The second Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award in partnership with the Traverse was announced today following the success of the inaugural award, won by Sami Ibrahim for his play Two Palestinians Go Dogging.

The award aims to find the next generation of political playwrights that want to explore the big issues that affect our lives today. At a time where questioning the political fabric of society feels particularly important, Theatre Uncut and partners are looking for brand new full-length plays for stage that examine the political in its widest sense - from the domestic to the global.

To encourage writers from as wide a demographic as possible, from all across the UK, to submit their plays Theatre Uncut have partnered with theatres in the UK’s 4 capital cities: the Young Vic in London, the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff and the Lyric Theatre in Belfast.

Emma Callander and Hannah Price, Co-Artistic Directors of Theatre Uncut:
'Playwrights are an integral part of society. We rely on their tenacity, imagination, bravery and skill to educate us, to move us, to challenge us. This award provides an opportunity for emerging playwrights to have their voices heard and looks towards a time when we can sit together in the theatre and share the experience of reflecting on our lives, together.'

Linda Crooks, Executive Producer at the Traverse Theatre:
'Theatre cannot be untangled from the political. It asks us to connect with people beyond ourselves and recognise the issues affecting humanity on both a local and global scale. For this reason, the Traverse is delighted to partner on the Political Playwriting Award with a fantastic list of collaborators, to help discover, nurture and champion new voices in these turbulent times. We can't wait to discover the ideas and voices that this process will unearth.'

Submissions will open on 7 August and close on 7 October 2020. The award will be eligible for: writers based in the UK only; plays that have not yet received any kind of production; plays over 60 minutes long; writers who have had no more than two full professional productions of their work.

The writer of the winning play will receive an award of £9,500, an agreement to option the production of the play to Theatre Uncut and the award partners, and the offer of publication by Nick Hern Books