We are seeking writers to submit poetry, stories and short plays to be performed across two Best of Bolton showcases on Sat 11 November 2017.
Writers can be of any age and live anywhere; professional or beginner. There are no rules on content, themes or the language in which submissions are written – we are eager to hear new voices and welcome diversity.
How To Apply
1. This is an international competition open to anyone residing in the UKorabroad.
2. Entrants must be sixteen or over. There is no upper age limit.
3. We can only accept a maximum of 3 entriesper person
4. The competition opens on Tue 18 April with the deadline for entry being Sat 8 July. Any entries received after this time will not be read.
5. All entries must be accompanied by a completed copy of the submissionentry form which includes full contact details and agreement to abide by the terms and conditions,which can be downloaded at Best of Bolton - Terms Conditions 2017.pdf
6. Entries must be submitted either:
* by (signed for) post to the following address: Best of Bolton, Octagon Theatre, Howell Croft South, Bolton BL1 3SP
* or by email to the following email address: literary@octagonbolton.co.uk
7. Scripts must be submitted by the writer(s) themselvesand not by an agent or any other third party.
8. Please do not submit any supporting materials including CDs, photographs,reviews or any audio-visual material.
9. Entrants retain the copyright in their entries but, in the event of being judged a winning entry, grant to the Octagon Theatre a non-exclusive licence to perform their work, as well as use it on any online platforms. Entrants also grant a licence to publish extracts of their work, along with their name(s), on The Octagon Theatre’s website.
Script Guidance
1. Work submittedmust be original, unperformed and unproduced.
2. Length:For drama, monologue and prose (extract of novel/short story) the submission must be no more than700 words. For poetry, the submission must be no longer than 30 lines.
3. Copyright:The entrant must exclusively own and control all copyright and all other related rights to the submitted script.
4. The submitted work must be available for production and unattached to any other theatre or company. Any work that have been professionally optioned, produced or published will be disqualified.
5. We do accept work co-authored by more than one writer. Please ensure that only one entry is submitted with one set of contact details.
Judging and Prizes
1. All winning entries are automatically under option to The Octagon Theatre for a period of eighteen months after the announcement of the awards.
2. If the Octagon Theatre chooses your work(s) as a winning entry/entries, then it/theywill be performed by a professional actor(s)in the Best of Bolton showcase on Sat 11 November in the theatre.
3. No payments will be made, including travel or subsistence expenses in the event of the writer(s) visiting the theatre throughout the production and performance periods.
4. We regret that no correspondence can be entered into regarding any part of the judging process.