Block A is for playwrights who have written in class or in their kitchens, maybe had a short piece produced. And for theatre artists who have thought of themselves primarily as actors or as stage managers or directors, but have the itch to write for performance. It’s for artists who write for all kinds of performance from spoken word to performance art to songs, who primarily write for themselves or someone else to perform live in front of an audience. We’ve even had a few screenwriters who want to learn classic playwriting skills to help them build story and action. Each Block A cohort of six writers meets for ten weeks with a senior playwright mentor who offers fundamentals of writing for performance and helps engage their cohorts to be creatively generative and supportive of each other’s writing. The content and flow of Block A depends on the varied interests of the writers and the playwright mentor, who integrates their own practices and inspirations into the sessions.They learn from each other and get a sense of the collaborative nature of theatre-making.
Applications are now open for Block A.
The Fall cohort of six writers meets for ten weeks beginning in mid-October.
The Winter cohort meets for ten weeks beginning mid-January.
The playwright mentors will be announced by mid-August.
If you have no preference for cohort, please let us know. To be in Block A, you must be able to attend the majority of 10 evening sessions, usually on Mondays or Tuesdays beginning at 6 pm. We are considering a hybrid of in-person and online sessions dependent on BC Public Health Order guidelines starting in September and the needs of Block A participants and mentors. Accepted Block A participants will be updated about exact details of participation as soon as we can before their first session.
Your application should include:
- a short sample or samples of your work (can be spoken word, a monologue, short play – we encourage writers in all forms to apply)
- a letter telling us how you expect Block A to assist you with your writing/theatre-making
- a resume with your creative experience
PTC is committed to making all our programs as economically accessible as possible. What this means is that Block A participants will be able to pay whatever they choose for their Block A fee. Historically, PTC has charged $250 +GST per participant, but participants will be able to pay any amount they choose, no questions asked.
Application must be received no later than August 19, 2021. We will let you know by early September whether or not we can include you in one of these two cohorts.
