Now more than ever, the Traverse is committed to creating opportunities for anyone to connect with and unleash their innate creativity through a dynamic new series of Open Submissions Workshops.

Over the next 16 weeks, starting today Wednesday 13 May, we'll be producing a series of Open Submissions Workshops that will available to view and listen to on demand and for free through our website from anywhere in the world.

Each week a professional playwright or theatremaker, both established and early career, will deliver a workshop on a particular aspect of the writing process, and elements of particular consideration for writers. The series aims to practically and proactively support writers through the process of having an initial idea for a script to creating a draft, for potential submission to our Open Submission window beginning on 1 September, when it will be read by a team of theatre professionals for possible development and presentation at a future date.

For those who may want to work on their ideas for longer, all sessions once live will be available to view and listen to at any point until 1 September 2021.

Tutors already confirmed to deliver workshops are Debbie Hannan, Gareth Nicholls, Meghan Tyler, Julia Taudevin, Hannah Lavery, Douglas Maxwell and Frances Poet, with many more to be confirmed in coming weeks.

Scripts which have previously been developed by the Traverse through its Open Submissions programme include Gagarin Way by Gregory Burke, Milk by Ross Dunsmore and Crash by Andy Duffy, with writers such as Natalie McGrath (First Stages and Pride Plays) and Conor O’Louhglin (First Stages and A Play, A Pie and A Pint) receiving development of pieces, having submitted to the initiative.

The first session, with the Traverse’s Literary Associate Eleanor White, offers an introduction to the series and the Open Submissions initiative, is available now and can be watched here.