Collective Authorship
A new writing programme
CALL OUT FOR WRITERS
Three Global Majority* Writers will work together to collectively write a new play on the theme “Reversals”, based on the TV Writers’ Room method.
Important Information
Submissions open: 16 October 2025
Submissions deadline: 17 November 2025
Interviews: Mid-Late November 2025
The selected writers will be notified by Early December 2025
Writers’ Room dates hosted by the British Arab Writers Group in London: 19 - 23 January 2026 and 9 - 13 February 2026
Rehearsed reading in March, date TBA.
Fees: £3056 per writer to include two weeks of full-time writing, up to a week of individual rewrites, and attendance at the reading.
*Global Majority is a collective term that refers to people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, Indigenous to the global south, or have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’.
About the Programme
BÉZNA Theatre is launching its first Theatre Writers' Room and we are seeking three London-based emerging playwrights from the Global Majority to take part in an exciting new programme focused on collective authorship for a politically charged piece of theatre on the theme of “Reversals”.
This project is based on the belief that the collective, the community, holds a wealth of knowledge. When individuals with diverse experiences, skills, and perspectives come together, they can produce exceptionally rich work. When solidarity unites artists around a common cause, extraordinary creations can emerge. This is a pilot programme designed to test that theory.
The selected playwrights will have the opportunity to co-author a play with full authorship shared amongst all writers. The project aims to create a unique piece of political theatre that explores the theme of Reversals, reflecting on complex social and political issues through the voices of diverse emerging writers.
This collaborative programme will be led by an experienced facilitator, where the three writers will work together in a writers' room environment, engaging in an intensive creative process. The final work will be presented in a professional rehearsed reading, directed by an industry-recognised theatre director.
Building on the learning from this strand, we will extend the project to the local community in Lambeth, where residents will co-create a new play that will be showcased in a professional public reading within the borough.
Who We’re Looking For
We’re seeking three emerging playwrights from the Global Majority who are:
Interested in experimenting with collective authorship and collaborative writing.
Excited by political, socially engaged theatre.
Open to learning, contributing ideas, and co-creating in a shared space.
Available for the full programme dates listed above.
Applicants do not need to have been professionally produced before (a full-length run in front of paying audiences). Still, they should have some experience of writing for performance in front of an audience, which includes scratch nights, R&D showings, rehearsed readings, and one-off performances.
How to Apply
Please send:
A short cover letter (max 500 words) introducing yourself and explaining why you’d like to take part.
A brief summary (max 300 words) of an idea you would be interested in developing on the theme of Reversals.
A short dramatic writing sample (up to 10 pages). We do not accept co-written or devised scripts, film scripts, poetry, or prose, but we welcome experimental theatre writing.
Send your application to contact@beznatheatre.org with the subject line “Collective Authorship Application – Your Name”.
If you require the application in an alternative format, or wish to submit points 1-2 via video or audio, please let us know — we’re happy to accommodate your needs.
Accessibility and Inclusion
BÉZNĂ Theatre is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible environment. This programme is aimed at Global Majority writers. We encourage applications from individuals who identify as:
Part of the Global Majority
LGBTQIA+
Disabled, D/deaf or neurodivergent
From working-class backgrounds
Migrants or those with lived experience of displacement
We recognise that barriers exist in the arts and are dedicated to removing them wherever possible.
If you have any access requirements for the application or programme, please contact contact@beznatheatre.org.
Facilitator
Sînziana Cojocărescu is a London-based Romanian playwright, screenwriter, director and dramaturg who has written and directed for the theatre in both the UK and Romania.
She took part in the Transylvania International Film Festival’s Full Moon Creative Lab (2023–2024), where her writers’ room won the Further Development Award for the TV series ICU: Immortal Care Unit. Her debut TV series The Rising won the Sitges Film Festival 2021 Online Pitchbox Award and is in development with an LA-based producer.
Sînziana’s experience bridges political theatre, dramaturgy, mentorship, and television, and she will bring this combined expertise to the Writers’ Room — fostering collaboration, care, and political relevance through a trauma-informed, inclusive approach.
