Results of the Update to the Young Playwrights Map
reflecting on the status of the field & making another call to action
It took a while longer than expected, but the Young Playwrights Map will enter the new year with an update of available programming offered to youth around the world. However, it seems I got ahead of myself when posting a few days ago that we reached 143 listings. Upon further review, the map now stands at just 99 programs. That's an astounding 44 lost since the last full update at the end of 2020. Most of these are within the United States, but significant percentages of the programs previously listed in Canada and the UK were also lost.
Some good news is that I’ve found enough information on three programs in Africa to add those to the map. Also, there are two programs, Writopia Labs in the States and Fighting Words in Ireland, that offer programs in multiple locales. Only the flagship locations for these programs are listed, but I plan to add each satellite program in the near future. This will bring the total to around 110 listings. It is good to be over 100, but still very sad to have lost so many opportunities to Covid and funding.
This is a stark reminder that we need more playwriting programs for youth and young people and to encourage theatre companies, arts organizations, colleges and universities, and individual artists to explore avenues for creating such programs. I maintain that running a program is as easy as putting out a call for scripts, reading them, and then providing an audience. The plays can be read or casually staged; with virtual communication more prevalent in our everyday lives now, it can be that much easier to bring people together for the purpose of teaching playwriting and/or giving voice to plays written by youth. I understand there are expenses inherent in even the simplest of models, but surely that pales in comparison with more traditional productions done in the theatre.
I’m here to encourage you, but also here to help you. I’ve been a part of three conversations for establishing new programming since August 2023, which is a great sign that the interest is still out there. My own students at the high school crave the chance to write their own work and to collaborate with peers to make new performance pieces. If you have access to a group of young people of any age, I encourage you to give it a try. This doesn’t need to be a traditional script writing experience - anything that gets youth creating something new and presenting it to an audience is a step in the right direction.
Happy New Year and happy writing! I look forward to seeing what you and your youth create in the 12 months ahead.