Playwright Support

"Basically Playwright Support does exactly what it says on the tin. It supports playwrights and there can be no substitute for being around like-minded people who want to help you be a better writer." Katie Douglas
 

Workshops, Readings and Masterclasses

Throughout the year, we run open-access and private masterclasses, readings and workshops with some of the country’s leading practitioners. These include writers, directors, film-makers, producers, designers and dramaturges and are aimed at writers of all backgrounds and abilities.  We also hold private masterclasses and “surgeries” with professional writers to discuss the development of their work, and contemporary theatre in general, with practitioners at the top of their profession.
 

Everyword

Everyword is an annual festival of workshops and events open to anyone interested in new writing or developing writing skills. The festival includes workshops, readings, masterclasses, debates and discussions. The greatest legacy any artistic regime can leave as a theatrical heritage is its writers. Everyword is a festival that harnesses the most exciting writing talent for this and future generations of theatre-goers

"Everyword gave me the first opportunity to see a piece of my writing professionally performed in front of a live audience." Richard Shaw

“An incredibly impressive programme of work” Willy Russell.
 

The Writers on Attachment Scheme

The Attachment Scheme aims to inspire confidence, nurture originality, and offer practical steps to a successful writing career. It includes a bursary; masterclasses from premier playwrights, career meetings with relevant professionals and the development of a new play within the challenging and supportive environment of a major producing theatre. At the end of the attachment, the writers’ plays will be presented as readings in Liverpool and London, and these emerging playwrights may then go on to join the extraordinary roster of writing talent that these theatres have discovered, nurtured and produced. The model for this Attachment Scheme was piloted in 2003, when the three participants were Katie Douglas, Tony Green and Laurence Wilson. All three went on to have their plays produced at the Everyman to great acclaim in 2004.

"I know that there aren't many writers in the country in my position and I feel remarkably lucky to come from a city that offers such support" Laurence Wilson

The Henry Cotton Memorial Fund supported the Writers on Attachment enabling three more Merseyside writers to be on attachment to the theatres from July 2005 to February 2006. All have subsequently forged successful careers as writers. Jonathan Larkin, whose first full length play Paradise Bound was performed at the Everyman, is now developing the play as a film, is writing for various TV companies and in 2009 was Writer in Residence with the Everyman Youth Theatre. Michael McLean developed The Electric Hills on attachment which was subsequently produced in 2007 at the Everyman. He is now on attachment with Paines Plough Theatre Company, writing for radio.  Lizzie Nunnery's play Intemperance, developed through the Attachment scheme, was produced to critical acclaim at the Everyman in October 2007.  In 2008 she was Pearson Writer in Residence at the Everyman and Playhouse and is currently under commission to BBC Radio 4, Druid Theatre Company and The National Theatre.

We are very grateful to the following funders for supporting our writers: