Hello writing gang - thank you so much to all of you who made Dirty Gifted & Welsh such a big joyful success - whether you were there or cheering from afar. We would love to know what you liked about DGW this year and what we should be doing next year. We are starting to make plans for 2015 now - so please be part of the conversation and help us make sure this event continues to do the best for Welsh and Wales-based writers x

http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profiles/blogs/dirty-gift...

Hi All, Richard has written a blot about the first meeting of the Dramaturgs group. Here it is. Comments very welcome.  

Hi All,

Thought you might be interested in this free event on Friday 31st Oct, 6.30pm at Sherman Cymru. A great opportunity not only to hear Lucy's brilliant play but also a chance to meet our BBC radio producers (the ones who commission us)! Be great to see you there. 

Lights Down, Listen Sessions at the Sherman Theatre

The latest initiative to come from the Sherman 5 project is a series of Lights Down, Listen Sessions in collaboration with BBC Wales Radio Drama.  The first event will be held on 31 October, at the Sherman Theatre at 6.30pm.  

Our first event is The Devil’s Violin, a magical, murderous and musical fairy-tale by Lucy Rivers, perfect for Halloween!

Life for 16 year old Hannah is pretty miserable. Her mother's a drunk and her baby brother Gethin is an evil little gremlin child. But then one night she meets an alluring violinist who plays the most seductive melodies. He offers Hannah the chance to fulfil her darkest desires. How far will Hannah go to get what she wants?

This is a wickedly playful dark modern fable with an original score composed and performed by Lucy Rivers.

Come along to this free event at the Sherman Theatre to listen, with other audience members, to a  new BBC Wales radio drama by Welsh and Wales-based writers. 

After hearing the play in the Sherman Studio there will be the opportunity to meet some of the creative’s involved with this production in a Q and A session.

In attendance will be Alison Hindell, BBC Head of Audio Drama UK, Helen Perry Producer, BBC Radio Drama and Lucy Rivers the writer and composer of The Devil's Violin.

Lucy Rivers is a multi-talented writer, musician and performer. She's achieved great success with her company Gaggle Babble on acclaimed shows such as The Bloody Ballad - uniquely fusing music and theatre, humour and the macabre. The Devil's Violin is her first radio drama. 

Places are FREE, but please call the Ticket Office on 029 2064 6900 or visit www.shermancymru.co.uk to book your place.

Hey everyone.  Just to let you know we have a Workout session approaching at the end of November (30th) in Bangor.  If anyone has a script they're working on or just an idea they want to get off the ground, this is the place for it!  Check out more details here and hopefully see you soon.  Lisa

Writers and Technologists... 

The Writing Platform has two bursaries on offer for writers and technologists to embark on a writing - or writing-related - collaboration over a period of three months. 

More info here: http://www.thewritingplatform.com/bursary2015/ 

The next TEAM Workout & Skill Swap is approaching fast - 2 weeks to go! 

Anyone not yet signed up or wanting to know more about it just drop a line to team@nationaltheatrewales.org - blog about it can be found here. 

Roll on the 30th!

For your consideration. Medea, performed and crewed by Trinity St David third years, directed by me, and playing at the following venues.

24th November: Llanover Hall Cardiff, 7pm
25th November: Hereford College of arts, 1:30pm
26th November: Narberth Youth Theatre, 7pm
27th November: St David’s church Carmarthen, 7pm
28th November: Warwick University, 2pm 
1st December: Clwyd Theatr Cymru, 2pm
3nd December: Gower College, 2pm
3rd December: Halliwell theatre, 7pm
4th December: Coleg Sir Gar, 1:30
5th December: Bridgend College, 10am

Huge Congrats to the Wales Drama Award Final Four: Jeremy Davies, Alyn Farrow, Alan Harris and Kelly Jones.  The overall standard of scripts was fantastic and it's been tough to get it down to these for but they are a worthy selection!  Here's more info.

Hi All,

Another Lights down, Listen at Sherman Cymru. This time its the BRILLIANT DAFYDD JAMES who has written a wonderful play for us all to listen to - for free! Thats right - for absolutely no money at all you get to hear a Dafydd James play at Sherman Cymru. Come and have a drink and say hello to Daf and James Robinson (producer) and have a great night. See you there.

