Submissions for the Popcorn Writing Award, run by the Popcorn Group in partnership with BBC Writers, are now open for 2024. This one-of-a-kind award has a prize fund of £6,000 which goes directly to the writers. Championing brave and imaginative writing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, playwrights can submit their plays until 10am on 21st June 2024.
Set up in 2019 by the Popcorn Group, a film and theatre production company, the Popcorn Writing Award celebrates fearless work which playfully and artistically addresses current affairs, questions societal trends, and contributes positively to public debate.
To be considered, plays must be a new piece of writing that has not had more than seven performances in advance of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe and must be staged at one of the award’s partner venues.
Past winners include Bryony Kimmings who went on to pen Last Christmas with Emma Thompson, Karim Khan now in writers’ rooms with Riz Ahmed, and Sabrina Ali who won last year with her play Dugsi Dayz.
Past winners and finalists have gone onto be commissioned by major broadcasters in television and in film, been accepted onto BBC Writers’ programmes and have enjoyed both London and New York transfers of their work.
Submissions are OPEN until 10am on 21st June. All plays are eligible provided they are:
1) A new piece of writing which has not had a significant run (no more than 7 performances) before the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe.
2) A piece being staged during the Fringe at one of the partnering venues
- Assembly
- Gilded Balloon
- Greenside Venue
- Pleasance
- The Space UK
- Summerhall (including Roundabout)
- Traverse
- Underbelly
- ZOO Venues
To be considered, writers must send their piece of new writing, a 10-15 word tagline, and a 50-word summary of their play to the programming team at their respective venue with “Popcorn Writing Award 2024 // Title of Play // Writer’s Name // Venue Associated” in the subject heading.
Deadline for submissions: 10am on 21st June 2024
Source: BBC Writers