Talawa Writers' Programme
Talawa Writers' Programme is an initiative by Talawa Theatre Company.
Funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and partnering with the Bush Theatre, Soho Theatre and the BBC Writersroom, Talawa Writers' Programme commissions three new writers to create a play alongside a year-long programme of activity.
- Talawa Writers' Programme establishes Talawa as the home for new writers
- The Programme ensures that Talawa becomes the destination for audiences and industry professionals seeking the best new Black writers
- Each commission will be taken through to production, firmly establishing the writers as important new voices in the British Theatre landscape
Our writers will also take part in a range of practical workshops with theatre practitioners and across the BBC. There will be a series of skill-building theatre trips to see new work in addition to meetings with literary managers and senior industry professionals across the UK.
Selection Process
We longlist writers from among all the new and emerging Black artists that we have seen across the year. We then create a shortlist and invite the writers to meet with us and discuss their aspirations and approaches to their work. As a result of the interviews, as well as the strength of their work, we then select three writers to work with on Talawa Writers' Programme.
The 2015 Talawa Writers' Pogramme writers are:
- Somalia Seaton
- Inua Ellams
- Theresa Ikoko