The Squint Playwriting Award discovers, develops and champions exceptional playwrights of the future.

The Squint Playwriting Award supports early-career, London-based writers from low-income backgrounds through a paid playwriting programme, providing the creative and financial support they need to develop their work and progress professionally.

Fewer than 1 in 10 arts workers are from working-class backgrounds. In 2023, our programme supported single mothers, Universal Credit claimants and people with experience of homelessness. Few playwriting programmes offer paid participation, we help talented writers facing financial barriers become employment-ready so they don’t fall through the cracks.

Eight exceptional writers develop their first full-length plays across six months of workshops with industry leaders, culminating in an industry showcase at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Participants are paid a seed commission for writing time, London Living Wage for contact hours and travel expenses. Bursaries for access costs are also available.

Core activity is led by Artistic Director Andrew Whyment and the Squint team, masterclasses by the likes of David Adjmi, Hackney Showroom and The Lighthouse Film & TV and industry mentors include James Graham, Rachel De-Lahay and Sonali Bhattacharyya.

At the end of the programme, one participant will be presented The Squint Playwriting Award, a one-act play commission to develop their original script with Squint.

Our 2023 participants were Amin Ali, Nicole Botha, Beattie Green, Jaime Lock, Gabrielle MacPherson, Sophie McKay, Tim McNiven, Neetu Singh and Milla Sutton. Our 2023 mentors were Zia Ahmed, Samson Hawkins, Matilda Feyisayo Ibini, Sami Ibrahim, Gayathiri Kamalakanthan, Hannah Kumari, Tabby Lamb, Sid Sagar and Beth Steel. The Squint Playwriting Award 2023 was awarded to Beattie Green for their play Kill My Darling.

Andrew Whyment, Artistic Director of Squint said, “as a new work company made up of artists from low-income backgrounds, we know the barriers that can prevent talented writers from building a career in theatre. A lack of money, limited industry networks and the feeling that you don’t belong can all make it harder to stay in the industry and develop your work. The Squint Playwriting Award is about removing those barriers. By paying writers for their time, giving them space to develop their first full-length play and connecting them with experienced artists and industry professionals, we’re giving exceptional writers the time, support and confidence to take the next step in their journeys”.

OVERVIEW

8 Writers from low-income backgrounds ready to write their first full-length plays.

The six-month programme includes:

9 Workshops with Squint (3 hours each).
5 Masterclasses with established artists/companies (3 hours each).
3 Q&As with leading industry figures (1.5 hours each).
3 Script Meetings with Squint (1 hour each).
3 Mentor Sessions with established playwrights (1.5 hours each).
3 Buddy Sessions with prior participants (1.5 hours each).
Industry Showcase at Theatre Royal Stratford East presenting play extracts written by the participants and performed by professional actors.
The Squint Playwriting Award presented to one participant to write an original play for Squint (a Writer’s Guild of Great Britain one-act play commission of £7286.18).

The programme is free of charge and financially supported for all participants in the form of:
Seed Commission (£250) for writing time.
London Living Wage (£14.80/hour) for all contact hours.
London Travel Expenses (£10.50/session) for all sessions.
Access Bursaries where necessary.

The programme dates are as follows:



ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for our programme participants must be:

• From a low-income background and currently facing financial barriers to professional development.

• Over the age of eighteen at the start of the programme (no upper age limit).

• In the early stages of a playwriting career and ready to develop playwriting practice through a sustained period of professional development.

• Based in London

Participants may identify as working-class, traveller-class, benefits-class, criminal-class and/or migrant-class, and have a lived experience of one or more of the following:

• You might work full-time on an hourly-paid and/or zero hours contract.

• You might work part-time on an hourly-paid and/or zero hours contract.

• You might receive in-work welfare support.

• You might receive unemployment welfare support.

• You might be a renter who spends over 60% of monthly income on rent and bills.

• You might have attended a comprehensive/non fee-paying school.

• You might be the first person in your immediate family to have attended university.

• You might receive a state pension as your only income.

• You might be an unpaid carer for a sick, disabled and/or elderly relative.

• You might have served a UK prison sentence.

• You might have a lived experience of the UK's immigration system.

• You might have experienced homelessness.

APPLICATIONS

Applications closed at 8pm on Monday 8th May.

We accepted open applications as well as referrals from East London partner organisations that have relationships with artists from low-income backgrounds; Applecart Arts, Cardboard Citizens, Compass Collective, Hackney Empire, National Youth Theatre, Synergy Theatre Project, Theatre Royal Stratford East.