Next Journalism:
play

Deadline: 6 June 2011

Going to the River (GTTR) was founded in 1999 at the Ensemble Studio Theatre by the late Curt Dempster and Elizabeth Van Dyke. The primary goal of Going to the River is to provide a major New York City forum in which professional African-American female playwrights may develop, refine and present their work.

The annual projects and events sponsored by Going to the River include a Mainstage production, staged readings of new work, Down By the River All By Yo’Self (solo pieces), a River Poetry Slam Jam, panels and distinguished guest speakers, and a GTTR Writers’ Unit.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Going to the River and Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) are now accepting submissions for THE RIVER CROSSES RIVERS: A FESTIVAL OF SHORT PLAYS BY WOMEN OF COLOR. Going to the River (GTTR) is a program founded to produce and support African-American female playwrights by providing a major New York City forum in which playwrights develop, refine, and present their work.

Requirements: Ten-minute plays by female playwrights of color New and never produced. Limit of 2 plays Estimated running time of no more than ten minutes Please be mindful of cast size. The submission deadline is Monday June 6th, 2011 at 5:00pm EDT Ten plays will be selected and produced on EST’s main-stage in the Fall of 2011.

Only e-mail submissions addressed to gttr@ensemblestudiotheatre.org will be considered. To be considered submissions be in the form of one Microsoft Word document and organized as follows:

Page 1: Cover page to include: the title page estimated running time the playwright’s name, address, city, zip code, phone number
Page 2: A biography of the playwright
Page 3: Character Breakdown
Page 4: Begin the body of the play

We are sorry we are unable to take phone calls. You may address inquiries to: gttr@ensemblestudiotheatre.org

Contact Information:

For inquiries: gttr@ensemblestudiotheatre.org

For submissions: gttr@ensemblestudiotheatre.org

Website: http://ensemblestudiotheatre.org

Deadline: 14 May 2011

Opon Ifa Review (ISSN 2040-8838)
Call for Papers for Volume 3, Number 2
Contemporary Trends in Drama and Performance

Opon Ifa Review is a quarterly publication of CentreSTAGE-Africa. CentreSTAGE-Africa is an acronym for ‘Centre for the Study of Theatre and Alternate Genres of Expression in Africa’. Its aim is primarily to serve as a studio and research centre for the arts. It provides a forum for researching into indigenous dramatic forms, as well as other expressive traditions.

In our next issue of Opon Ifa Review, we would like to explore various aspects of contemporary drama and performance in English / translations. Submissions may be made on the following topics/areas. At the same time we welcome suggestions for inclusion of any topic on the theme:

· Emerging Practitioners in Africa
· African Performances in the Diaspora
· New Developments in Screen Performances
· Drama and Performance in a Digital World
· New Forms of Performance and New Tools for Communication: Electronic Drama and the Digital Tools
· Discussion of major trends in a particular region
· Discussion of major dramatist(s) of a particular region

In addition, submissions are also requested for our general sections:

• Creative Works – short stories, plays (or extracts)
• Poetry
• Interviews
• Play Reviews
• Book Reviews
  

CONTACT: The Editor, Opon Ifa Review, oponifareview@gmail.com

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 14 May 2011

Via: naijastories.com

Contact Information:

For inquiries: oponifareview@gmail.com

For submissions: oponifareview@gmail.com

Website: http://femiosofisan.org/oponifa.aspx

Deadline: 31 May 2011

Arterial Network, in association with TeatrNowy in Poland, the National Theatre Studio in London and South Africa’s National Arts Festival and ARTSCAPE Theatre, hereby calls for the submission of scripts by African playwrights living in Africa as part of a project to promote African theatre on the African continent, in Europe and indeed globally.

Aims

The primary aims of the project are:

1.to introduce African theatre-makers (writers, directors and actors) to regional and international theatre markets in a manner that builds and sustains the presence of African theatre in these markets on a medium- to long-term basis;

2.to establish formal partnerships and collaborative projects between theatres, festivals and theatre institutions in Europe and Africa in order to learn from each other, influence the content and form of each other’s work and increase global market access for African theatre in particular;

3.to contribute to the emergence and upskillingof new African playwrights, and to provide platforms to project excellent theatre work from Africa to Europe and beyond;

4.to engage in debates, research and intellectual and aesthetic rigour through seminars, residencies and exposure to each other’s work as a means of contributing to global and continental debates about the practice and future of theatre-making in an ever-changing, globalised world.

Outcomes

The projected outcomes of this project for 2011 are:

1.the selection of 4-8 African playwrights to participate in dramaturgical workshops at the National Theatre Studio (see http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/11771/studio/introduction.html);

2.the selection of at least 5 plays for inclusion in an African Play Series publication, a version of which will be produced annually;

3.staged readings of some of the selected work at theatres in Africa and Europe;

4. the selection of at least one play for production in Europe and/or Africa in 2012.

Submissions

Plays may be submitted on any theme, and in any genre, style and language. If the play is not in English, it will be read in its original language.

