THE MIDLANDS WRITERS AWARD
- ingoodcompanymids
- 1 day ago
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Updated: 8 hours ago
The In Good Company Midlands Writers Award
In association with Middle Child
Deadline: Friday 3rd July 10:00am
A new commission for a Midlands playwright, paid at WGGB rates
At In Good Company we have worked with writers across the region in focus groups, workshops and one-to-ones. Through this work, we understand that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to write anything with the promise of production.
Not only that, but nobody pays playwrights to just... write!
Together with our partner organisations and Middle Child, we have developed this:
Introducing, the In Good Company Partnership Award for Midlands Writers — a £7,286 straight commission for a new play, paid at Writers' Guild of Great Britain rates for a play up to 70 minutes in length.
The play will be produced by Middle Child and premiered at their theatre in Hull and at Derby Theatre in Spring 2028.
In Good Company will fundraise to support a subsequent tour for the work across our network of Partner Organisations.
Our partners are Arena Theatre, Attenborough Arts Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, The Core at Corby Cube, Derby Theatre, Lincoln Arts Centre, Mansfield Palace Theatre, Nonsuch Studios, Nottingham Playhouse, Royal & Derngate, The Y Theatre.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
This is a commission with genuine creative freedom. The form, the subject matter, the world of the play — that's entirely up to you.
The parameters we’re working within are
Studio-scale touring play
Up to 70 minutes in length
Cast of up to 4
The play will be produced and directed by Middle Child. You can find out more about their team here.
We will hold an online information session with partners from different venues to offer more insight into resources typically available to develop new work, and what they look for when programming touring work.
The zoom session will be: 10am – 10:30am on Wednesday 24th June
For those unable to attend, we will make written notes of the discussion to be made available on our website: igcmidlands.com/resources
YOU WON'T BE WRITING ALONE
Middle Child will provide dramaturgical feedback and writing mentorship at key drafting stages and are committed to taking the show to full production for Spring 2028.
In Good Company will support with mentorship and fundraising support for a future life of the project including touring in 2028. We are committed to being a genuine support to the commissioned writer, not just a funder.
HOW WE DECIDE
The selection process will be led by In Good Company and Middle Child with support from representatives of our partner venues.
We will assess applications based on the following criteria:
Benefit to the artist – who will this award have the biggest impact for?
Quality of writing
A play that resonates with its intended audience
A play that can engage audiences nationally
Scripts that offer new stories, or stories we know but in a new light
Engagement with IGC/Partners - Has the writer been actively involved in our artist development offers?
WHO CAN APPLY
This award is open to writers aged 18+ who are based in or with a strong connection to the Midlands*
Writers should have at least one play that has been professionally presented – by this we mean the presentation was:
A full-length performance for a paying audience (a final, finished performance, not a scratch or work in progress sharing)
Produced with external funding
The full company have been paid at Equity or ITC rates
Directed by someone other than yourself
Your example of professionally presented work does not have to be a scripted play, devised work and other theatre-making forms are acceptable but the applicant should note this award is to write a new script and produce a scripted play.
We are committed to ensuring our programme reflects the full diversity of the region and actively welcome applications from writers who are D/deaf, disabled, from racially marginalised backgrounds, working class, LGBTQ+, or from any other underrepresented group.
We know that these groups disproportionally do not apply thinking they don’t fit the criteria. If you are from a marginalised group and do not think yourself a professional writer, we encourage you to apply.
*We use the Arts Council England definition of the Midlands.
The Midlands is a comparatively underfunded region when it comes to arts funding. It is important to us, and the artistic community of the Midlands that this award benefits a writer who is from, based in or has a very close connection to our region.
HOW TO APPLY
THE JOTFORM CONTAINS
Tell us about you and your writing experience (300 words maximum)
This should be a succinct overview about yourself as a writer, and how you fulfil the criteria above for having presented work professionally and your connection to the Midlands.
Attach an example of your work, a script excerpt of up to 10 pages (word doc or pdf)
This can be from any draft stage — early to near-complete. Something you feel gives a clear impression of your voice and writing style.
Attach a Treatment for your proposed script (up to 2 pages)
If you have written treatments before and prefer to use your own format that’s great. If you are new to writing treatments, please use the prompts below to give us an idea of the play you’d like to write.
What is the play about?
What's the central idea, question, theme at the heart of the play and why does it matter to you, and the audience
What's the story?
What happens in your play, we don't need a scene by scene breakdown but just a sense of who the characters are, what the world is and what journey they're going to go on?
What's the vibe?
How is this show going to feel? Is it a tight one space, one time pressure cooker play or an anarchic piece of gig theatre?
Video and audio files must be no longer than 5 minutes and must be able to be opened on a PC. Where required, we will transcribe video and audio files for the panel.
If you’d like to submit your application in a different way that we haven’t thought about, please feel free to contact us using the info below. Please note we can accept only one submission per person and if we cannot open the file it will not be accepted.
AI AND COPYRIGHT DECLARATION
By submitting your application, you confirm that the work submitted is entirely your own and that you have not used artificial intelligence to generate any dialogue within it. IGC is committed to protecting the craft of writing and the rights of writers. This declaration is a condition of application.
SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
Send your written, video or audio application into the jotform
by 10:00am , 3rd July 2026
If you have any questions, please email Jen at j.sullivan3@derby.ac.uk with ‘Writers Award Query’ in the subject line. Enquiries without this heading may be missed.
SELECTION PROCESS TIMELINE
Submission Window 15th June – 3rd July
W/c 6th July Longlisting
W/c 20th July Shortlisting
Interviews 24th August
We are anticipating a very high number of submissions, and we do not have capacity to offer feedback to writers at any stage before interviews.
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