What to submit

Applicants should submit the first 50 pages of a complete draft theatre script, alongside a 400-word synopsis and other information as requested in the Application Form. (For scripts less than 50 pages in total, submit the complete script.)

Scripts should be presented according to standard formatting:

• 12pt Times New Roman or Arial font

• Left aligned paragraph formatting

• 3cm / 1” margins on all sides of an A4 page

• Page numbered (beginning with the first page of dialogue)

• Script conventions:

• Single line spacing for dialogue

• Capitalise scene headings (e.g. SCENE 1)

• Capitalise speaker names

• Use italics for stage directions

• Above all else, ensure consistent and clear use of conventions and formatting throughout.

For further directions QWC recommends following Australian Plays Transform’s Script Format Example.

Submissions are accepted in unrestricted Word (.docx) or PDF format. Include the title of the script in the file name. Please do not include the author’s name or identifying details on any portion of the script or synopsis.

Application criteria

Applications are accepted via the online Application Form. By making an application, applicants acknowledge to have read and understood these Guidelines.

Applicants should submit their own original, unpublished and unproduced work, and hold all relevant rights to the script and its content.

Emerging scriptwriters and playwrights – defined as writers who have not had works for performance professionally or commercially produced or published – are eligible. Playwrights with credits in community theatre productions are welcome to apply.

Applicants should be Australian or New Zealand citizens or currently reside in Australia or New Zealand.

Applicants under 18 years are eligible but should contact QWC prior to applying, and require written permission from a guardian.

Multiple applications are permitted.

Scripts may be of any genre or style, but should be for small cast plays (approx. six characters or less) and stageable with minimal set requirements.

Applicants who have applied for previous years’ Programs are eligible, provided substantial changes have been made to the submission.

• Writers making resubmissions may be asked to provide a short statement regarding changes made since the previous application.

• Previously shortlisted writers are ineligible.

Where there is Indigenous content or participation in the work, applicants should comply with Creative Australia’s Protocols for using First Nations Intellectual and Cultural Property.

Key dates – TBC

Applications open: Monday 25 August – Tuesday 7 October 2025 (6 weeks)
Shortlist announced (mentorships commence): Late November 2025
Development workshop (all applicants): Late November/early December 2025
Feedback Sessions: commencing late November 2025

Successful applicants will be publicly announced on QWC’s website and Pen & Pixel email newsletter. Applicants will be personally notified of the outcome of their application prior to public announcements.

Fees & charges

Standard application fees:

• Member application fee ($55)

• Non-member (standard) application fee ($65)

Fees include GST. Fees contribute toward Program administration expenses.

Discounted application fees are available to current members of state writers’ centres in the National Writers’ Centre Network, including QWC. Applicants may be asked to verify membership of another Centre.

Participants, including shortlisted writers, are required to arrange and pay for all other expenses throughout the Program, if applicable, except as expressly identified by QWC in written agreements.

Application fees with add-ons:

• Application fee + One Year Membership ($124)

• Application fee + Feedback Session ($109)

• Application fee + One Year Membership + Feedback Session ($173)

Applicants can take advantage of a discounted One Year Membership ($69, valued at $89) with QWC. If the applicant is already a member their current membership will be extended by one year.

During the application period, applicants can take advantage of a half-price Feedback Session ($49, valued at $99). After applications close, Feedback Sessions may be made available to book separately at full price for a limited time through QWC’s Writer’s Consults program.

Refunds are not available for ineligible applications and/or applications that are withdrawn following the application period.

Process

QWC staff and trained readers will assess all submissions.

QWC will select up to 4 applicants, at its discretion, for the Program shortlist. Shortlisted applicants will receive five hours of mentorship with a matched writer, editor or theatre industry professional.

• Once matched with a mentor, the format of the meetings and usage of the mentorship time will be agreed upon between the writer and mentor. QWC will continue to monitor progress. Mentorship hours should be completed prior to QWC’s close of business in mid-December 2025.

• Every effort is made to ensure an appropriate and mutually beneficial match between shortlisted writers and mentors. However, QWC acknowledges creative relationships are subjective and may not always be found to be suitable for both mentor and writer; in these circumstances QWC will negotiate for the best possible mutual outcome but is unable to guarantee the provision of mentorship hours or further administration, additional to what is ordinarily provided to participants as part of the Program.

• Applicants may be asked to submit full works (within 72 hours of being notified) for proof of completion. This does not guarantee selection for the Program shortlist. The full submission may not be read or assessed in its entirety by QWC’s reading team.

• Any advice given will be based off the original submission and synopsis, and is provided to allow writers to work through the rest of the script.

Correspondence with QWC will be a mixture of remote and in-person communication depending on availability. All required elements of the Program will be made available in an online format; some optional Program elements may require travel, depending on the applicant’s location.

Additional terms

QWC does not guarantee the future production of scripts submitted to or developed during the program.

The final numbers selected for the Program’s shortlist are at the discretion of QWC, and may depend on the quality and number of applications received.

• Up to 2 places on the Program shortlist may be reserved for Queensland-based writers (currently residing in Queensland).

• A minimum of 1 place on the Program shortlist may be reserved for a young writer aged 16–25.

QWC reserves no rights over work submitted to or developed during the program. QWC allows writers to submit their script to competitions, courses, theatres and/or producers prior to, during or following their participation in the Program, but should notify QWC if successful elsewhere and withdraw the application if required.

All feedback given, including in Feedback Sessions, is constructive and the opinion of the reader/s.

QWC does not take a percentage of any future royalties, option or sale of submitted work, and all rights and intellectual property remain with the author, regardless of their final placement in the competition.

Application materials (scripts) will be stored securely and disposed of per standard QWC protocols. QWC will record and keep other information, including contact details, provided on the application form as necessary.

Successful applicants are encouraged to promote and support the Program and QWC, and may be asked to provide a testimonial for the program. Credit publicly offered towards QWC and the Program should comply with directions given by QWC, approved graphics used, and notification given.

Whilst not obligated and ultimately at the applicant’s discretion, if successful in future due to exposure or experience gained from the Program, appropriate credit and acknowledgement of QWC’s role is expected.

QWC may offer unsuccessful applicants the opportunity to participate in a tailored Program at a cost additional to the initial application fee.