Women in Theatre Festival
Jermyn Street Theatre and the Women in Theatre Lab are proud to present the new Women in Theatre Festival as the culmination of the inaugural Women in Theatre Lab.
Join us for two days celebrating, supporting and helping to amplify women’s voices in theatre.
Day One (21st September)
Workshop for Female Playwrights (2pm)
This online workshop is free to all past applicants to the Women in Theatre Lab and only £5 for other female playwrights and takes place online to ensure that female playwrights across the UK can attend. The workshop will offer advice on writing as well as working with theatres and also help prepare writers to apply for the next Women in Theatre Lab. It will include writing advice from Co-Director of the Women in Theatre Lab Jennifer Tuckett, who trained on the MFA Playwriting at Yale School of Drama, on craft elements including ideas and structure, and an In Conversation element with David Doyle, Executive Producer for the Jermyn Street Theatre, which is the home for the Women in Theatre Lab. David will discuss working with theatres and producing your own work. Jennifer was previously the Research and Literary Director at Sphinx Theatre and the lead on the 5 year Women in Theatre research project run in partnership with The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, Equity, WOW, the Women in Theatre Lab, Sphinx, ERA 50: 50, Black Womxn in Theatre, PiPa and Aurora Metro Books amongst other partners and trained on the MFA Playwriting at Yale School of Drama alongside Tarell McCraney amongst others.
Running time: 60 minutes
Day Two (September 23rd)
Arts Council England Taskforce Discussion (1.30pm)
We are delighted to announce that Arts Council England has agreed to launch a year long taskforce to investigate the under-representation of and discrimination against women in the arts as a result of the 5 year Women in Theatre research project, which was run in partnership with The Writers’ Guild, Equity and others. Join us to learn more about the taskforce and to discuss better ways for supporting women in theatre. Panel members will include representatives from the 5 year Women in Theatre research project plus theatre leaders including Stella Powell-Jones, Artistic Director at Jermyn Street Theatre, Kate McGrath, Artistic Director of Fuel, Kate Wasserberg, Artistic Director of Theatr Clwyd, Pooja Gai and Valerie Synmoie, Artistic Director and Executive Director of Tamasha Theatre Company, and Tommo Fowler, New Works Associate at Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse. The event will be chaired by Jennifer Tuckett, who chaired the final meetings with Arts Council England via which the taskforce was achieved. Attendees will emerge with information about the taskforce (which will look at areas such as childcare, the gender pay gap and discrimination in the workplace), a toolkit of best practice for supporting women in theatre, a chance to share their ideas, and findings from the event will also be passed on to the Arts Council’s taskforce to inform their year long investigation.
Running time: 90 minutes
Women in Theatre Lab Showcase (4pm)
As the culmination of the Women in Theatre Festival, join us for the Women in Theatre Lab inaugural showcase at the Jermyn Street Theatre, home of the Women in Theatre Lab. This event will showcase some of the most talented female playwrights in the UK and the first cohort of the Women in Theatre Lab: Titilola Dawudu, Sumerah Srivastav, Karis Kelly, Naomi Sumner Chan, Rafaella Marcus, Charlotte Small, Elle Van Lil, Millie Bloom, Nina Berry, Emma Baim, Melanie Pennant, Racheal Ofori, Ginni Manning, and Lucie Lovatt. This event is directed by and curated by Artistic Director of Jermyn Street Theatre Stella Powell Jones and director Imy Wyatt-Corner.
Running time: 90 minutes