Writers' Groups

A structured community of support for early-career playwrights

Writers’ Groups are at the heart of our work with playwrights in the UK and around the world. Groups provide the most promising writers with a structured programme of creative development, mentoring, peer support and feedback.

Beyond developing a whole generation of writers, Groups are an opportunity for the Royal Court to develop new relationships with playwrights interested in crafting work for our stages.

Responding to growing demand from writers across the world, the Royal Court now offers more places than ever before, hosting five Writers’ Groups each year. All completely free of charge – sharing skills, craft and insights for new generations of outstanding talent.

How It Works

Selecting participants

First, the best news. There is no competitive process nor another application form to fill out. To be considered for our Writers’ Groups, all you have to do is send us a play.

The primary way we search for writers is through our Open Script Submissions. Our readers are constantly looking for promising writers who don’t yet have an established relationship with the Court, inviting them to join a Writers’ Group – with 100 places available each year. Our wider artistic team also identify and invite the most exciting participants from our other programmes, such as the Young Playwrights Award.

When you submit a play through our Open Submissions portal, you’ll be asked if you’d like to be considered for a Group. We’ll also ask if you are a Black and/or Global Majority, Working Class, and/or D/deaf or disabled writer. This is because we’re reserving half of all places across our artistic programmes for these groups, who we know are currently under-represented on stages across the UK.

Places are invite-only through these open routes – and if we can offer you a place, we’ll contact you directly with details of the next available dates, timelines and options.

What You Get

Each year, we’re running a minimum of five Writers Groups with 20 participants each, both in-person and on Zoom to support writers beyond London and internationally. We also have budget for access costs to ensure everyone can fully take part.

Groups typically run for 8-10 weekly 2-hour sessions, facilitated by a produced Royal Court playwright sharing their experience, expert advice and mentoring. Over the programme, participants collectively explore key aspects of the playwriting craft alongside unique insights into the specific approach at the Royal Court, and guidance on their next steps.

In addition, participants will be offered a deadline 8 weeks later to share a draft of a new play, which will then be read by the facilitator with a one-to-one follow-up session for detailed, bespoke feedback and support with redrafting.

Next Steps

Following script feedback from your Group facilitator, and once you feel your play is ready, you can then submit a final draft back through our Open Submission portal.

Submitting your play through this channel ensures it will be fully considered by our artistic team for programming, as well as a range of further development routes including our Open Submissions Festivals. Whatever your route through, we know you’ll come away with fresh insights into your own craft, and a new network of lifelong peers to help build your wider artistic community.

So send us a play. We can’t wait to read it, and to meet the next generation of playwrights – for our stages and beyond.