The latest initiative to come from the Sherman 5 project is a series
of Lights Down, Listen Sessions in collaboration with BBC Wales Radio
Drama. The second of these events will be held on 27 November, at the
Sherman Theatre at 6.30pm.

Come along to the Sherman to listen, with other audience members, to a
BBC Wales radio drama by Welsh and Wales-based writers.  After hearing
the play in the Sherman Studio there will be the opportunity to meet
someone involved with the production: sometimes it might be the
writer, on other occasions it may be an actor who performed in the
radio play or the director.

Terrace by Dafydd James is a darkly comic story of love, loss and prejudice.

When Stevie's boyfriend Matthew becomes seriously ill, the couple move
into a new house, complete with wheelchair access and a downstairs
toilet. However, Cardiff's multicultural Grangetown is far from the
peaceful idyll they were hoping for. The walls are thin and you can
hear everything, even whispered conversations if you put your ear to
the wall. As Matthew's condition worsens, Stevie is drawn into a
sinister story happening next door.

Before listening to the radio drama, there will be the chance to view
a selection of exclusive photographic images of Butetown, Riverside
and Grangetown by Cardiff photographers John Briggs and Jon Pountney.

After hearing the play in the Sherman Studio there will be the
opportunity to meet some of the people involved with creating this
production in a Question and Answer session.

In attendance will be James Robinson Producer BBC Radio Drama and
Dafydd James the writer of Terrace. We will be discussing contemporary
Cardiff in a conversation led by visual artist Rabab Ghazoul.

Places are FREE, but please call the Ticket Office on 029 2064 6900 or
book online to book your place.

Contains strong language and themes of an adult nature.

Bridgend College of F.E and H.E will be offering a 15 week course evening class on Scriptwriting of all mediums Film, Stage, Radio and TV from February 2015. The course has run successfully for the last few years. Many writers have found great success, recently our student won Best film at the Its My Shout Awards and another has been shortlisted for the Wales Drama Award. This is a proactive group where writers support each other leading to a show back of work at the end. You will undertake all aspects of writing participating in Pitching, active writing sessions, feedback, structure and finding the story that only you can tell. We also look at how to get your work on and heard. Guest professionals attend where possible. If you are interested get in touch with me here. 

The course can be undertaken via email and distance learning. Thanks,

Hello all, 

Mike Salmon and I have been working on a proposal for a Playwrights' Studio Wales. We've now published our plans and are now in a public consultation phase before submitting to ACW. If you're interested in the future of new writing in Wales, please download the document and join the conversation:

http://t.co/WCzhXzaxj9

With Students @Bridgend College we were lucky to have one to one with the Writer/Actor/Director Stephen Berkoff, an insightful discussion where me said many honest things. That he struggles to get his work made or read, often literally depts don't even get back to him....with his body of work what chance does that give new writers, he also used the word dramaturd...lol, he said theatre is becoming eroded, where has the magic gone...I kind of agree

Continuing from last post - looking for theatre that has 'magic', what plays have people seen lately that they feel has that something special, Mametz  has one scene where the curtains revealed the outside and audience members gasped.

Also has anyone seen 2071?

Hi Carmen did you see the recent production of 1984 by Headlong that had a great scene change.

I realise that the date has passed for public consultation on the proposals regarding Playwrights’ Studio Wales but, anyway, here is my response:

First, I am concerned that there is only a finite amount of resources for new writing in Wales and these proposals will have a direct impact on the funding of the companies that exist and those the report so rightly points out have developed (a small proportion of these have been name-checked). If the proposals for a Playwrights’ Studio go ahead is this a case, in effect, of the arts council handing over provision for new writing to PSW? I believe this money would be better distributed by professional arts council officers who have to weigh up the needs of the whole of the arts in Wales. I take exception to the egotistical line in the document that Dirty Protest is the only new company that “puts new writing and playwrights at its centre” – this sadly shows the blinkered nature of the report’s authors. I believe many writers and artists would rather deal with the arts council than an organisation that feels it is the only company who is championing new writing in Wales (though many may not choose to give their feelings due to the familial nature of new writing and the arts in Wales).