As 2011 marks the initiation of this project, we are not looking for entirely new, un-staged or unpublished work. The aim of the project in 2011 is to identify African playwrights who have the best potential to stage their work in regional and international arenas.

All scripts should be typed (no handwritten submissions will be accepted).

Submissions are to include the writer’s full name, email address, postal address, country of residence and telephone number (country code, city code and number). Each writer may submit only one script.

Submissions may be sent by email to Rebecca Radford (Subject line: African Playwrights’ Project) rradford@nationaltheatre.org.uk. Submissions may also be sent by post to African Playwrights’ Project, Arterial Network, Union House, 25 Commercial Street, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa.

The deadline is 31 May 2011.

Queries: info@arterialnetwork.org

Contact Information:

For inquiries: info@arterialnetwork.org

For submissions: rradford@nationaltheatre.org.uk

Website: http://www.arterialnetwork.org/

Deadline: 29 April 2011

The National Arts Council invites individuals and registered organisations active in theatre, dance, crafts, literature, music, multi-discipline and visual arts to submit their applications for project funding. Applications are invited for projects that will impact on the arts in the society/ communities.

Post- graduate students wishing to pursue arts studies overseas are also invited to apply. Please note that the NAC will have only ONE funding session for project funding in 2011.

Conditions for funding:

* All relevant sections of the application form must be filled in completely;
* All requested documentation must be submitted with the application form;
* Applications must be submitted on or before 29 April 2011.

Closing Date: 29 April 2011

Outcomes Date: 14 August 2011

Please note that late and incomplete applications will not be considered at all and no exceptions will be made.

For more information, contact the Arts Development Officers at the NAC office.

Download Application Form >>

Deadline: 1 May 2011

Call for proposals: Artists respond to the Middle Eastern Revolutions

Calling: Directors, Poets, Writers, dancers, actors, visual and performance artists, musicians etc. "The Revolution Will Be Live-Streamed" An event bringing together short artistic responses to the Middle East Revolutions. Artists are specifically asked to think about the role of the media and the internet. The event will be held on May 25 at Alwan center for the Arts in New York.

We are looking for both local and international submissions.

International submissions: Can be a taped live performance, a video project, visual art, or a short script or poem.

New York submissions: Must be a live performance to be presented on May 25, and artists based in New York must be available for two workshop sessions in the 2 weeks prior to the event. * Performances should be between 5-8 minutes.

For more information on Hybrid Theatre Works please visit: www.hybridtheatreworks.org

Questions? Email: hybridtheatreworks@gmail.com

The event will be held here: http://alwanforthearts.org/our-space

Submission deadline for New York Artists: April 8

Submission deadline for International Artists: May 1

* Please note that tech for these performances should be minimal.

* We are looking for a concept for a NEW work to be created over 3 weeks in May.

Submit here.

Deadline: 14 April 2011

Time: 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Location: Korean Cultural Centre, 2nd Floor, Rivers House, Ralph Shodeinde Street, Central Business Area (opposite ministry of finance)

This edition of the PRP4 will feature Dr. Isiaka Aliagan, 'Olubu' Join us as we engage the playwright on the issues and theatrics of this new play. Copies of the book available at the Korean Centre from Thursday 31st.

Isiaka Aliagan’s new play, ‘Olubu’ is one play that has re-enacted the unending rivalry between man and the elemental forces that seeks to lord above him. Human will and the supernatu...ral, pre-eminent posturing of the gods, as was see in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not To Blame, for instance was again the case in this new play.

‘Olubu’ is about Obotun, a poor but proud mother and his son Olubu. Upon the dead of Olubu’s father, Oguntade, his Uncle despises him so much so that he calls him bastard, a derogatory name among the people of Oke’gbe. And soon, the entire village, including Jogo, the drunkard soon started calling hima bastard.

That however was the least of Olubu’s problems as he also had to contend the myriad of misfortunes that follows him about. Everything he touches or get involved in will end up in calamity. One of such situation was the belief that it was the small quarrel he had with his Uncle that led in the latter’s death. Also Omokun, the only girl who understands Olubu and had agreed to marry him, is stopped by her mother, who despises Olubu for his nature. Sooner, Omokun becomes a devotee of the Imole group (a traditional group committed to the worship of the goddess of the village). Omokun believes there is something wrong with the birth of Olubu and advises him to consult Ifa. Olubu then decides to seek Ifa’s help and his findings are not pleasant. It opens a can of worms that preceded his conception.

It was revealed that his mother, Obotun, when still a young girl, had been betrothed to a sea prince in the spirit to, which meant that she cannot marry any mortal man except a sacrifice is made. Though Oguntade who seeks her hand in marriage accepts to do the sacrifice but before her marriage, Obotun was raped by a madman.

When Tade finds out what has happened, he decides to conceal the shame, especially upon discovering that he was sterile and cannot impregnate a woman. At the point of his death, Tade confides in his his brother Tobi with the instruction that the shame still be kept a family secret. Tobi fails to keep the secret and that triggers the dramatic conflict. Tobi calling Olubu a bastard leads to bloodshed and further ominous revelations that culminated in the tragedy of both mother and son. In a desperate attempt to conceal the secret, Obotun killed Jaba and eventually Tobi; so she can live a free life. But the more she tries the more the gods upturn her attempts.

