Applications open for $20,000 Rodney Seaborn playwrights award

One of the richest awards for playwrights in Australia – The Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award – has been encouraging the development of performing arts projects since 1995. And luckily for Australian playwrights, it keeps on keeping on!

Applications are open until September 30 for the 2015 Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award, an incredible $20,000 grant which is awarded each year for the development of a play or other approved performing arts project.

Intended to assist those needing income and support during the writing or development of a project or to assist with costs of production, workshops, restaging, publishing or touring, the award is not intended as a prize for a finished work.

The late Dr Rodney Seaborn instituted the award 21 years ago, 11 years after he purchased the Stables Theatre, Kings Cross.

A list of previous winners reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of the Australian literary world and includes Antony Waddington, Katherine Thomson, Ros Horin, Debra Oswald, Don Reid, Rosalba Clemente, Rachel Brown, Reg Cribb, Finegan Kruckemeyer and last year’s winner Mari Lourey for her play Dirt Cloud.

The Rodney Seaborn Play Writing Support Fund also provides assistance of $5,000 to assist playwrights and others working in the area to advance knowledge of playwriting as an art form.

Purposes for which grants may be made include; organising conferences, workshops, master-classes or discussion groups, assistance to undertake a course or secure a mentorship position, setting up a website, assistance in undertaking a course such as dramaturgy.

For all information and to download application form visit: www.sbwfoundation.com