Second, I don’t believe this is a great use of resources – both in promoting new writing from Wales and with regard to spending Welsh taxpayers’ money. It’s easy to criticize the report as empire building by a few individuals for the benefit of a limited number of writers in Wales but the funds earmarked for the PSW could be better spent by the arts council in properly promoting the arts nationally and internationally. One of the great problems we have in this country is expanding the horizons of the arts and getting work recognized and performed in other parts of the UK. The money would be more effectively spent by accessing and exploiting networks that already exist – for example, the Edinburgh Festivals. There already exists a fund for individual companies to take work to Edinburgh but what if this money was used to really push the work of Welsh companies at this festival and others? Maybe new pieces of work could be specially commissioned for Edinburgh and a Welsh venue that really promotes the country’s artists. The new writing connections and opportunities already exist at the festival – so why not exploit them with a coordinated, joined-up approach (this, I believe, is better value for money and more effective than a group of individuals deciding on what new writing and writers should be developed and driving around festivals in a camper van all summer. Salaries are already being spent – on arts council officers).

So, I believe PSW is not great value and the benefits it could attain could be better achieved elsewhere with the funds distributed by the body that was set up to do that in the first place – the arts council.

A short film I wrote in conjunction with It's My Shout/Made in Wales was screened on BBC2 Wales this week and can now be viewed on BBCiPlayer for the next four weeks

Moving On

HI Ellie, 

Thanks for your comments, we've had lots of great feedback. We'd really like to keep the conversation going for as long as possible, so although there are a number of deadlines we're trying to hit, we would love the conversation around PSW to be on-going. We have written 7 drafts of the plan since the original one was posted due to the great feedback we received and are continuing to work on it.

I'm a bit confused by a couple of your points - just to be clear, Dirty Protest and PSW are two entirely separate companies. Writers, companies, and artists wanting dramaturgical support currently have no-where to turn.

I think it would be unfair of me to burden Nick or Olivia, with not only my funding problems but my endless struggles to write a decent act 2!

As the plan says PSW is aiming to fill a strategic gap in the provision for dramaturgical and development support for playwrights.

Wales is now faced with a situation where despite the Welsh Government funding ACW to develop and stage new writing, there is no single professional employed to do that. And that is what PSW is trying to rectify. 

If PSW is funded, it would need to be funded by multiple organisations, such as the Lottery and trusts like Esme Fairbairn so your concerns about the diminishing pot is worth raising and talking about, but the amount needed from ACW is probably far less than you may think. 

Following the closing of the literary department at Sherman Cymru and the closed new writing director position at Clwyd. The writing community has a chance to imagine what it wants in terms of activity and services. If we don't ask, these services that were once provided will vanish. 

If you seem to be advocating for the status quo in terms of provision for playwriting then I think we are going to struggle to find common ground.

You may feel that new writers don't need dramaturgical support, or that new writing isn't a specialist activity and all writers need is relationships with arts council officers.

Having looked into how other new writing communities thrive in the UK and Ireland, all of them have professional approach to dramaturgy. And all of them (bar England now The Theatre Writing Partnership has closed) have a development body separate from a theatre. (The Joint Dramaturgy Fund in NI is administered by Tinderbox, but funded entirely separately). 

Having started my career through submitting a play to an unsolicited script reading service run by Sgript Cymru, I fear if some organisation doesn't take this work on, the next generation of writers with no grasp of the industry, no experience and no contacts will be frozen out. 

I totally agree with you that ACW needs to do more promoting of Welsh work internationally, that's why it's such a big part of the PSW plan. But if we haven't got anyone reading any plays...what are we going to promote?

I take your point about the campervans - as the plan says - all activities will be created and delivered by the creative director so no commitment to anything! 

I don't think PSW and a joined up approach to Edinburgh are mutually exclusive. I don't see why we can't have both. ACW and Wales would get so much out of a curated venue at Edinburgh for a whole breadth of art forms. But part of me fears it's only until we've got someone paid to think strategically about the sector - will ideas like this come to fruition. ADs are so time-poor and under so much pressure, they just don't have the opportunities to think strategically for anyone other than their own organisations. 

