors on the Lab draw on Sphinx Theatre's writers think tank which includes some of the UK's most senior female playwrights and theatre practitioners including Winsome Pinnock, the first black female playwright to be produced at The National Theatre, April De Angelis, whose adaptation of "My Brilliant Friend" was recently produced at The National Theatre, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Professor of Playwriting at the University of East Anglia, Sphinx Theatre Literary Director Jennifer Tuckett who trained at Yale School of Drama, has designed and led creative writing programmes including for the BBC and has most recently been completing a major research project into how to improve the transition for women from studying the arts to working in the arts at the University of Cambridge, and Sphinx Theatre Artistic Director Sue Parrish.

Industry tutors include female leaders in the industry Dame Rosemary Squire, co-founder of the Ambassador Theatre Group and Trafalgar Entertainment, Toni Racklin, Head of Theatre at the Barbican Centre, Brigid Larmour, Artistic Director at Watford Palace Theatre, and Stephanie Sirr, Chief Executive at Nottingham Playhouse.

Artistic Director of Sphinx Theatre Sue Parrish said: ""As part of the 30th anniversary of Sphinx Theatre, we are delighted to launch the Sphinx Lab alongside partnerships with 15 leading theatres, which we will be announcing shortly. We hope this pilot will help contribute to changing the cultural landscape and supporting female playwrights in the UK."

Sphinx Literary Director Jennifer Tuckett said: "In the current climate of the coronavirus crisis, we are pleased to be able to offer ten £1000 seed commissions for female playwrights, which we hope will provide support to ten female playwrights as artists lose commissions and jobs in the current circumstances. Sphinx 30 will also pilot the Sphinx Lab, which we hope will become an important development programme for female playwrights in the UK, in a similar way to the WP Lab in America. Sphinx's recent year long research project has found mentoring, advice from the industry, skills, and support programmes all play an important role in supporting female careers and we look forward to working together with some of the UK's leading female theatre practitioners to provide that support, particularly in the current climate".

This opportunity is for emerging - mid-career female playwrights based in the UK and more information on opportunities for mid-career - established female playwrights as part of Sphinx 30 will be released shortly.

To apply, please email your CV, a 10 page example of your playwriting, and a maximum one page document on why you would like to take part in the Lab to newwriting@sphinxtheatre.co.uk by Monday 15th June 2020.

More information can be found at www.sphinxtheatre.co.uk

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