‘Olubu’ is an exciting drama whose strength lies in the rich Yoruba traditional setting which complements the theme, language and characterizations in the evolvement of the play to make it a director’s dream, in terms of stageability since plays are meant to be performed and not merely read like other forms of writing.

The playwright however must be commended for the detailed attention paid to the editing and final packaging of this book, as that has been the albatross of most recent publications in Nigeria in recent time. There is no doubting the fact that Olubu will be a huge success whether on the stage, or on the bookshelves.

Confirm your attendance here.

Deadline: 25 May 2011

Via pansa.org:

The International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP) is calling for submissions for a special African themed issue of “Seasons”, our playwrighting journal. We’re seeking submissions on all aspects of African women playwrights, and women in creative roles in the theatre and performing arts industry.

Do you have an article, story, extract of writing, blog or opinion you’d like to share? We want to explore the full scope of what voices are speaking in Africa today. Please email us a brief enquiry, stating what you’d like to write, and submit it by 12 April. Full articles and pieces will be due by 30 April. The African Edition will be launched on Africa Day, 25 May.

Enquiries: seasonseditor@womenplaywrights.org

Expressions of interest and enquiries: Please use this form http://tinyurl.com/seasons-contributors-form

Karen Jeynes, Editor

Deadline: 21 June 2011

Recently, on a shopping trip to Toys R Us, I (Antoinette Brim) came across a display of Barbies in the Basic Black series. Each doll was clothed in a little black dress inspired by legendary designer, Diane Von Furstenberg. In the front row of the display, there were three different black Barbies in three skin colors and with three different hair textures in three different little black dresses. My dear friend was immediately drawn to the doll known as "Goddess." She picked up the doll and said softly, "I have never seen a Barbie [with] my color and with my hair."

Educators, poets, artists and now co-editors, Antoinette Brim, Lita Hooper and Demetrice Worley will be compiling an anthology of poetry, fiction, non-fiction (essays), and ten-minute plays surrounding the notion of beauty as it relates to black girls and women. Use Deidre, Goddess and/or Mbilia (the three black Barbies) as your muses. However, while the three black Barbies are the catalyst for this project, they need not be represented directly in your work. Consider how the standard of beauty impacts the way girls groom, envision, present, value and devalue themselves and each other. Consider how the larger community judges black beauty. Consider how the media depicts the black body. Visual Artists interested in submitting artwork for the anthology cover, should also submit.

The submission deadline is June 21, 2011. This call is open to all races and genders. Previously published work is welcome. Presently, a publisher is being sought.

• Please e-mail poetry submissions to: threeblackbarbiespoetry(at)gmail.com
• Please e-mail fiction submissions to: threeblackbarbiesfiction(at)gmail.com
• Please e-mail essays and ten minute play submissions to: threeblackbarbiesessays.plays(at)gmail.com
• Please e-mail cover art submissions to: threeblackbarbiescoverart(at)gmail.com

Deadline: 31 March 2011

Entries are hereby invited for The Nigeria Prize for Literature. The yearly literary prize is endowed by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) to honour the author of the best book by a Nigerian within the last four years.

The prize will rotate amongst four literary genres – prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. This year, the competition is for Drama.

The competition is open only to published works by Nigerian writers. It carries a prize of $50,000. Two other writers may also be accorded honourable mention.

Submission Procedure

Six copies of the entry together with evidence of Nigerian citizenship (photocopy of Nigerian passport or National Identity Card) may be submitted either by authors or publishers, in accordance with the genre in competition.

Books should be submitted to Nigeria LNG Limited’s External Relations Division, promoters of the prize, by the stipulated deadline. Failure to meet the stated conditions will lead to disqualification of the entry.

This being an annual prize, the date of publication on the works submitted must be within the previous three years. Complete contact information, including full postal address and/or email and evidence of Nigerian citizenship, should accompany each submission.

An author in any competition will enter only one published work. Manuscripts will not be considered. No book previously submitted for this competition may be resubmitted at a later date, even if major revisions have been made or a new edition published.

The prize will be awarded for no other reason than excellence.

Judges for 2011 competition

Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo – Chairperson
Prof. IniObong Uko - Member
Prof. David Ker - Member
Prof. Yakubu Nasidi - Member
Prof. Lekan Oyegoke - Member

Calendar for Prize Administration

Close of entries (deadline) – March 31, 2011. Late entries will not be entertained.

All entries should be sent to:

The Nigeria Prize for Literature
External Relations Division
Nigeria LNG Limited
7th Floor, C & C Towers
Plot 1684, Sanusi Fafunwa Street
Victoria Island, Lagos
Nigeria

For entries outside Nigeria:

The Nigeria Prize for Literature
External Relations Division
Heron House,
10 Dean Farrar Street
London
SW1H oDX

Deadline: 15 September (North America), 20 September (UK)

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, established in 1978, is given annually to recognize women who have written works of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theatre. The Prize is administered in Houston, London and New York by a board of directors who choose six Judges each year, three from each side of the Atlantic.

