Apply for the Theatre Makers Award

By Playmarket New Zealand | Posted: Monday May 26, 2025

Submissions close annually on 1 June.

Have you made a show for a recent fringe festival and want to keep going with it? Built a story from the ground up with mates? Want to road-test some new ideas for the 2.0 version of your newly fabricated devised tour de force?

Getting right to the heart of collaboration, the Theatremakers Award will provide further development for a collectively created scripted work. The award is aimed at artists who have had one successful production of their whakaari and want to take things to the next level.

In 2025, the winning entry will be supported with either:

• a development clinic to further develop the work ahead of a second production;

• or dedicated time with a script advisor to enhance the script for circulation to other producers.

Scripts can only be entered into this competition once. The script must have been created by a group of two or more people; scripts written by a solo artist are not eligible.

Scripts entered into this competition must have received a first production. This may be at a professional or community theatre, in a fringe or new work festival, or at a secondary school or tertiary institution.

Your submission must include:

• A script in Word or PDF format, or a link to an externally hosted video recording of the work

• A full list of collaborators

As support material, your submission could include:

• A show programme

• Production images

All submissions are read blind by the judges. The judges' decisions are final. 

Submit here

Submissions close annually on 1 June.