Sheffield Theatres has announced the launch of Open Works, a brand new annual theatre festival designed to champion creativity from Sheffield and beyond. The inaugural edition will run from 28 September to 10 October 2026, with submissions now open for artists, companies and writers across South Yorkshire.
The festival will act as a vibrant hub for collaboration between audiences and artists. It aims to spark conversation, showcase bold ideas and celebrate diverse perspectives through a packed programme of workshops, performances and artist led events.
Open Works will platform emerging and established talent, combining world premieres with scratch nights, masterclasses and industry panels. The initial line up will feature Sheffield Theatres’ Associate Companies Forced Entertainment, Roots Mbili, Stand & Be Counted Theatre and The Bare Project, alongside new work from LUNG and Swans Productions.
Local theatremakers can submit projects across four categories. These include Performance Ready for fully realised productions, Work in Progress for up to an hour of developing material, Rehearsed Readings for writers seeking professional casts, and Scratch for short pieces of new work up to 20 minutes.
Ahead of the festival, up to 25 people will be selected to join Open Working, a series of workshops providing skills based development in making and producing.
Sheffield Theatres will also partner with New Earth Theatre to expand opportunities for British East and Southeast Asian artists. Dedicated slots within Work in Progress, Rehearsed Readings and Scratch will be reserved for BESEA creatives. Bespoke mentoring and networking support will also be offered.
“We are really looking forward to receiving and reading applications from the hugely talented pool of artists and theatre-makers from South Yorkshire and putting together an exciting programme of new and inspiring work at different stages of development, to appeal to audiences,” said Deborah Dickinson, Creative Development Director.
Sheffield Theatres Artistic Director Elizabeth Newman said: “As one of the biggest producers of theatre in the UK across four different theatre spaces in Sheffield, further afield on tour, and in the West End, we feel a responsibility to champion new work. Open Works is one of our many initiatives designed to support theatremakers from across the region.”
Applications for Performance Ready, Work in Progress and Rehearsed Readings are now open via the Sheffield Theatres website, with Scratch applications opening this summer. Open Works Festival runs from Monday 28 September to Saturday 10 October 2026.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
