Theatre Partners Revealed For Part Two Of Women In Theatre Lab

The Women in Theatre Lab and Jermyn Street Theatre have announced the Theatre Partners who will be nominating female playwrights for part two of the Women in Theatre Lab, the new UK version of America's Women's Project (WP) Lab and Australia's Women in Theatre programme.

Following the open call for female playwrights which sought to find and support the UK's most talented emerging and mid-career female playwrights, part two offers a chance for theatres across the UK to nominate female playwrights they'd like to support to take part in the Women in Theatre Lab as well, helping to support gender equality in UK theatre by creating a new model to provide more support and commissions for female playwrights than would otherwise be possible.

The leading Theatre Partners being announced, who will also help develop the new model, are Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, Theatr Clwyd, Tamasha and Fuel. The Theatre Partners will each nominate one female playwright they'd like to support to take part in the Women in Theatre Lab, with funding for these places and seed commissions provided jointly by the theatres and by the Women in Theatre Lab.

Via this and an open call which sought to find and support the most talented emerging and mid-career female playwrights across the UK, the Women in Theatre Lab aims to create a new model to support female playwright in the UK, providing a UK version of America's Women's Project (WP) Lab and Australia's Women in Theatre programme and an ongoing paid pipeline to support female playwrights from ideas to first drafts to full commissions and productions. The project builds on past one-off projects the co-Directors have previously run with Sphinx and ERA 50:50 as well as Jermyn Street Theatre's track record of working with writers at all stages of their careers and contributors to and supporters of the Women in Theatre Lab include playwrights April De Angelis and Timberlake Wertenbaker, BAFTA winning actress Joanna Scanlan, Emmy-winning actress and co-creator of Smack the Pony Doon Mackichan, who recently wrote the book "My Lady Parts", Stella Kanu, CEO of The Globe Theatre and co-founder of Black Womxn in Theatre, Jude Kelly, CEO of the WOW Foundation, Lesley Gannon, Deputy General Secretary of the Writers Guild of Great Britain amongst others. An event for the nearly 1000 applicants who applied to the Women in Theatre Lab will also be announced shortly in order to provide some support for all female playwrights who applied.

Jennifer Tuckett, co-Director of the Women in Theatre Lab said: "Research from the five year Women in Theatre research project showed that gender inequality in theatre is in need of addressing. We hope this new model will be a way we can help support female playwrights theatres would like to support across the UK to help increase gender equality in UK theatre and help provide more commissions and support for female playwrights in the UK than would otherwise be possible."

Pooja Ghai, Artistic Director of Tamasha Theater company and co-CEO, said: "The lack of equity and representation for women working in the theatre industry creates a chasm that puts our ecology in jeopardy. Recent years has seen a drain of talent from the industry, and this initiative aims to address and give pathways and tools for female writers to nurture and celebrate their voice. Tamasha, as a female-led Global Majority company understands the ways in which intersectionality compounds inequalities, and we are proud to be part of this programme with the Women in Theatre Lab. "

Tommo Fowler, New Works Associate at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse said: "With reports still highlighting the gender divide in our sector, initiatives like the Women in Theatre Lab are a vitally important part of ensuring a sustainable playwriting ecology. We're delighted to support Ginni in deepening her craft and developing a new script alongside such trailblazing artists, as part of our commitment to nurturing vibrant, searching new plays for audiences in Liverpool and beyond."

Kate McGrath, Artistic Director and CEO at Fuel, said: "There is so much more to do to achieve equity across genders, as the Women in Theatre Surveys and other recent research continues to demonstrate. And so we're thrilled to be a producing partner on the Women in Theatre Lab, working with our colleagues across the industry to catalyse change. Our commissioned writer will be Racheal Ofori, a writer whose work we love, and who will benefit hugely from being part of this programme."

The writers being nominated for part two of the Women in Theatre Lab will be Melanie Pennant, nominated by Tamasha, Racheal Ofori, nominated by Fuel, Ginni Manning, nominated by Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, and Lucie Lovatt, nominated by Theatr Clwyd.

Full details of all of the female playwrights taking part in the Women in Theatre Lab and contributors can be found on the Women in Theatre Lab website.

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