The Prize currently awards $35,000 annually to the Finalists: Winner- $20,000, Special Commendation-$5,000,and other Finalists- $1,000. Finalists are the top ten plays. In addition, the Winner receives a signed and numbered Willem de Kooning print made especially for the award. The Special Commendation is given at the discretion of the Judges.

Each year, a specified list of professional theatres throughout the English-speaking world is invited to submit plays for consideration. Plays are received in September, and the award ceremony is held in February or March. Plays must be full-length. Plays are eligible whether or not they have been produced, but any premiere production must have occurred within the preceding calendar year. Previous winners are not eligible.

Scripts receive multiple readings by an international reading committee, resulting in the selection of 10 Finalists. All six judges for the Prize read every Finalist.

Our permanent list of Finalists, numbering well over 300 plays, has become an important resource for theatres interested in new work. As a direct result of being Finalists, many playwrights have received productions, grants and public recognition. The Prize has motivated women to write for the theatre, and has also fostered the interchange of plays between the United States and Britain, Ireland and other English-speaking countries. It has anticipated later recognition. Seven Finalists have subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the only women to be so honored since the founding of the Blackburn Prize. The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize is now firmly established as a highly regarded international competition. There is every indication that it will continue to grow.

Submission policy

The Directors of the Prize have established that plays will be received from specified professional theatres throughout the US, the UK and the Republic of Ireland, as well as other English-speaking countries. Each year, letters inviting submissions go out to the listed theatres (see links below) during the second half of August. Plays are due by September 15th in North America, and by September 20th in the UK.

Plays are eligible whether or not they have been produced, but any premiere production must have occurred within the preceding calendar year. Previous winners are not eligible.

Source Theatres (USA)

Source Theatres (UK and Republic of Ireland)

Source Theatres (Canada)

Source Theatres (South Africa)

Source Theatres (Australia)

Source Theatres (New Zealand)

Deadlines:

Publication Date: February 15th
Submit by December 31st

Publication Date: May 15th
Submit by March 31st

Publication Date: August 15th
Submit by June 30th

Publication Date: November 15th
Submit by September 30th

Submission Guidelines

Poems: Submit up to 6 poems on any subject of 60 lines or less, or a long poem up to 200 lines plus 2 shorter poems.

Fiction: Submit Short Stories, or Excerpts from Novels on any subject or theme up to 5,000 words long.

Essays: Academic essays may be up to 6,000 words long.

Plays: Up to 5,000 words.

Reviews and Interviews: These may be up to 3000 words long.

All materials submitted must be in English Language. We encourage poems written in Nigerian languages as long as they are sent together with appropriate translations.

The name of the author as he/she would like to be credited must appear on the materials.

VERY IMPORTANT:

All submissions should be in Microsoft Word and MUST attached to an email saved in this format:

Title of Submission – Authors Name

{Example – “Divisadero – Michael Ondaatje.doc”}

Include biographical information up to 100 words long in the body of the e-mail.

Keep the bio to the point: Your name, where you live, and your publications. If you have won some awards, feel free to blow your own horn. There is no need to say you are a creative person or are heading for writing mastery. Let your work speak for you.

Try this format:

Okeke Alabi was born in Maiduguri in 1965. He studied African Literature at the University of Ibadan, and currently teaches Literary Composition at the University of Lagos. His poems, short fiction and essays have been published in That Magazine, That other Magazine, and This Journal. His work is also forthcoming in Future Mag International. Author of the Ultimate Nigerian Book (2007), He won the ANA Prize for Fiction (2004), and the Nigerian Writers in Nigeria Award 2008.

Please attach a photograph of yourself in Jpeg, PNG or Gif format to go on your page. It should be sent as an attachment file in the same email as your submission in the format below -

Name of Author

{EG Michael Ondaatje.jpeg or Michael Ondaatje.jpg}

(Some people feel uncomfortable sending their photographs and have sent pictures of their cats or other pets instead. The editor does not like that and may not read those submissions. If you don't wish to send a picture, please don't, but you should send some picture that illustrates the idea or theme of your submission.)

Copyright: Once we accept materials for Sentinel Nigeria, we acquire the copyright until they have been published. 90 days after publication, the copyright reverts to the authors.

Simultaneous Submissions: We discourage simultaneous submissions. The turnaround time is 8 weeks.

Previously Published Work: Generally we discourage submissions of previously published work. If we feel strongly about a previously published work we may solicit it. If your work has been published elsewhere and you feel it has not been given the exposure it deserves, and you feel strongly about it, by all means submit it, but please mention where and when it was first published.

Important: Please submit only materials that are your original work. Bear in mind that Sentinel Nigeria is a magazine and not a blog or discussion forum. Therefore the form and content of any work published in the magazine is final and any aspect of the work, or its authorship, may not be modified after 7 days of publication. Requests for modification of content, authorship or deletion will not be entertained. Copyright reverts to all authors 90 days after publication.

