Box of Tricks in the UK and Centre 42 in Singapore are calling for applications from UK and Singaporean playwrights for their Pen Pals International initiative.

The programme will match 6 UK playwrights with 6 Singaporean playwrights to for an international playwriting exchange. Writers will work together over a 6-month period from January until June 2025. Each pair will send each other work-in-progress and maintain regular contact through online meetings.  

Box of Tricks and Centre 42 will introduce Pen Pals online, discussing their ideas at the start of the process, and meet again for a midway catch-up. The organisers will host an online scratch event halfway through the process to allow writers to hear extracts of their work in progress and receive feedback from their peers.  

At the end of the exchange, all 12 Pen Pals will send their drafts to Box of Tricks and Centre 42 to be read ahead of a final debrief and feedback session. The programme will present live events in Manchester and Singapore after the exchange to showcase the work of the 12 writers.

Eligibility

• The Pen Pals International programme is open to writers who already have experience writing for theatre (having written at least one full length script of 60mins+, although this does not need to have been professionally produced)
• UK writers must be members of Box of Tricks’ PlayMakers Network. Writers must also be 18+, and either resident in, or originally from, the North of England
• Singapore writers must be Singapore residents and/or are residing in Singapore and must have written one full-length play

Pen Pals International 2025 application guidelines 

Deadline: 31 October 2024

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