Synergy Theatre Project, Write Now national prison script writing competition

Write Now national prison script writing competition

In collaboration with The Royal Court Young Writers Programme, Synergy piloted a prison scriptwriting competition in 2005 which was open to submission from prisoners across the country.

A series of 10-week writing courses in seven London prisons were led by professional playwrights and tutors to develop prisoners' writing skills and encourage entries to the competition. The courses culminated in rehearsed readings by professional actors at each of the prisons of excerpts from every participant's work.

The winners of the competition were announced in August and a rehearsed reading of the three scripts took place at The Royal Court Theatre. Synergy developed the first prize-winning script, The Rains of Fear, into a short film with The Rod Hall Agency and it was subsequently screened at BFI, LA and Krakow film festivals.