Submission to Sentinel Nigeria

richard.ali@sentinelnigeria.org
Sentinel Literary Movement of Nigeria
a chapter of Sentinel Poetry Movement
International Administration: Unit 136,
113-115 George Lane, London E18 1AB, United Kingdom

Deadline: 25 February 2011

The Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts, the Theatre Arts Admin Collective and the Baxter Theatre Centre are pleased to announce

The Emerging Theatre Director’s Bursary 2011

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

2011 is offering 2 Emerging Theatre Directors Bursaries for the periods

Bursary 1: 11th April – 14th May
Bursary 2: 4th July – 6th August

The Bursary is specifically designed for emerging theatre directors who have had some experience in directing and whose passion is to have a career as a theatre director.

The Bursary offers an emerging theatre director a mentor, a small budget, a month’s rehearsal space and a week of performance.

The Emerging Theatre Director’s Bursary is part of the GIPCA Directors and Directing month and requires both awardees to participate in the 3-day colloquium that takes place from 28th – 31st July. The Baxter Theatre Centre has first option on the performance after its run.

If you are an emerging director and would like to grab this opportunity,
please submit a 1-page creative proposal, your cv and indication of your preferred date to artsadmin@mweb.co.za by Friday 25th February 2011. The Bursary will be announced on Friday 4th March 2011.

Apply for Scholarships

The Sawiris Foundation for Social Development provides grants to fund scholarships to Egyptian youth to continue their studies in and outside Egypt. The general terms are that all applicants have to be of Egyptian nationality, they have good grades throughout the scholarship years, and they return to Egypt (only for those studying abroad) once their agreed-upon study years are over.

The Foundation offers a set of different scholarships. The applications for each one of these scholarships are as follows:

1. The Sawiris Foundation Scholarship to Germany in cooperation with the German Academic Exchange Service in Cairo (DAAD)
2. The Onsi Sawiris Scholarship Program Sponsored by Orascom Construction Industries (OCI)
3. The Ibrahim Shihata Scholarship
4. The LRC Scholarship for a Master Degree in Inclusive and Special Education
5. The LRC Scholarship for a Doctorate Degree in Inclusive and Special Education

Sawiris Cultural Award

The Sawiris Foundation for Social Development also presents awards for excellence to Egyptian authors, screen writers and playwrights with the aim of activating the literary movement in Egypt, encouraging the artistic creativity of its writers and improving the chances of the emergence of new talents. The competition places great emphasis on developing Egyptian new authors and promoting indigenous literature. It is also dedicated to providing a forum for the screenwriters to display their talents in a bid to support the development and growth of the Egyptian film industry. The newly-added category of best playwriting aims to help playwrights to get their work out into the theatre world.

The foundation presents awards of cash and recognition plaques to winners in the categories of novels, collections of short stories, screenplays and playwriting. The competition goes through a lengthy process that starts in mid June and ends in January. The winning submissions are selected by an independent judging committee consisting of well-known writers and literary experts. The winners are announced in a big ceremony held at the Cairo Opera House in January of each year.

The 2010 winners have already been announced and recognized. See the news here. We will post announcements for the 2011 awards when available.

More information about the Sawiris Cultural Award here.

Deadline: 15 May 2011

African Theatre 11: Festivals. Call for papers

A roll-call of venues and examination of programmes indicate that Festivals are thriving in Africa, and that theatrical encounters are taking place at those events. For an older generation of theatre people, 'Dakar 1965', 'Algiers 1969' and 'Festac '77' resonate. For those who have come to theatrical maturity more recently some of those names now have a new meaning: in 2009 international spotlights shone on African productions at a Second 'World Festival' in Dakar and then at a second 'Panaf' in Algiers. Meanwhile in Nigeria, the National Theatre in Iganmu, built for Festac, continues to provide a venue for performances and is the focus for discussion about Nigerian cultural policies and national theatrical ambitions.

The list of hosts to regular theatrical gatherings on the continent is impressive and triggers a tureen full of alphabet soup. The list includes Cairo (CIFT - Cairo International Festival of Experimental Theatre), Cape Coast (Panafest - Pan-African Festival of Historical Drama), Grahamstown (National Arts Festival), Harare (HIFA - Harare International Festival of the Arts), and Yaoundé (FATEJ - Festival Africain de Theatre Pour L'Enfance et la Jeunesse). While the bi-ennial East African Theatre Institute (EATI) Festival is peripatetic, rotating around the member countries.

The resilient and flexible festival format has been used by various groups including educators, politicians, cultural engineers, nation-builders, and prophets. After organisational tweaking and adding resonant rhetoric, have used the format to give expression to a wide variety of ideologies, historical experiences and aspirations. For example, the Worldwide Festival of Black Arts / Festival mondial des arts negres referred to above as Dakar 1965 embodied Leopold Senghor's vision of Negritude - with a carefully worked-out definition of who it was for and what it was about. The second World Black Festival had a significantly different agenda, just as he Second Panaf (2009) was, in turn, unlike the Panaf of forty years earlier. Festivals have moved with African thinking and in response to urgent issues. For this reason the 6th EATI Theatre Festival (2008), held in Addis Ababa during a time of mounting regional tension bravely undertook to celebrate 'Cultural diversity for African Solidarity and Peace'.

