Award-winning Hull theatre company Silent Uproar will be releasing £20,000 to support brilliant and bold writers from the North of England.
The organisation, which achieved charitable status last year, are supporting up-and-coming northern writers (people who were born, raised or currently live in the North of England).
Alex Mitchell, Artistic Director of Silent Uproar, said: “The Writer Support Plan came about after chatting to some amazing northern writers about the barriers that they faced earlier in their careers- and then brewing up some ideas to creatively to tear down those barriers”
Silent Uproar has already launched part of its Artist Support programme to support freelancers (who were ineligible for Arts Council England’s Emergency COVID Funding) by helping them to apply to trusts and foundations. So far this programme helped secure over £7,000 to freelancers in need.
This new programme will offer writers a range of support:
- Paid year-long support- for a small group of writers to develop a new play with Silent Uproar.
- ‘Research & Development’ weeks in Hull for writers to work with actors and creatives to help push their scripts to the next level.
- Setting up development meetings for the chosen writers with leading organisations- such as “Hull Truck Theatre, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Middle Child, Sheffield Theatres, Leeds Playhouse”
- Small “Writer Care Packages”- Supports a selection of writers through a series of small provisions- including £300 cash grants to be spent on career development- spent towards anything the writer thinks best from a new laptop to cover travel to a meeting.
- A regular paid scratch night ran with Middle Child Theatre for writers in Hull & East Yorkshire (performed on local BBC Radio when in lockdown).
Silent Uproar is working with a series of venues & organisations on this programme such as Hull Truck Theatre, Stephen Joseph Theatre (Scarborough), and Middle Child Theatre. Ensuring that the writers can grow their networks and get support from as many people as possible.
This programme will then be the foundation for how Silent Uproar will create new shows to tour the UK (when it is safe to do so).
Alex added: “We know how hard it can be in the industry for writers, playwrights & theatremakers, we hope that this programme will help support brilliant, bold, and exciting voices at this difficult time. The programme is designed to be an act of radical kindness. It’s a big risk for us as we are emptying most of our bank account to deliver this programme.”
“However, we think it’s worth the risk and offering a bit of cash, time, and support will help champion some amazing playwrights to go and create some wonderful things.”
More information about Silent Uproar and The Writer Support Programme can be found here.