Many writers have indicated that what they fear is that the designated team or company that takes on this work doesn't become 'city centric to city writers' and 'exclusive' to those writers that are perceived as 'trendy' 'fashionable' 'have that buzz around them' 'the most facebook followers' 'twitter active' 'webpage holders' who manage to get 'reviewers down from London' that have created a hype around them as a person and their work....many new writers work alone, don't know how to access the necessary information or people to get their work out there, the company needs to be inclusive, representation from four corners of Wales, be about Wales, and transparent, no closed doors and meetings where the wider are not invited, lets hope we can achieve this 

And Merry Christmas everyone x

Continuing from my point yesterday, over the years I have taught students from all walks of life, all abilities from 16yrs to 83 !!, some with learning and social needs such as Aspergers, sight and disability support required, others who are not of the technological age and only partially embrace it. Perhaps these have something important to say? Something we need to hear?  But how do we capture these if they feel daunted by entering the fringe or commercial scene in Wales? We need to be inclusive of all in the new PSW venture which hopefully we will. The remit should try and reach out rather than get writers to reach to them...as some won't because of confidence levels, 

Hello,

I'm an Actor/Writer who is already a member of the actor's group but not of the writer's group. I look forward to reading and sharing both comments and ideas.

Best wishes everybody,

Heledd Bianchi

xx

Huge Congrats to Kelly Jones Winner of the 2014 Wales Drama Award.  It was a fantastic final list of scripts and the judges had to compare TV with theatre, Emerging with Established.  But Kelly's voice and boldness stood out and made her a worthy winner.  A bit more here. 

Newport and Cardiff Workout dates for the New Year are finalised!  Hurray!  17th January in Newport and 21st February in Cardiff.  Blog with links to Events is here - hopefully see you soon!

- CBBC NEW VOICES INITIATIVE - 

CBBC is setting up a skills-based programme designed to give writers insight into writing for an ongoing children's TV series, covering all stages of the scripting process with input from experienced writers, producers, script editors and executive producers. The aim is to find and support writers so they kickstart an ongoing relationship with the CBBC drama team. A longer-term aim is to help these writers gain experience that would enable them to work across all BBC departments.

Have a look at my blog post for more information.

2015 - what are writers excited to see this year! Let me know what great plays are coming up on the theatre calender... 

I know it's a bit obvious, but I'm really looking forward to Benedict Cumberbatch's Hamlet at the Barbican, I want to see how he rates against Michael Sheen.

Also looking forward to the continuing 'rivalry' between the Globe and the RSC, Ian McKellen & Patrick Stewart bringing No Man's Land to the West End, The Ruling Class at the Trafalgar, Tom Stoppard's new play at the National, Man and Superman at the Lyttleton, Antony Sher in Death of a Salesman, (Saw Timothy West in the role at Swansea Grand years ago and he was brilliant) Skylight in New York and The Audience with Kristin Scott Thomas. Saw Helen Mirren's version on NT Broadcast Live and loved it, like to see what a new actress can do with it.

This is all time and funds permitting, of course, I'll be lucky if I see a third of things. Would also like to see the Sarah Kane season in Sheffield as I've never seen any before.

Nearer to home I can't wait to see Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage, even if Alfie never scrummed down! Also Iphigenia in Splott, Mermaid and Grav, because he was such a character. I'm curious about A Play, A Pie & A Pint as I've heard so much from Scotland about it, Clwyd Theatr Cymru's Hamlet, Twelve Angry Men, Spamalot and Strike For A Kingdom at Swansea Grand.

There are more, but that's enough for now I think.        

Saw Kane's Blasted at Hammersmith...needed a stiff drink after that one...looking forward to Crouch...

Just a reminder about NTW TEAM Workout in Newport this Saturday.  More details here - http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/events/ntw-team-workout-i...

Anyone looking to get juices flowing and projects rolling as part of New Year's Resolutions - do come along!

I have a new 15 week course in Scriptwriting starting on the 25th of Feb, a couple of places left, and its a bargain of a course. Get in touch with me here or at rodstephens@btinternet.com (get in touch again if you have shown interest already and I need to reply to you)

Also if you're interested in Verbatim come see 'Crouch Pause Touch Engage' have been involved since it was an idea through to the final stages - I think you'll enjoy!

