Playwriting showcase extends deadline

With many writers and freelance artists losing opportunities across the cultural sector due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus, CultureClash Theatre have extended the deadline in their call-out for submissions for Voices In The Dark #TakeTwo – their second open access new writing night held at Greenwich Theatre. 

“We are painfully aware that whilst a loss of income is incredibly difficult for artists, so too is the loss of opportunities to be creative,” said Serin Ibrahim, CultureClash’s artistic director. 

“The drive to create new work, to devise new stories and new ways of telling them, is what attracted us all to this industry, so without dismissing the financial impact of self-isolation or lost work, what better way to spend time at home than writing a new piece of theatre? 

“Therefore, with Greenwich Theatre’s support and encouragement, we have taken the decision to extend the deadline for Voices In The Dark submissions to Friday 3 April. Our professional panel will guarantee to read all entries and with a panel including representatives from The Globe, Greenwich Theatre and the world of professional playwriting, this could lead to a whole host of new relationships even if a writer’s particular script is not selected for the event.” 

With submissions already coming in from all over the UK, the culmination of Voices In The Dark #Take Two will see six short plays showcased at Greenwich Theatre later this year. 

“We have always been passionate about new writing and connecting with new writers” said Serin, who co-founded CultureClash in 2015 with outreach director Cassandra Hercules. “As an emerging theatre company ourselves, it has always been a challenge to present quality writing. We are also aware, as artists and producers, just how difficult it is to launch a creative career so as well as seeking new writers to work with us we also sought to establish a platform for emerging creatives – writers, directors and actors – to connect with each other.  

“Two years ago we launched and produced our new writing event Voices in The Dark, which featured a selection of short plays staged as rehearsed readings on the main stage at Greenwich Theatre. We received over 100 submissions, and #TakeTwo will build on that success. We have maintained working relationships with actors, writers and directors who were involved in 2018, and what has been exciting for us is to see how individual careers have progressed since then. A handful of the performers who were involved have gone on to the West End and beyond, and some writers have produced and staged their work on big stages.” 

CultureClash’s brief to writers for this year’s event was to explore ideas of identity and history. “We are particularly interested in writing that is socially conscious and provocative,” said Cassandra. “We have always sought to give a voice to emerging British writers telling the stories of British people, especially writers from under-represented, under-privileged and minority sectors. 

“The CultureClash partnership is doing very well. Over the past couple of years the focus has been the development of our ability to impact on the community, from working with local schools to co-producing the playwriting strand in the Greenwich Book Festival, and it has been a privilege to build a range of new collaborations. As the year goes on and the industry eventually gets back to normal we hope to combine this collaborative community focus with our own artistic endeavours. We also have many plans for 2021, so watch this space!” 

For more information or to submit a play, visit www.cultureclashtheatre.com/taketwo