Te Pou Theatre’s annual Kōanga Festival programme has included script workshops and readings of twenty plays since 2015, working with emerging and established playwrights. We have seen many plays presented in later seasons at festivals and independent professional shows. 

2023 Playwrights Programme Overview
Back in 2020, in response to COVID-19 and the impact on our sector, we decided to invest more into playwrights, providing more opportunities and a longer period of development for their work. We have continued this into 2023 and are proud to be offering four playwrights a three-month script development period, culminating in a one-week workshop. 

Playwrights will spend July – September developing their scripts for a rehearsed reading in October as part of our Kōanga Festival. This will be live or digitally presented depending on the state of the world at that time. Over the three month time frame writers will meet regularly online as a rōpu, with dramaturg and script advisors to support, motivate and provide expertise. 

The Opportunity

Your play will be developed over a three-month (12 week) period and presented during Kōanga.

• Script Development Programme: A 12-week writing and research period with 1:1 dramaturgy sessions and bi-weekly rōpū hui online with script writing mentor Albert Belz.   

• Script Workshop: A five-day workshop with dramaturge, director and actor/s arranged by Te Pou Theatre

• Your play will be read at a Kōanga Festival hosted event

• Total writers stipend of $3,000.00 

• Te Pou team will consult with you about how to further progress your play following the workshop.
    

Conditions / Requirements:

• This programme supports Māori playwrights at any level of experience (yes, even if you’ve never written before or have plenty under your belt – we’ll cater to your needs). 

• Stage plays intended for professional presentation 

• Plays must not have had any prior presentation season 

• Commitment to development of your concept or existing draft over a three month period resulting in a full script reading in October.

• Be open to changing and adapting your script during the workshop period.

• Auckland based or Northland based is a priority for Te Pou Theatre. However, if not Auckland based you must be able to travel and organize your own accommodation in Tāmaki Makaurau over the workshop period in October.

By midnight Sunday 2 April 2023 please: 

– Complete the submission form and attach your proposed script for development. If you do not have a script in progress, we would like to receive a treatment, an overview of your story, that’s up to 5 pages long.  

– OR fill in the form below and send through with your treatment/script to registrations@tepoutheatre.nz