Hello chaps, hope all is well.... Exeunt magazine have just published a feature I've written about intercultural dramaturgy - I've been working as a dramaturg on an international project with Korean, Irish, American, and Singaporean-Chinese collaborators, 'playing the maids', running at Chapter and then a small Welsh tour 19 Feb - 6 March 2015. Thought this may be a different angle on some of the discussions around dramaturgy.... Excuse haste! Doing the get-in! http://exeuntmagazine.com/features/playing-the-maids-intercultural-...

Nice article Kaite...  I'm writing and directing an international project at the moment and there are lots of crossover points with the things you write about. Thanks for posting the link.  I hope to get to see the show either in Brecon or Aberystwyth. Best wishes for the run at Chapter.

Hey Everyone :)

Myself and technologist Linda Sandvik were award a Writing Platform Bursary to work on a project together that makes text as important as the tech that goes with the project , heres our first blog post :) 

http://www.thewritingplatform.com/2015/02/statues-sheds-and-soup-er...

Hi everyone, just joined the community and the Writers group.  Looks great!  My name's Rob Keeley and I'm a dramatist, novelist and short story writer keen to get into theatre as well as film and TV.  I also do author workshops.  Visit my profile or www.robkeeley.co.uk to find out more. 

I'd be interested in any offers relating to writing for the theatre and have a sample of work available on request.  I'm about to send it to National Theatre Wales' "ideas" address. 

Look forward to meeting and networking with you all!

Rob

It’s My Shout Productions is calling for short film scripts for its flagship series of short films. Both new and established writers of all ages are welcome to apply.

With almost 14 years of experience under its belt It’s My Shout is one of the foremost training schemes for talent, both in-front of and behind the camera, in Wales. Aiming to develop the skills and experience of our trainee film makers as well as making high quality films – It’s My Shout has won four BAFTA Cymru Awards.

The successful writers will be chosen to work with It’s My Shout, BBC Cymru Wales and S4C to develop a ten minute script each. The writers will receive industry mentoring and script work-shopping. The script will be developed and produced before being broadcast on either BBC Cymru Wales for English language films, or S4C for Welsh language films. Selected script writers must be available for regular script development meetings in Wales throughout pre-production, (intermittently during April to May 2015). For Welsh language scripts the devlopment process will be in collaboration with a Welsh community, as well as through workshops and script-writing mentoring.

Since we are looking to reflect modern Welsh communities and culture in the widest possible sense – strong Welsh connections are important. Applicants must either have been born in Wales, or be current residents.

We want to source new, original ideas and imaginative scripts, which will entertain and inspire our audiences. This year we are looking for as wide a variety of scripts as possible, you could write a romantic comedy, period drama, a gritty piece of social commentary, or even a musical! So don’t be scared to use your imagination.

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO READ THE DETAILED CALL OUT & FOR AP...

A gift to celebrate spring from Notional Theatre: https://youtu.be/zVGi73UXI0Y Enjoy.

New writing opportunities at The Sherman, take a look! http://www.shermancymru.co.uk/writing/

Story Writing Competition – Machynlleth Comedy Festival

Would you like to have your story performed at Wales’ finest comedy festival?  This year we are pleased to announce the very first Mach-a-nory Story night at the Machynlleth Comedy Festival, on Saturday 2^nd May 2015.  As part of the event, we are looking for original stories, around ten minutes long (no longer than fifteen please), that we can give to one of our team of professional actors/comedians to perform.  The night will raise money for a wonderful local charity as well as being lots of fun for festival-goers.

If you’d like to get involved, we are looking for funny, irreverent stories, modern fairy tales or twisted fables, as dark or bonkers as you like as long as they can be performed in front of a mixed audience of young and old.

The three best stories will be chosen as winners to be performed on the night.  As we are looking to raise as much money as possible for charity, there is no cash prize BUT the winners will receive a camping pass for the festival and a ticket for the festival comedy showcase, where the best comedy acts will be performing.

Please email your stories to us at kitlambert@hotmail.co.uk by midday on Friday, 17^th April 2015.  Winners will be contacted/announced by 25^th April 2015.  Any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to get in touch.  Good luck!

