Submissions for the Popcorn Writing Award, run by the Popcorn Group in partnership with BBC Writers, are now open for 2024.
This one-of-a-kind award has a prize fund of £6,000 which goes directly to the writers. Championing brave and imaginative writing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, playwrights can submit their plays until 10am on 21st June 2024.
Set up in 2019 by the Popcorn Group, a film and theatre production company, the Popcorn Writing Award celebrates fearless work which playfully and artistically addresses current affairs, questions societal trends, and contributes positively to public debate.
It’s wonderful to be back in Edinburgh with BBC Writers for this year’s Popcorn Writing Award. The Fringe is all about new writing, taking risks, being bold and being able to fail. It’s an inclusive, imaginative, creative and unbelievably inspiring festival and gathering says Popcorn Group’s founder, filmmaker Charlotte Colbert.
To be considered, plays must be a new piece of writing that has not had more than seven performances in advance of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe and must be staged at one of the award’s partner venues.
Jess Loveland, Head of New Writing for BBC Drama and BBC Writers goes onto say, BBC Writers is delighted that our valuable partnership with the Popcorn Group continues to grow and thrive. In this third year as partners on The Award, we are looking forward to seeing the best new writing that the Fringe has to offer. The Award champions writing that displays imagination, nuance and bravery and we are excited to see which writers will make it to this year’s shortlist.
Past winners include Bryony Kimmings who went on to pen Last Christmas with Emma Thompson, Karim Khan now in writers’ rooms with Riz Ahmed, and Sabrina Ali who won last year with her play Dugsi Dayz.
Sabrina Ali says: “Winning the Popcorn Award leaves me truly speechless. I never imagined I’d be at the Edinburgh Fringe, let alone accepting the Popcorn Award”. Dugsi Dayz is currently enjoying a transfer run at the Royal Court as part of David Byrne’s inaugural season as Artistic Director.
Past winners and finalists have gone onto be commissioned by major broadcasters in television and in film, been accepted onto BBC Writers programmes and have enjoyed both London and New York transfers of their work.
The best new writing is selected by an eminent and diverse committee put together by the Popcorn Group and the BBC Writers team. Notable past award committee members include: Golden Globe winning Ruth Wilson, Tony-winning Enda Walsh, Oscar-winning Gonzalo Maza & BAFTA winning Wunmi Mosaku.
Submissions are OPEN until 10am on 21st June. All plays are eligible provided they are:
1) A new piece of writing which has not had a significant run (no more than 7 performances) before the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe.
2) A piece being staged during the Fringe at one of the partnering venues – Assembly, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance, theSpaceUK, Summerhall (including Roundabout), Traverse, Underbelly, Greenside, or ZOO Venues.
To be considered, writers must send their piece of new writing, a 10-15 word tagline, and a 50-word summary of their play to the programming team at their respective venue with “Popcorn Writing Award 2024 // Title of Play // Writer’s Name // Venue Associated” in the subject heading.
