New writing theatre company Paines Plough has again partnered with Channel 4 on a new scheme for playwright development, based on the Future Perfect scheme inaugurated in 2005.
The five writers who will be attached to the scheme will be given access to writing bursaries, a West End office, meetings and mentorships with playwrights, access to rehearsal facilities and actors and much more, including exposure to the TV and film pitching and commissioning processes. The terms of the attachment will be tailored to the needs of each participant.
Recent graduates of the scheme include Matt Hartley, whose play Sixty-Five Miles won the under-26 prize in the Royal Exchange Theatre's Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2005 and was performed at Hull Truck Theatre last month in association with Paines Plough.
Paines Plough artistic directors James Grieve and George Perrin said, "our aim is to produce plays and develop playwrights—not the other way around. So this year we’re thrilled to have launched our brand new playwright development programme The Big Room, which we hope will continue the work we have begun with partners like Channel 4, supporting the Matt Hartleys of the future to develop their professional craft."