Applications are now open for next year’s Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH)/ Traverse Creative Fellowships.
In 2021, the IASH will be providing two creative fellowships, commissioning and supporting two writers to produce work that links to the Traverse Theatre and IASH’s interests in urgent stories that speak to our lives now and into the future.
The two fellowships are:
Digital Fellowship
The digital fellowship is a full-time 3-month writing programme focusing on new work for digital platforms to take place between May – July 2021.
This fellowship is open to writers with an idea or story suitable for digital platforms. That could be a Virtual Reality storytelling piece, a theatrical film, a binaural audio play or something entirely different. The IASH and Traverse are interested in how technology and new forms of theatre can be brought together to produce innovative ways for audiences to experience stories.
- For this fellowship, the writer will be invited to live in Edinburgh full-time for three months (or they must already be based in a commutable location), working in residence at the University of Edinburgh to produce a first draft text by the end (or soon after) of that period.
- The recipient will enjoy a private office at the University, as well as access to the university library and the Institute’s many other resources, including joining the community of other fellows working at IASH during this time.
- The playwright will receive dramaturgical support from the Traverse literary department, and while each fellowship will be tailored towards the writer’s / project’s individual needs, it would be the organisation’s ambition to work towards a work-in-progress sharing of the work in 2021 as part of the piece’s ongoing development.
- The stipend for this fellowship will be £10,000 inclusive of an accommodation allowance.
- In addition to this, the University of Edinburgh may be able to provide international travel bursaries, and can help support visa applications for writers based overseas.
Playwriting Fellowship
This is a part-time 6-month writing fellowship to take place from August 2021 onwards.
This fellowship is open to writers with an idea or story for an ambitious and entertaining new play that speaks to the urgent issues impacting on our lives now and into the future.
This fellowship will be spread across a 6- to 7-month period, giving the writer the time, space and support needed to research and write the play whilst working around other commitments. Each fellowship will be tailored to the writer’s needs and availability but it is expected that the writer can work at the University on a regular basis – such as two days a week, or one week per month for example.
- The recipient will enjoy a private office at the University, as well as access to the university library and the Institute’s many other resources, including joining the community of other fellows working at IASH during this time.
- The recipient will receive dramaturgical support from the Traverse Literary Department, with the expectation being that up to two drafts be completed during their residency, with another draft due at some point after the residency finishes (exact timelines to be tailored to needs of the project and Traverse Theatre).
- The fellow will be expected to contribute to IASH and Traverse Theatre events as mutually beneficial, giving at least one work-in-progress seminar and/or reading of the work to an invited audience.
- The stipend for this fellowship will be £10,000.
About The Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities
The University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities was established in 1969 to promote interdisciplinary research in the arts, humanities and social sciences at the University of Edinburgh.It provides an international, interdisciplinary and autonomous space for discussion and debate. Since its foundation, more than 1,300 scholars from 67 countries have held Institute fellowships; and up to 28 Fellows are in residence at any one time. Housed in a secluded 19th-century courtyard overlooking the Meadows, the Institute is adjacent to most centres of University activity.
About The Traverse
As Scotland’s new writing theatre, the Traverse Theatre is a dynamic centre for performance, experience and discovery. Enabling people across society to access and engage with theatre is our fundamental mission.
Our year-round programme bursts with new stories and live performances that challenge, inform and entertain. We empower artists and audiences to make sense of the world today, providing a safe space to question, learn, empathise and – crucially – encounter different people and experiences. Conversation and the coming together of groups are central to a democratic society, and we champion equal expression and understanding.
We commission, produce and programme for existing and future audiences to offer new and exciting experiences for everyone, and our partnerships with other theatre companies and festivals enable us to present a wide range of innovative performances.
Applications
Please send a cover letter (no more than 2 pages of A4) and CV to iash@ed.ac.uk containing the following information.
- Why you are interested in the Fellowship.
- A short statement about you and your work.
- What’s the story you want to tell?
- Candidates must have had at least one professionally produced play to be considered (which could be digital in format).
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