Entries Open for Queensland Premier’s Drama Award 2016-17

 

Entries now open for the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award 2016-17

 

 

Continuation of page-to-stage award celebrates Queensland talent

 

 

 

Australia’s only playwriting award that guarantees a professional production of the winning entry within two years has opened for nomination, as part of a long and successful partnership between the Queensland Government and the Queensland Theatre Company (QTC).

 

Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Arts Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Queensland Government had maintained its serious and ongoing commitment to the arts by calling for entries for the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award (QPDA) 2016-17 and celebrating previous winners who had seen their works developed and transformed into professional productions.

 

“Since its inception in 2002, QTC has developed 24 plays as part of this award, employed more than 160 actors, writers and directors, and generated audiences of more than 26,000 to new and emerging Queensland work. This is an excellent result for the Queensland arts industry,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

 

Queensland Theatre Company Artistic Director Wesley Enoch said the awards had helped discover some exceptional storytellers who had introduced Queenslanders to a variety of narratives that were sometimes complex and confronting.

 

 

“Daniel Evans won last year’s award with his modern Australian-suburbia-meets-Greek-tragedy Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, following the 2012-13 winner Maxine Mellor’s controversial character play Trollop, chosen from a field of 83 entries from across the country,” Mr Enoch said.

 

The award covers a two-year cycle. In the first year, three finalists are selected and their works undergo creative development with industry professionals prior to judging and the announcement of the winner. The second year involves further development of the winning play followed by the professional world premiere production and the publication of the script.

 

The deadline for this year’s submissions is Friday 30 October 2015 with three finalists selected in December 2015. The winning entry is announced in the second half of 2016. Groups, as well as individual artists are encouraged to apply.

 

 

Previous winners include:

 

2014-15 Daniel Evans for OEDIPUS DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE

 

2012-13 Maxine Mellor for TROLLOP

 

2010-11 Marcel Dorney for FRACTIONS

 

2008-09 Richard Jordan for 25 DOWN

 

2006-07 David Brown for THE ESTIMATOR

 

2004-05 Adam Grossetti for MANO NERA

 

2002-03 Sven Swenson for ROAD TO THE SHE-DEVIL’S SALON

 

The conditions of entry and entry form can be obtained by visiting Queensland Theatre Company’s website at www.queenslandtheatre.com.au or by contacting the Producer of New Work and Development on 07 3010 7607