Submissions are now open for the prestigious Popcorn Writing Award for new play writing with a prize fund of £6,000 on offer.
The Popcorn Writing Award, now in its third year, was established to support and promote new writing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Award celebrates fearless work which playfully and artistically questions and addresses current affairs, societal trends and contributes positively to public debate.
Each year Popcorn partners with six of the major venues at the Fringe – Assembly Festival, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance, Summerhall, The Traverse and Underbelly and this year, the prize includes a guaranteed slot at one of the partnering venues in 2022.
Each year Popcorn puts together a large committee which select the winners from the shortlist to award the prizes. Previous committee members include Golden Globe winning Ruth Wilson; Olivier-nominated producer Francesca Moody; singer/songwriter Aurora, Kerry Fox; multi award-winning actor known for ‘Shallow Grave’, ‘Intimacy’, ‘Little Joe’, and ‘An Angel at My Table’; Tony Grisoni, writer of several of director Terry Gilliam’s films, including ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ and ‘Tideland’; Bryony Kimmings, winner of the inaugural Popcorn Award, Performance Artist, associate of Soho Theatre; Art Malik, award-winning, TV, film and stage actor; Gonzalo Maza writer of the Academy Award winning ‘A Fantastic Woman’; and BAFTA-winning actress Wunmi Mosaku.
The committee for 2021 will be announced at the start of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2021.
Due to the uncertainty surrounding this year’s Edinburgh Festival, the award will work slightly differently for 2021. Entries are open to writers with a new play who have previously been programmed, or associated with a company that has been programmed, by one of the partnering venues in the last five years. Popcorn define “New Writing” as a play that has been performed only once (be it on stage as a limited run or streamed) in the last 12 months.
Charlotte Colbert and Jessica Malik of Popcorn Group said: “After the cancellation of the 2020 Fringe we still don’t know what will happen this summer but we are delighted to be able to play a small part in keeping the spirit of the Fringe alive!”
Submissions close 10am on 28th June 2021. More details can be found here.
