Applications close January 6

The full program cost is $200 (including theatre shows): a sliding payment scale and payment plan is available.

Apply HERE

Merrigong Theatre Company has a long history of developing and producing new work by Australian playwrights. Merrigong Theatre Company and the South Coast Writers Centre (SCWC) are both dedicated to leading from the regions and nurturing the next generation of creative writers and artists. For this reason, Merrigong and the SCWC have formed a partnership to invest in the next generation of theatre storytellers via a long-term development program for those with an interest in writing for the stage.  

The 2024 SCWC / Merrigong Playwrights Program aims to create a space where writers are encouraged to develop their writing projects among a safe and supportive group of peers. Capped at 10 participants, this is a 10-month program that will run from February – November 2024. The group will meet monthly on Saturdays at Coledale Community Hall or one of Merrigong’s venues to workshop the participants’ plays in development. Over the course of the program, participants will also see and discuss five Merrigong shows and will learn from guest industry teachers. The program will conclude with an evening of readings from the works in development. The group will be convened by Tom Peach, the ex-president of Stanwell Park Arts Theatre and an alumni of the Merrigong Playwrights Program.  

This program is open to anyone aged 18 and above. We encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people with disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBQTI people. Participants will need to be members of the SCWC. We are committed to providing an inclusive culture and program where all our artists are valued  and recognised for their unique qualities, ideas and perspectives.

For more information, visit southcoastwriters.org/playwrights-program