Breakthrough Writers is a duo of new, interconnected creative development initiatives to take new creative voices from having no writing experience through a series of mentoring, coaching and dramaturgical sessions, to having their first full length play reading at the Traverse – and whatever else may come beyond…

A reset of the Traverse’s much loved and lauded Open Submissions initiative, Breakthrough Writers: In Residence has been developed to identify the most exciting voices writing in the UK & Ireland, right now. Open to anyone over the age of 18 currently living in the UK and Ireland, it encourages the submission of anonymised, full-length stage scripts from writers at any stage of their career.

Each Breakthrough Writer has been selected from hundreds of anonymised script submissions as being some of the most exciting voices writing in the UK & Ireland, right now. Having worked with the Traverse Artistic team since Autumn 2022, we are thrilled to be able to showcase their work with these monthly readings throughout Spring 2023.

If you'd like to receive updates about the future of Breakthrough Writers, please email writing@traverse.co.uk to sign up for our mailing list.

Read our FAQs

Breakthrough Writers is generously supported by the Idlewild Trust.


Come and see what the Breakthrough Writers have been working on: