Prestigious playwriting fellowship returns to campus
The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh is delighted to announce that its long-running Creative Fellowship is returning to its place on campus. The Fellowship will allow an early- to mid-career writer a nine-month paid residency to develop their work in an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment.
Creative collaboration
The Creative Fellowship is a collaboration between IASH and the Traverse Theatre, Scotland’s leading new writing theatre.
Applications from writers and theatre-makers are open now. Writers with a brilliant story to tell and big ideas to unpack are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will be commissioned and supported in the development of an exceptional and innovative piece of work that speaks to our lives now and into the future.
Intellectual community
The Fellowship includes office space in the IASH building bordering the Meadows, and full access to the world-class research facilities offered by the University.
A prized aspect of the IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship is the conversations and meetings that go on between the theatre-maker and the numerous other thinkers who come together on campus in Edinburgh at the IASH building.
In addition the writer will have regular dramaturgical meetings and development support from the Traverse Theatre’s artistic team.
IASH Director Professor Steve Yearley said, "IASH hosts up to 70 international academics and creatives each year, and brings them together in regular meetings, talks, formal and informal social gatherings to encourage lively discussion and forge links between disparate disciplines. That is why we are so delighted to be able to welcome this year's Creative Fellow back to campus, and to nurture the fruitful organic interactions between Fellows."
£10,000 stipend
To ensure that the writer has sufficient time to progress their idea, a stipend of ten thousand pounds is included.
History of Success
Over the years, the Fellowship has helped numerous now high-profile writers to accelerate their careers and explore new avenues of thought in their practice. Jo Clifford developed The Tree of Knowledge during her Fellowship, which went on to be performed at the Traverse Theatre. Similarly, Frances Poet worked on her play Still which premiered at the Traverse in 2021. David Harrower developed his Olivier Award-winning play Blackbird during his time at IASH before its triumphant premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival.
Full details of the fellowship as well as the application procedure can be found here: https://www.iash.ed.ac.uk/iashtraverse-creative-fellowship