NEW FESTIVAL FORMAT

At 24:7 we’re always looking for the new and original, so for 2010 we’ve shaken things up a little!
Thanks to our sponsors The Co-operative Group, we once again have the use of New Century House in Manchester City Centre. To concentrate the festival atmosphere and accentuate the audience experience we’ve decided to hold ALL performances here in 2010.
We will again be converting the Lancaster Suite into two performance spaces, complete with raised stage, wing space and lighting/sound rig. These two spaces will host 10 full productions between them, plus rehearsed readings of five further scripts – so not only has the venue format changed, so has the selection and invitation process. We like to keep you on your toes!

THE SELECTION PROCESS

In 2010 every script will be assessed by a panel – the first ten pages will be read, discussed and debated – and those which the readers feel have potential will go on to stage two. Those scripts which don’t proceed to the next stage will still get a feedback report however, which you’ll be able to read online on our new applications website.
At stage two every script is read in full twice and, again, feedback will be made available to the writers from this process.
We will have drawn up a shortlist of 20 scripts by the end of March 2010. From this 20, ten will be chosen for the full performance slots. In conjunction with North West Playwrights, five of the remaining ten will receive a rehearsed reading during the Festival, and the final five writers will be mentored to enable further development of both that specific script and their overall skills.
So, to recap:

• Two spaces at New Century House, adapted into studio theatres
• Ten plays performed, chosen from a shortlist of 20 (20>10 in 2010!)
• Rehearsed readings and mentoring offered to the other 10
• All submitted scripts receive a critique from the adjudicators.