Emerging playwrights aged 18–25 across Australia who are taking their craft seriously—whether you’re curious about writing for theatre, a performer creating your own material, or someone whose story hasn’t yet appeared on an Australian stage. This program suits you if you:

• Want to develop your playwriting skills with expert guidance and peer support
• Can dedicate time to self-directed writing between monthly sessions
• Are open to sharing your work and receiving constructive feedback
• Can commit to regular online attendance throughout the year
• Want to connect with other emerging playwrights and build lasting creative relationships

No previous playwriting experience required—just commitment to the work and genuine curiosity about theatrical storytelling.

Applications Open: Tuesday 3 February 2026
Applications Close: Tuesday 10 March 2026 

To apply please follow these steps:

1. Complete the Application Form.
2. Your application will then be considered by our team. 
3. Outcomes will be sent to everyone by Friday 13 March 2026
4. If your application is successful, you will be sent a link to enrol in the program.
5. You will need to be enrolled in the program by Friday 20 March 2026.

Build your playwriting toolkit: Learn foundational craft—generating ideas, building characters, shaping dramatic structure, writing dialogue, creating worlds, and finding your voice. Each structured monthly session gives you concrete skills to apply immediately to your developing work.

Write between sessions: Expect regular exercises that push you into your work, helping you discover what you want to say and how to say it on stage. This program requires dedication—your growth happens in the writing between sessions.

Read and discuss plays: Build your dramaturgical literacy by reading and discussing contemporary Australian plays. Understanding how other playwrights work expands your creative toolkit and connects you to the broader theatrical conversation you’re joining.

Get one-on-one feedback: Receive personalised dramaturgical feedback on your work-in-progress. These individual consultations give you focused attention on your specific play, helping you identify strengths and solve creative challenges unique to your work.

Learn from each other: Share drafts, give and receive constructive feedback, and support each other’s development. You’re building your writing community—relationships and collaborative skills that will sustain your practice long after the program ends.

Connect with professional playwrights: Learn from working playwrights who join online from around Australia, sharing practical insights about craft, creative process, and building sustainable careers. You’ll get the real story about making work that reaches audiences.

By the end of Writers Studio, you’ll:

Create new work for the stage: Master dramatic writing techniques that turn ideas into compelling theatrical stories. Finish the program with new work, the skills to develop it further, and the confidence to share it with collaborators and audiences.

Discover your theatrical voice: Know what you want to write and how to express it. You’ll understand your unique perspective and how to channel it into theatrical form.

Build a writing practice that lasts: Meet deadlines, maintain writing momentum, and develop the discipline that transforms occasional inspiration into consistent creative output. You’ll have the habits and structures to sustain your practice.

Give and receive constructive feedback: Develop the vocabulary and generosity to help other writers strengthen their work while learning to filter and apply feedback to your own. These collaborative skills make you a better artist and colleague.

Understand the Australian theatre sector: Know the landscape you’re writing into—who produces new work, what pathways exist for emerging playwrights, and how to position your writing for opportunities beyond this program.

Find your writing community: Connect with fellow emerging playwrights across Australia and professional mentors who’ll support your ongoing development. You’ll have relationships that sustain your practice for years to come.

Wednesday 25 March 2026 (6:00 – 8:30pm)
Wednesday 29 April 2026 (6:00 – 8:30pm)
Wednesday 27 May 2026 (6:00 – 8:30pm)
Wednesday 24 June 2026 (6:00 – 8:30pm)
Wednesday 29 July 2026 (6:00 – 8:30pm)
Wednesday 26 August 2026 (6:00 – 8:30pm)
Wednesday 30 September 2026 (6:00 – 8:30pm)
Wednesday 28 October 2026 (6:00 – 8:30pm)

One-one-one sessions will be by arrangement.

Commitment

This program requires commitment both in sessions and in your self-directed writing practice. We’re creating a collaborative creative space, not an online lecture series—your live presence matters. This is where you’ll share developing work, offer feedback to fellow writers, and build trust within a safe creative community. Sessions are delivered online but not recorded, protecting the confidentiality of work-in-progress and the vulnerability that comes with sharing early drafts.

Between sessions, you’re building a sustainable creative practice—your consistent work shapes your development and the material you bring to share. Writing exercises, peer feedback, and script consultations build on each other throughout the program, so we ask that you commit fully to the writing process. Come ready to participate actively, engage generously with feedback (both giving and receiving), and support your fellow writers’ development with insight and respect. This is about showing up for yourself and your fellow artists as you develop your craft together.

The Culture We Build Together

Being part of Canberra Youth Theatre means joining a professional artistic community where emerging artists shape the future of Australian theatre. Our practice is built on:

• Commitment – to the work, the process, and the artists you’re creating alongside
• Courage – taking creative risks, challenging conventions, and pushing your practice forward
• Respect – for diverse perspectives, bold artistic choices, and the collaborative space we share
• Curiosity – treating each project as a chance to deepen your craft and expand your voice
• Professionalism – holding ourselves to the standards of the theatre industry we’re entering

This is where you transition from training into practice, where your ideas matter, and where the work you create contributes to your development, our community, and the broader arts sector.

Writers Studio is a heavily subsidised program – the full cost is $906 per person, which, due to the generous support of our funders, we are able to offer for only $400 for our members. Nonetheless, we understand that paying upfront in full can be difficult, so we offer flexible payment plans to spread out the cost over the course of the program.

Please see the financial support we offer, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@canberrayouththeatre.com.au to discuss payment options.