Royal Court Theatre launches 'The Writers' Card' membership and new writer support programmes

Today the Royal Court Theatre launches The Writers’ Card, a new membership at the heart of an expanded package to support playwrights at every stage in their career. Responding to the everyday challenges facing the playwright community, from access to a quiet space to funding opportunities, the Writers’ Card is one of the most comprehensive writer development programmes in Royal Court history. It includes exclusive benefits, funding and support – all completely free for writers who share the artistic values at the heart of the Royal Court’s mission. It marks the first membership the Royal Court, previously known as the English Stage Company, has launched since censorship in 1965.

David Byrne, Artistic Director, Royal Court Theatre commented: “Today, to respond to the challenges in the playwriting community, we are opening membership of the English Stage Company for the first time since the end of censorship.

Since becoming Artistic Director I’ve had conversations with countless playwrights about the challenges writers currently face at every level of their career. Today the Royal Court is entering the group chat with a range of new ideas and offers all designed to bring us back together as a community.

Every generation needs to fight for the values that have defined the Royal Court over the decades – making work ahead of public taste, in a programme that celebrates dissonant
voices, often pushing at the possibilities of what theatre can be. It’s time for a new generation to take up that cause, and the Royal Court will be at the heart of the conversation.

This is an invitation to writers everywhere – join us, we’re only just getting started and we can’t do it without you.”

The Writers’ Card is at the heart of a renewed mission for the Royal Court to bring together the playwriting community at every level across the UK and internationally, championing the values that have always underpinned the Royal Court’s work.

Year-round, this will include regular catered Writers’ Canteens and Writers’ Nights, open-access Career Surgeries, Zoom focus writing sessions and exclusive live events. These include discussions, public debates about challenging issues that matter to writers. The Royal Court will also host podcast recordings, starting with two live editions of The Playwrights’ Podcast hosted by Susan Wokoma. The first free Career Surgeries and Zoom sessions, the first subsidised Writers’ Canteen, and the first bookable Writers’ Night followed by free discussion and drinks are all also now available to book on sign-up to the membership.

The Writers’ Card also offers an invitation for playwrights to make the Royal Court their professional home, to open up institutional resources for writers. This includes use of the new Royal Court Library, bookable meeting and workspaces, access to a free printer to print your work, plus a subsidised all-day Writers’ Card Menu from the Bar & Kitchen, half price Friends scheme membership and partner discounts including 10% off all playtexts purchased from Concord Theatricals. To help writers struggling with distraction, members will also be able to access a free phone-locking service at the Royal Court Box Office while they use the building to write.

Today’s announcement also includes new funding, programme plans and partnerships to increase direct investment and development channels for new writers. This includes the unique Writers’ Card Lottery for paid writing weeks, offering 20 playwrights each year a £600 payment to support time working on a new play. Delivered over two rounds each year, the first lottery launches in January 2025, open to all signed-up Writers’ Card members.

The package also today sees a new multi-year partnership for the Unpublished Writers’ Award supported by Concord Theatricals towards debut playwrights receiving full productions; and a new funded invitational Writers’ Retreat programme for writers new to the Royal Court. From 2025, the theatre will also launch a new Open Submissions Festival, opening up the talent pipeline through its year-round Open Submission process to offer a professional platform for the most exciting new plays received each year. These programmes all also sit alongside renewed commitments and transparent routes for ongoing Royal Court writer support programmes including Jerwood New Playwrights, the Lynne Gagliano Writers’ Award and Clare McIntyre Bursary.

To read the full press release, see here.