ELEVATE: WRITERS – ANNUAL SCRIPT WINDOW NOW OPEN
As part of Exeter Northcott’s Elevate programme, their annual script window for writers based in Southwest England has returned. Writers can now submit plays and pieces of performance writing to be read by the Northcott’s artistic team.
They use the Arts Council definition of Southwest England. Applicants should be based in one of the following areas: Gloucestershire, Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly.
This is an opportunity for writers to introduce themselves to the theatre, but for selected writers, it will also lead to feedback, meetings, and a series of development opportunities tailored to what is needed by those they are working with.
For an example of how they grow support around the writers they are excited by, you can find information about last year’s programme here: Elevate: announcing bespoke support for 23 local playwrights – Exeter Northcott Theatre.
As with last year’s window, if they find the right writer, their script window can be a pathway directly to their main stage: Shortlist and Winner announced for Elevate Playwriting Commission – Exeter Northcott Theatre.
They are thrilled to share that they will be partnering with Exeter University’s Special Collections as part of their script window too, where one of the selected writers will be awarded one of their 2026 Ronald Duncan Stipends for Southwest Writing. These stipends are funded by a donation from the Ronald Duncan Literary Foundation to continue his legacy of experimental and cross-disciplinary writing.
Please read the submission requirements and FAQs below before submitting.
Writers will be notified whether they have been selected for further development opportunities or not. If you have further questions, please email them on artists@exeternorthcott.co.uk.
Submission Requirements
Please ensure your entry complies with the following requirements.
- Please complete their online submission form
- One submission per writer
- Please ensure scripts include your name, contact details and page numbers
- They do not require a synopsis
- They do not accept plays already submitted to them
- They want to read full-length plays, which usually equates to a minimum of 9000 words or 50 plus pages
- They do not believe there is one correct way to format a play – as long as it’s clear and the writer’s intention is understandable on the page, they will read it
- They accept word doc or pdf files
- All entrants will receive an acknowledgement from the Northcott that they have got your script. If you do not receive this, please email them on artists@exeternorthcott.co.uk
- No level of experience is required – this can be your first play, or your hundredth
- They only accept works that are unpublished/unproduced. Scripts that have had other support, including rehearsed readings, are eligible
- They only accept scripts for the stage – they do not accept scripts for other mediums
Find full details and apply on the Northcott Theatre website
Deadline: 20th December 2025
Source: BBC Writers