Deadline looms for SCrIBE Scriptwriting entries

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Now in its third year, the SCrIBE Scriptwriting Competition provides the opportunity for a playwright to have his or her play professionally mounted. In addition, this year there are various other prizes that will be awarded, geared to assist more writers to develop their craft.

The top five scripts will be selected for a week-long staged reading in October, with the opportunity for discussion and feedback from the public and members of the theatre industry.

The winning script will be produced by a professional creative team for a run at a Cape Town theatre in 2015. A second winner will have the chance to further workshop his or her play, with a third award of the Scribblers Dream, a financial prize to enable a writer to work alongside a mentor to develop his or her script. The panel of SCrIBE judges comprises a group of seasoned theatre practitioners. A number of previous entrants have gone on to rework their text as a result of the open readings, and some on to further professional runs.

For SCrIBE 2014, Imbewu is looking for new works of outstanding quality, original content and which represent the range of the South African theatre landscape. The scripts should be in English, no longer than 40 pages or 80 minutes, with no more than five cast members.

The Imbewu Trust is a non-profit organisation which was established to promote the development of contemporary South African theatre and arts. Founded by Sam de Romijn and Paul Griffiths, Imbewu seeks to create an accessible community of varied voices that can flourish through collaboration, resourcefulness and innovation. Imbewu's primary objectives are to stimulate the contemporary theatre industry, as well as showcase the best of South African theatre on an international platform and create opportunities for new theatre practitioners.

The Imbewu Trust's other initiatives include the Imbewu Showcase in New York, USA. Started in 2012, when Imbewu presented Neil Coppen's Tin Bucket Drum to great acclaim, this project aims to create dialogue between US practitioners and Imbewu, and to develop South African arts through cultural exchange.

For more, go to www.imbewuarts.com.