Large-scale Festivals such as those mentioned affect cultural planning because of they become 'flag-ship' projects carrying personal reputations and absorbing huge amounts of money. They also provide intense experiences that can have an enduring impact on creative individuals and even shape national theatrical traditions. So, incidentally, can more modest Festivals organised on town, district or national levels. The power of theatre is such that they can decisively challenge and enrich the lives of creative young people.

It is against this background that the editors of African Theatre have decided to dedicate an issue of the journal to the historical, critical and comparative analysis of Festivals. Contributors are invited to work around the theme, to, for example, examine the organisation, impact and legacy of the drama component of post-Independence festivals in Africa.

Suggested lines of enquiry include the analysis of particular issues as reflected in African theatre festivals (issues might include Negritude, censorship, funding, ..), or studies of particular national traditions through Festivals. (Egypt, Senegal, and South Africa are among the countries that have very impressive national traditions of theatre festivals.) There is also scope for analysing the impact of Festivals on a particular man or woman of the theatre, for comparative studies of, for example, schools drama festivals in different countries, or for looking at the impact of performing in international festivals on a particular drama group.

While the bulk of the volume will be given over to refereed, academic articles, space will be reserved for a play-script - preferably one written for a Festival. There is a certain amount of flexibility and room may be found for an interview with, for example, a Festival organiser.
Please submit abstracts and contributions, following the style-sheet printed in each African Theatre title, as Word documents to James Gibbs at Jamesgibbs@btinternet.com or 8 Victoria Square, Bristol, BS8 4ET. Deadline for Abstracts: 15th May 2011; deadline for Papers: 31st August 2011. Maximum number of words: 5000.

Follow up

The experience of the editors suggests that articles prompted by the topic selected will allow reflection on major cultural and political movements in Africa. It is anticipated that, through critical examinations of Festivals operating on a variety of levels in a significant number of African countries, the volume will provide insights into the evolution of theatre on the continent. Contributors are encouraged to scrutinize closely the way Festivals are conceived, organized and delivered, and include critical analyses of the legacies of Festivals.

As an image for the Festivals issue of African Theatre, it would be hard to find a more expressive icon than the National Theatre building in Iganmu, Lagos. Its conception and construction - for Festac '77, together with its subsequent use provide a focus for thinking about the long-term impact of a major festival. Discussion of the current state of the theatre building and the use to which it is being put frequently occupies space in the Nigerian press, and the larger legacy of Festac is constantly being dissected on-line by CBBAC.

It may be harder to point to the legacy of the festivals held in educational institutions, but enquiry is encouraged. There are, for example, indications that the Schools Drama Festivals organised in Malawi during the Seventies were a breeding ground for a generation of creative theatre people, and an insidious influence on the national play-writing tradition. This influence was felt because the conditions imposed by the Festival organisers included the stipulation that plays should be written in English - the British Council supported the Festival financially and teachers of English were often responsible for the productions!- that plays should take no longer than half-an hour to perform and involve no more than six actors. Malawian writers sometimes followed these conditions even when working outside the context of the Schools Drama Festival.
As these examples, indicate the brief for the issue is wide. If you would like to get an initial response to a proposed submission, please contact James Gibbs.

Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712-0220, USA
512 475 7224
http://www.toyinfalola.com/
www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa

Deadline: 21 January 2011

THEATRE IN TRANSLATION / TEATRO EN TRADUCCIÓN PROJECT LAUNCHES!

Proyecto 34ºS is very pleased to announce the opening of the submission call for this project which aims to encourage the exchange and appreciation of written theatre plays from Africa and Latin America, recognising and rewarding quality, originality and cultural diversity whilst also bridging the language gap through means of translation and actively promoting and ensuring free electronic access to the selected plays by local and international readers.

South African and Argentine playwrights are invited to submit written plays, in any of the national languages of these two countries, for consideration by the judging panel and according to the terms and conditions of the call. Ultimately, ten plays will be chosen from each country and will be translated from their original languages into English and Spanish. These plays will then all be available for free download from the Proyecto 34ºS website and the five Argentine finalist plays will be published in print as one volume. One winner will be chosen from each South Africa and Argentina and will be awarded with a trip to the other country in order to be present at the premier of the translated version of his/her play.

For email queries, please contact Martina Sántolo at t_t@proyecto34s.com

SOUTH AFRICAN PLAYWRIGHTS

Please download the documents below. If you are unable to download them or would prefer them to be sent to you by mail, please contact Martina Sántolo, the project manager, at t_t@proyecto34s.com

* Application Form
* Theatre in Translation - Terms and Conditions
* Model Script - ENGLISH (WORD)
* Model Script - ENGLISH (PDF)

Deadline: 15 January 2011

This competition is open to writers of African origin – either those born in Africa, those whose parents are African or those who are a national of an African country – over the age of 16 as at the closing date (15 January 2011). Entrants must not be employees of the BBC or BBC World Service Trust, anyone connected with the competition or their close relatives. Entrants need not be resident in an African country to be eligible.

