Multicultural Folktales and Children Plays in a Changing World

 

The Playwriting Competition has over the years become one of the signature enterprises of the IPF. This time we have decided to devote this framework to Children Theatre.

 

Children Theatre has turned into one of the globally most varied and rapidly growing performative modes, strongly linked to Theatrical Ethnography that explores folktales. Its significance has substantially been fortified by serving as counterbalance to the digital screen addiction of children worldwide, as well as by the need to foster the interest of the younger generation in their cultural heritage, as well as in other, remote cultures.

 

We therefore thought it fit to dedicate the IPF’s next global playwriting competition to new works that engage with the overall subject of “Multicultural Folktales and Children Plays in a Changing World”, and that have never been published before. For the sake of clarity from the outset: We apply to you to submit new, unpublished and unpresented works that reflect the historical, social and artistic culture of the author’s origins.

 

 

We are searching for performative texts in different forms and genres.

 

The texts might either be regular plays or scripts for performance, and pertain to one of the following categories:

a. Plays for text-based theatre.

b. Scripts for Performance Art and audience participation.

c. Interdisciplinary scripts (might also integrate New Media)

 

• To challenge writers all over the Globe with the opportunity to find their unique cultural and personal expression and method, in order to infuse new and updated forms and contents to a rich theatrical heritage that in many countries has suffered setbacks in recent decades, especially due to the magnetizing attractiveness of the technological revolution gluing millions of children worldwide to their screens.

• To revive and enhance the appeal of live, interactive theatre. This does not mean banishing the New (by now common) Media, but integrating it in contemporary enterprises.

• To rejuvenate ancient/traditional forms of children theatre through accommodating them, in novel plays and scrips, to the current mentality and interests.

• To endow the winning works with international exposure, thus arousing international interest and performative chances.

• Through the sheer inter-cultural encounter with the plays and through their medially- accommodated processing – to express the common human threads that unite us all as members of the Family of Man.

 

1. The entries must be in one of the main UNESCO languages, English or French, accompanied by a script in the original language of the submitting playwright (unless the text has initially been written in English or French).

2. The Competition is open to all playwrights and writers regardless of age, gender, race, nationality or membership of any organization.

3. Playwrights can submit one text only, which should be no longer that 20-22 pages (approx. 51,000 characters including spaces).

4. No previously published or produced texts will be accepted.

5. In submitting the play, the playwright agrees to abide by the rules.

6. The winners accept that their plays will be published and/or read and/or staged as specified in the clause "The Awards" below without further remuneration. However, the publication, translation and production rights beyond these stipulations belong to the author.

 

A multi-national and multi-cultural jury of five members – directors, playwrights and dramaturgs -- will assess the plays and choose up to three plays, each pertaining to one of the different categories mentioned above.

 

The jury's decision is final.

 

1. Depending upon the financial possibilities, the winning plays will be awarded 1500 euros for the first prize, 1000 for the second, and 500 for the third.

2. The winning plays will be presented/read at the 37th ITI World Congress.

3. The winning plays will published on the Website of The Institute for Jewish Theatre.

4. Further publications might be considered in consultation with and agreement of the playwright.

 

1. All entries must be sent by e-mail as PDF attachment. The entry must bear the full name of the playwright, the title of the text and contact details in the body of the e-mail. The PDF must be without the name of the playwright.

2. All entries should be sent to the email-address: Inter.Playwrights@gmail.com

and in the subject line write: Children Plays Competition.

3. To ensure anonymity, the IPF guarantees to forward the script of the play to the jury without identifying the name of the playwright.

4. All entrants will receive e-mail confirmation that their text has been received, and that it complies or does not comply with the competition rules.

5. Once the jury has chosen, the winning plays will be announced in the ITI Newsletter. The winners will also be informed via e-mails, sent to the e-mail addresses from which they originally sent their plays.

 

 

 

All entries should be sent to: Inter.Playwrights (a) gmail.com