Theatre Centre has revealed the three writers selected for its inaugural Brian Way Writers’ Room, a new artist development platform designed to nurture bold, relevant stories for young audiences.
Zia Ahmed, Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini and Christopher York will join Theatre Centre as Resident Writers, working closely with young people through the company’s Future Makers workshops. Their collaboration will inform new play pitches that reflect the ideas and lived experiences of young audiences.
Artistic Director Eleanor Manners said:
“In a time when screens, funding cuts, and the cost of living isolate young people, theatre offers something vital: a real connection and shared experience. Our work at Theatre Centre, bringing live creativity directly into schools, matters now more than ever. Being a paid resident writer at Theatre Centre is about having a bespoke opportunity, whilst getting to work amongst other playwright peers and work with young people to inspire and engage, while crucially, spending time being an artist. I hope that we can make it feel less lonely for writers through our programme, which has delivered excellent new writing that resonates, tackling subjects and writing in ways that are very much present and relevant to young people.”
Each residency lasts six to twelve months and includes a fee for the writers to collaborate with young people in schools and community spaces across the UK. At the end of the process, each writer will pitch at least one idea for a future Theatre Centre touring production.
About the Writers
Zia Ahmed is a poet and playwright whose debut play I Wanna Be Yours premiered at the Bush Theatre in 2019. His work explores identity, belonging and power, with recent projects including Peaceophobia and Public Interest.
Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter whose genre-defying work centres disabled, queer and Black experiences. Her debut play Muscovado won the Alfred Fagon Audience Award.
Christopher York is known for his rhythmic, raw writing rooted in working-class storytelling. His debut play Build A Rocket tackled social inequality and teenage motherhood, while his adaptation of The Pit and the Pendulum explored female oppression.
Current Resident Writer Debris Stevenson will present her explosive new two-hander My Brother’s a Genius in early 2026. Co-produced by Theatre Centre, Sheffield Theatres and National Youth Theatre, the play explores neurodivergence, ambition and sibling rivalry with an original Grime soundtrack.
Debris Stevenson said:
“Young people have exceptional minds and change starts in our imaginations. In the area I grew up in, people made music out of wooden decks and PlayStations. That sort of innovation connected you with other people. I feel like that’s the kind of energy and playfulness that was in the workshops while we created My Brother’s a Genius.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
