In its 2025 open name, Cloudburst is on the lookout for 4 unproduced and unknown playwrights. The chosen playwrights will create scripts that align with the core themes of their upcoming manufacturing, A Manchester Anthem. The themes embrace class, identification, group, and leaving house. Cloudburst understands the significance of contemporary voices within the artistic scene and acknowledges the boundaries early-career writers face. Thus, the 2025 Cloudburst Open Name will present accessible alternatives, paid fee, {and professional} readings in each Manchester and London for chosen playwrights.
What Is A Manchester Anthem?
A Manchester Anthem is an upcoming theatrical manufacturing that explores what ‘house’ means to totally different folks and the way that definition shifts with age and time. It was impressed by the socio-political textures of Manchester, its youth tradition, and the way class, private identification, and group relationships form the lives of abnormal folks. Cloudburst’s 2025 Open Name is supposed to deepen and contextualize these conversations. Thus, they’re in search of contemporary, evocative, and distinctive interpretations of the theme, advised by short-form theatre.
Who Can Apply for Cloudburst’s 2025 Open Name?
This competitors is free and is open to:
- New and upcoming playwrights. Writers who’ve carried out performs are NOT eligible.
- Writers from or primarily based in London or the North of England (Cheshire, Cumbria, County Durham, Better Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Using of Yorkshire, Tyne and Put on, North Lincolnshire, and North East Lincolnshire).
Awards for Cloudburst’s 2025 Open Name
The successful entries will get:
- £500
- Carried out by skilled actors at Manchester (Hope Mill Theatre) and London (Riverside Studios).
Submission Tips for Cloudburst’s 2025 Open Name
- Entries ought to adhere to conventional script formatting. To realize this, use scriptwriting software program like Celtx, Trelby, or Ultimate Draft.
- Submitted scripts must be a most of half-hour lengthy (i.e., 22-38 pages lengthy relying on how dialogue-heavy it’s).
- Scripts shouldn’t have any greater than three characters and must be saved as a PDF. Entries submitted as .doc or .txt is not going to be learn.
- Submissions should interact with a number of of the next themes: class, identification, group, and leaving house.
- The deadline for entry is 9 AM BST on Monday, seventh July 2025. Late entries is not going to be learn.
Suggestions for a Nice Entry
1. Be Relatable however Inspirational
A very good story ought to mirror the lived experiences of people from a selected group or socioeconomic group. Nevertheless, extra than simply holding up a mirror to society, an incredible story leaves the readers with one thing to aspire to and work in the direction of.
2. Begin with a Character, Not a Message
The very best tales are character-centered. Characters drive tales. Begin with a flawed however relatable fundamental character. You should utilize scriptwriting instruments like Dan Harmon’s Story Circle to assist chart and plan your MC’s development. Set up acute and power tensions in your character’s life. On the finish of your story, your MC ought to emerge modified—both bodily, emotionally, or psychologically—for higher or worse.
3. Keep away from Cliches
Tales about “transferring to London to make it massive,” “two buddies falling out over politics,” or “love throughout the socioeconomic divide” may be highly effective—however provided that approached with freshness. Use construction, pacing, or perspective to convey one thing totally different.
Tip: Take into consideration kind—monologues, nonlinear timelines, or dual-language scenes may assist elevate a well-known story.
Cloudburst’s 2025 Open Name is greater than a commissioning alternative—it’s an announcement of perception in untapped voices. So polish that script, format your PDF, and take the leap.
Apply Right here by way of Cloudburst’s Official Web site
