Canberra Youth Theatre’s Emerging Playwright Commission offers an exciting opportunity for an emerging Australian playwright to be professionally commissioned to create a brand-new, full-length work that brings the stories and voices of young people to the stage.
Proudly supported by Holding Redlich, this initiative puts emerging playwrights at the heart of the creative process. It’s designed to help launch the careers of talented writers who are ready to take the next step – those who are underway on their playwriting journey, perhaps with a production or two under their belt, but haven’t yet been professionally produced by a major theatre company.
The winner will receive a full commission ($17,400), ongoing dramaturgical support, take part in a series of creative development workshops in Canberra with an ensemble of emerging artists and our artistic team, then see your script come to life in a staged reading of your work.
Proposals must be for new works that are at least 60 minutes in length and written to be performed by actors aged anywhere from 7 to 25.
Canberra Youth Theatre (CYT) is here to support your growth as a writer and artist. This opportunity is all about investing in your creative journey early on, helping you develop a bold, innovative, and challenging new play that speaks to and for young people – while also contributing to a vibrant canon of new Australian theatre made especially for youth.
The Emerging Playwright Commission is awarded through an open application process, assessed by a panel of young artists, and selected by CYT Artistic Director and team. Previous winners have included: Sarah Matthews (2024), Sonia Dodd (2023), Honor Webster-Mannison (2022) and Joanna Richards (2021).
Finalists will be invited to a special event in Canberra in October, where the winner will be announced. The selected playwright will receive the full commissioning fee of $17,400 (aligned with the Australian Writers’ Guild rates for 2025), and two finalists will each receive $1,500 to support their writing practice.
For more information about Canberra Youth Theatre’s Emerging Playwright Commission and to make a submission, visit: www.canberrayouththeatre.com.au for details. Submissions close on Monday 7 July 2025 – 9.00am.
Image: Sonia Dodd – photo courtesy of Canberra Youth Theatre