APT’s National Playwriting Groups embed a national playwriting group model within the Australian theatre ecosystem. Connecting playwrights nationwide, this online program forms a supportive peer community that actively engages in honing their skills, fosters robust dialogue and puts artists in dialogue across the country.
With industry leaders at the helm, this groups will meet fortnightly for six months to work on a new play.
“As a national program, it’s a game-changer.“ — Mary Anne Butler, Mid-Career Playwright Group Participant
Apply for the 2025 Program
APPLICATION PERIOD: March 17 – April 2, 2025
PROGRAM DATES: June – November, 2025
INFORMATION SESSION: 6pm AEDT, Wednesday March 26, 2025
ELIGIBILITY: Playwrights nationally
In 2025 the groups will be Mid-Career Playwrights and Playwrights Living with Disability lead by Wesley Enoch and Anthea Williams. Playwrights are encouraged to apply for the group or groups they feel most comfortable in or identify with.
Group leaders:
Mid-Career Playwriting Group – Wesley Enoch
Playwrights Living with Disability – Anthea Williams
What to bring to the program:
- A burning idea or play that you want to work on. This could be; the play idea that won’t leave you alone, the play that you need peers to motivate you to push it further, the play that is pushing you in a different direction (form or content) and you want test it in a safe space.
- A sense of collaboration, openness and willingness to share your work.
- A sense of collaboration, openness and willingness to support the work of others.
- Respect for different ways of working and willingness to share your process with others.
Engaging in this Program:
- The intention is to create a safe and robust peer group environment in which you, with the guidance of your Group Leader progress a play you are working on for a 6 month period.
- Consider your availability over the period of the program. You will be paid for the group sessions every two weeks. We do not however have the capacity to pay you outside of these hours. So, we ask you to consider whether you will have time to work on your play outside of these hours.
- This is not a “learn to write” program. This is a group of peers who have an existing playwriting practice.
What group should I nominate for?
Good question! We know it is a tricky thing sometimes to fit into the different categories that we use in the arts. We acknowledge that identities are intersectional and shift in different contexts. We have provided some guidelines and definitions below, if you still have questions after reading them please reach out to us to discuss.
- You could identify as a “Mid-Career playwright with disability” and be asking which group should I nominate for? The answer is: this is up to you. We would like you to nominate whichever group you feel most suits your practice at this time and makes you feel most comfortable. You can nominate for both “Mid-Career” and “Playwrights Living with disability” and we can contact you to discuss this as the groups are formed.
- Definition of Mid-Career: playwrights with a body of at least two professionally produced full length works and industry recognition.
- Definition of professionally produced work: the work has been staged by a theatre company that operates on a professional basis, meaning it pays its artists and staff, has a formal organisational structure, and is recognised within the industry.
For more information, visit the application portal or register to join the information session at 6pm AEDT Wednesday, March 26.