What shows are writers looking forward to this year?

There will be a special workshop to coincide with Bara Bread by Carmen Medway-Stephens around 'new writing' and 'writing the story only you can tell' on 22nd of May Chapter Arts Centre and at Talgarth at the Mill on 27th of May.

Would you like to discover your story? Contact rodstephens@btinternet.com for further details

https://www.facebook.com/peter.cox.75839/posts/619725124831663:0

A new piece of Welsh Writing

Bara Bread by Carmen Medway-Stephens

Directed by Chris Morgan

May 20th -23rd of May at Chapter Arts Centre on to rural tour, 26th-30th May Bridgend, St.Brides Major, Cowbridge,Torch, Milford Haven

Come see it at Talgarth on the 27th where it all began

more info contact theatrgwalia@gmail.com 

'The table our universe, where secrets are told and laughter shared'

Mae It’s My Shout Productions, mewn partneriaeth ag S4C, yn chwilio am Dalent Ysgrifennu Newydd!

Croesewir ceisiadau gan ysgrifenwyr newydd a rhai profiadol o bob oed, i fod yn rhan o gyfres It's My Shout o ffilmiau byr eleni. Caiff yr ysgrifenwyr llwyddiannus eu dewis i weithio gydag It’s My Shout ac S4C i ddatblygu sgript deg munud yr un. Bydd yr ysgrifenwyr yn cael eu mentora gan weithwyr yn y diwydiant a chânt hefyd weithdai sgriptio. Caiff y sgript ei datblygu a’i chynhyrchu cyn ei darlledu gyntaf ar S4C, yn ogystal a cael ei ddangos yn digwyddiad blynyddol It's My Shout, noson wobreuo a dangosiad cyntaf yng Nghanolfan Mileniwm Cymru, Caerdydd ym mis Tachwedd.

Dyma'r trydydd flwyddyn i It's My Shout gydweithio gyda S4C ar y gyfres o ffilmiau, ac eleni fe fydd y tîm yn gwneud y ffilmiau yng Nghaernarfon ac yn y Cymoedd. Yn y ddwy flynedd dwethaf, cafodd y ffilmiau ei datblygu gyda cymunedau Dyffryn Nantlle, Ruthin, Rhydaman, Senghenydd ac Bala. Mae cyfloedd i phobl lleol actio a gwiethio tu ol i'r camera yn y ffilmiau.

Am fwy o wybodaeth: http://www.itsmyshout.co.uk/get-involved
Dyddiad Cau: Mai 29fed 2015.

Os gwelwch yn dda gyrwch y neges yma ymlaen i ysgrifenwyr, phobl a grwpiau addas. Diolch.

(ENGLISH TRANSLATION: It's My Shout & S4C are looking for new Welsh-language writing talent, please forward this call for scripts on to any relevant writers, people or groups. Thank you.)

Two more nights at Chapter for Bara Bread before the tour, the play has bedded in and the superb all female cast bring the world of Lovenny to life. Its a play about real women in a real world with all their flaws and merits with a little splash of theatrical magic. Be great to see some fellow NTW community members there.

Now first night nerves have passes something very special happened last night, audiences smiled all the way through and they went on the journey that is Bara Bread.

As I sat the audience and the play finished I heard a voice saying 'Marvelous'.

Hi everyone, 

Do join us for the reading of the latest version of Jeton Neziraj's new play commissioned by NTW at 18:30 on Thurs 11th at the Upstairs Gallery of the Cardiff Story Museum. Find out more here...

Hi Writers, I know we've had this discussion before but its raised its ugly head again - is a writing mentor the same as a dramaturg - if not what are the differences? let us know as we're having a big debate about it...

I hope not!

Surely a writing mentor (never heard the term before) is one who mentors a writer/writers. There isn't any mentoring implicit in the Dramaturg's role (unless one is said to be mentoring the script/narrative/story - which sounds a wee bit arch to say the least) although a dramaturg may well be asked to 'mentor' another, as might any member of the creative/production team.

I could be wrong, but if so then we're all going to hell in a jargon-infested (and illiterate) handcart.

For what it's worth!