Entrants should write a radio play of approximately 30 minutes in length which is suitable for broadcast on the BBC World Service and for publication on the BBC World Service's click website. Please read and time your play before you send it. The play should have a maximum of six central characters. It can be on any subject as long as it authentically touches the lives of Africans. Your play should be accompanied by a short synopsis of no more than 200 words, which outlines the complete story of the play.

The play must be written substantially or entirely in English. Unfortunately, we do not have the facility to offer a translation service so that any use of a language other than English must be minor and a translation note should also be included. Entries that have been translated must acknowledge this fact by giving a credit to the translator or translators.

Scripts should be typed if possible on A4 paper or handwritten neatly using one side of the paper only.

The play must be the entrants' original, unpublished work. Professional and previously published writers are eligible to enter, but this is not a requirement of entry.

The BBC will award a first, second and third prize. In addition, up to three other plays may be highly commended.

Subject to a satisfactory recording being made, the winning plays will be broadcast on BBC African Service in August 2010. No fee will be payable other than the £1000, £850, £650 or £500 sterling offered as the rights fee for two broadcast cycles. Thereafter, the BBC will be entitled to broadcasting and other rights on the terms of the applicable BBC Radio Drama contract which will be concluded with the winners.

This competition opens on 1 November 2010 and all plays must reach us in London by midnight 2400 GMT on Saturday 15 January 2011.

The names of the short listed entrants and the titles of their plays will be posted on the competition website in March 2011. Following the final decision by the judge, the winners' names and the titles of their plays will be posted on the website by April 2011. You can access the competition website by visiting click http://www.bbcworldservice.com/African Performance.

The winning plays will be recorded between March and May 2011.

The Promoter: The BBC World Service of Bush House, 76 Strand, London WC2B 4PH
How to Enter

You can enter the competition by using one of the following methods:

1) Download the entry form from bbcworldservice.com/africanperformance*

2) Email your script and the entry form to african.performance@bbc.co.uk

3) Post your script and the entry form to BBC African Performance, PO Box 76, Bush House, London UK

4) Fax your script and the entry form to +44 20 7379 5683

Deadline: 1 November 2010

Opportunity Info
Southern Rep is thrilled to introduce The Ruby Prize, a new play contest which will award $10,000 to a woman of color playwright.

DETAILS

The Ruby Prize is named in honor of civil rights advocate Ruby Bridges, representing perseverance in the face of formidable obstacles. As a first-grader at the William Frantz Elementary School in the fall of 1960, Ms Bridges became one of the first African Americans to attend an integrated public school in New Orleans. This November marks the 50th anniversary of her legendary walk up the school steps, memorialized in photos that depict a little girl surrounded by protesters, state officials, cameras and a sea of frightened faces. We were touched by the notion that there continue to be people, of all ages, braving a walk that is still harder than it should be.

In addition to an award of $10,000, the winner will receive: A week long development workshop with collaboration of full artistic team at the Southern Rep New Play Bacchanal, held in New Orleans, January 18 - 23, 2011 A sponsored trip to New York to continue development of the play and introduce the new work to a larger audience (All travel includes roundtrip air and accommodations.)

Two finalists will be selected to have their new works read at the Southern Rep New Play Bacchanal in January 2010. (Includes roundtrip air and accommodations. There is no cash award associated with the selection of finalists.)

GUIDELINES

The contest will be open to US citizens who self-identify as women of color, and may be either emerging or established playwrights.

Southern Rep’s in-house readers will review and evaluate scripts, selecting finalists that will be move into the next round of judging. The final panel consists of national and local theatre artists with Southern Rep’s Artistic Director, Aimée Hayes.

Plays may be of any genre: drama, comedy, musical, etcetera. We will not accept collaborative scripts, translations, one-acts, or any play previously submitted to Southern Rep. In the case of musical submissions, only the playwright will be eligible for the prize.

Plays that have had a professional production may not be submitted. Plays that have received a workshop, reading, or non-professional production are eligible. (“Professional production” shall be defined as a production with paid actors and an official press opening.)

Only one submission per playwright is allowed.

SUBMISSIONS

Each submission shall include a letter of introduction which should contain a brief play synopsis, a character breakdown, playwright bio, and brief history of the play’s development. The manuscript should have a title page containing the playwright’s name, address and contact information. This information may ONLY appear on the title page.

Submissions must be sent by email, as an attached document, in PDF (preferred) or Word doc format.

Submit all of the required elements in ONE email to TheRuby@SouthernRep.com Please no Phone or Email inquiries regarding submissions. If the play is a musical, CDs of original music may be sent to:

attn: The Ruby Prize
Southern Rep
333 Canal ST, Box 34
New Orleans, LA 70130

CDs will not be returned.

Due to anticipated number of submissions, we regret that feedback will not be available to submitting playwrights.

DEADLINES

Submissions are accepted between September 15 and November 1, 2010.

The winner will be announced on December 1, 2010.
This opportunity was posted on: 2010-09-22

Deadline: 15 November 2010

As parts of the efforts to further put Nigeria on a permanent focus, Jare Ajayi and Greg Mbajiorgu will soon come out with some couple of books showcasing different aspects of the country's life and that of its people.

