A Play for Children - Adults Writing Competition

Imaginosity, Dublin Children’s Museum is looking for a playwright for the under 11's audience.

1st Prize e1000
2nd Prize e300
3rd Prize e200

Writers must be over the age of 18
Deadline: Submissions will be accepted between January 19th and March 13th 2009
Winner announcement: Monday March 30th 2009
Entry forms: here

The “TNCC Kids Stage” at Imaginosity is on the hunt for creativity and imagination in a children’s playwright, and a panel of renowned adjudicators including; Victoria Smurfit (Actress and Writer), Peter Sheridan (Writer and Director), Marie Louise Fitzpatrick (Children’s writer), Jim Culleton (Artistic Director, Fishamble) and Orla Kennedy (CEO, Imaginosity) will pick the very best entrants from a nationwide new writing competition. The competition aims to encourage all budding and established writers both young and old to write a play especially suited to the “TNCC Kids Stage” at Imaginosity.

The panel is on the lookout for qualities such as originality, imagination and flair. Most importantly, they will also consider how the story will appeal to children up to 10 years of age.

Outlining what he is looking for in entries, Peter Sheridan explained, “I am looking for imagination, humour, emotional engagement, good characterisation and writing that deals with contemporary concerns of children.” Sheridan also went onto stress the importance of new writing without which “the theatre will shrink and die”.

Speaking at the launch in the “TNCC Kids Stage” Orla Kennedy CEO of Imaginosity explained her delight at this new initiative, “We are delighted to be able to offer this wonderful opportunity to writers who are interested in children’s theatre; it is a special and unique medium”. She also explained why the competition had come about, “In developing our theatre programme we became aware of a gap in the amount of theatre available for children. The “TNCC Kids Stage” at Imaginosity is unique and challenging, and is in itself an exhibit platform for drama and discovery and we wanted to offer an opportunity to writers of children’s plays to adapt to our space while providing creativity in simple well written scripts.”

The “TNCC Kids Stage” at Imaginosity’s Programme in partnership with The Natural Confectionery Company (TNCC) has been in full swing since September 2008, rolling out workshops and performances for children on a continuing basis, and this new writing competition is yet another example of the benefits the partnership has affected. This partnership will continue to fund the artistic development of a range of theatrical initiatives in the museum’s innovative children’s theatre.

Imaginosity,
The Plaza, Beacon South Quarter, Sandyford, Dublin 18 - Co Dublin
Tel: + 353-1-2176130, Email: info@imaginosity.ie