Falmouth University has announced that the Nick Darke Award 2014 is now open for submissions to its £6000 prize.
Funded by Falmouth University, the Nick Darke Award commemorates the playwright Nick Darke, and was conceived following his death by his wife, the artist and film-maker Jane Darke, with the support of his family. Nick Darke wrote in many forms but earned his living in the world of theatre, screen and radio. The award is therefore presented each year to a writer for work that peruses an environmental theme within one of the following disciplines:
- Stage play
- Radio play
- Screenplay
The £6000 prize money is intended to help provide the time for writers to be able to write that financial support facilitates.
Further information: the first submission stage involves outlining the idea in the form of a 25 word or less pitch, followed by an outline for the story idea in 750 words, suggesting character, plot and structure. Applicants are asked to also submit 20 pages that represent their writing, either in the form of a new or existing piece.
Once received, the script proposals are passed on to a panel of readers who select eight submissions for the shortlist. The winner is selected from the shortlist by a panel of judges that are internationally recognised for their achievements in writing for film, television, radio and theatre.
Joining the panel of industry judges this year is Margaret Matheson. Margaret has been producing dramatic fiction for both cinema and television for nearly 40 years. Her credits include the Original Scum (banned by the BBC), Abigail’s Party, and the Oscar winning Antonia’s Line. Over the last decade Margaret has produced 10 films by first time directors, including: AKA, American Cousins, and Skin and Shell.
Margaret will be joining last year’s judges:
Jeremy Howe, Drama Commissioning Editor for Radio 4, UK
Molly Dineen, BAFTA and Royal Television Society award-winning UK television documentary director, cinematographer and producer
Roger Michell, theatre, television and film director whose work includes the films Notting Hill, Changing Lanes and Morning Glory
Sebastian Born, Associate Director (Literary), National Theatre London, UK
Joe Penhall, award-winning playwright and screenwriter, best known for his play Blue/Orange and his big screen adaptations of novels such as The Road and Enduring Love
Peter Thompson, Emeritus Professor of Drama at the University of Exeter and General Editor of the three-volume Cambridge History of British Theatre
Carl Grose, the first winner of the Nick Darke Award, is as well as being a writer, also a director and an actor. Carl has also written for organisations such as Kneehigh Theatre, Told By An Idiot, The National Theatre, Soho Theatre and BBC TV and Radio.
Criteria: plays must be on the theme of the environment, entrants may interpret the theme widely but the work must be either a stage play, screenplay (feature or short) or a radio play.
The eight shortlisted writers will be announced in October 2014 and will be invited to an Awards Ceremony held at Falmouth University. The deadline for submissions is 14 April 2014.
The competition is open to all writers aged 16 and over and the application must be made in English. The writer must be the sole original author. The competition is not open to collaborations.
How to submit: please email your submission in two PDF documents, one containing a short CV and the other containing the outline, pitch and 20 sample pages. State clearly which category your submission falls into (Stage, Screen, Radio)
and email to: nickdarkeaward@falmouth.ac.uk. Full guidelines can be downloaded here.
Deadline: 14 April 2014. The eight shortlisted writers will be announced in October 2014 and will be invited to an Awards Ceremony held at Falmouth University.
Source: Falmouth University Website.