Towards this end, interested writers have been called upon to send their write-ups to any or both of the following addresses jareajayi@yahoo.com and gregnadix@yahoo.com. The expected work is expected to be in form of prose, drama or poetry.

The entry is open to any writer in any part of the world as long as the work being sent conforms with the theme and the sub-themes specified above. Those who want to submit poems are advised to limit their respective submissions to a maximum of three short poems or a maximum of two per person if the submissions are long as the organizers tend to accommodate as many poets as possible. Those who want to submit short stories are also told to submit maximum of two each of which should not be more than 2,000 words or three and half pages.

Those who want to submit manuscripts on drama should also limit their entries to a maximum of two drama. Such a work should be a one-act play of not more than 10 minutes on stage when produced. It was also stated that a person is free to submit work in any genre of his/her choice. An artist is also at liberty to submit entries in more than one genre. Decision on what to publish would be determined purely on merit. It should be noted that entries are accepted in any of the drama sub-categories such as tragedy, comedy, tragi-comedy, solo-drama etc.

The work being sent must be original to the author(s) and must not have been published before. All entries must be sent online and should be submitted on or before November 15, 2010.

Inquiries should be sent to jareajayi@yahoo.com or gregnadix@yahoo.com.

Date: 27 October 2010

Legacy Foundation: Commemorating 150 years of Indian History in South Africa, In conjunction with Prof. Rajend Mesthrie (SARCHI chair in Language, Migration & Social Change – UCT),
and The Indian High Commission have pleasure in inviting you to a writers’ workshop

FEATURING

Imraan Coovadia, Rajesh Gopie, Ronnie Govender & Zubeida Jaffer who will be reading from and discussing their work in the context of South African writing past and present.

Wednesday 27 October 2010
17h30 for 18h00
Lecture Theatre 2D, Leslie Social Sciences Building (upper campus, UCT)
Guests to be seated by 17h55.

There will be an exhibition in the foyer & a sale of related books. Tea will be served after the lecture. Please RSVP to: Linguistics Section, UCT, Tel: 021- 650 5907, Email: Alida Chevalier alida.chevalier@uct.ac.za

Deadline: 1 November 2010

Opportunity Info
Southern Rep is thrilled to introduce The Ruby Prize, a new play contest which will award $10,000 to a woman of color playwright.

DETAILS

The Ruby Prize is named in honor of civil rights advocate Ruby Bridges, representing perseverance in the face of formidable obstacles. As a first-grader at the William Frantz Elementary School in the fall of 1960, Ms Bridges became one of the first African Americans to attend an integrated public school in New Orleans. This November marks the 50th anniversary of her legendary walk up the school steps, memorialized in photos that depict a little girl surrounded by protesters, state officials, cameras and a sea of frightened faces. We were touched by the notion that there continue to be people, of all ages, braving a walk that is still harder than it should be.

In addition to an award of $10,000, the winner will receive: A week long development workshop with collaboration of full artistic team at the Southern Rep New Play Bacchanal, held in New Orleans, January 18 - 23, 2011 A sponsored trip to New York to continue development of the play and introduce the new work to a larger audience (All travel includes roundtrip air and accommodations.)

Two finalists will be selected to have their new works read at the Southern Rep New Play Bacchanal in January 2010. (Includes roundtrip air and accommodations. There is no cash award associated with the selection of finalists.)

GUIDELINES

The contest will be open to US citizens who self-identify as women of color, and may be either emerging or established playwrights.

Southern Rep’s in-house readers will review and evaluate scripts, selecting finalists that will be move into the next round of judging. The final panel consists of national and local theatre artists with Southern Rep’s Artistic Director, Aimée Hayes.

Plays may be of any genre: drama, comedy, musical, etcetera. We will not accept collaborative scripts, translations, one-acts, or any play previously submitted to Southern Rep. In the case of musical submissions, only the playwright will be eligible for the prize.

Plays that have had a professional production may not be submitted. Plays that have received a workshop, reading, or non-professional production are eligible. (“Professional production” shall be defined as a production with paid actors and an official press opening.)

Only one submission per playwright is allowed.

SUBMISSIONS

Each submission shall include a letter of introduction which should contain a brief play synopsis, a character breakdown, playwright bio, and brief history of the play’s development. The manuscript should have a title page containing the playwright’s name, address and contact information. This information may ONLY appear on the title page.

Submissions must be sent by email, as an attached document, in PDF (preferred) or Word doc format.

Submit all of the required elements in ONE email to TheRuby@SouthernRep.com Please no Phone or Email inquiries regarding submissions. If the play is a musical, CDs of original music may be sent to:

attn: The Ruby Prize
Southern Rep
333 Canal ST, Box 34
New Orleans, LA 70130

CDs will not be returned.

Due to anticipated number of submissions, we regret that feedback will not be available to submitting playwrights.

DEADLINES

Submissions are accepted between September 15 and November 1, 2010.

The winner will be announced on December 1, 2010.
This opportunity was posted on: 2010-09-22