The South Asian Playwrights’ Programme forms part of a long-term commitment from the National Theatre of Scotland to develop South Asian theatre artists and platform their work.  

The programme provides two paid opportunities for Scottish South Asian playwrights.  Each writer will develop a new play with support from professional dramaturgs, actors and directors, ahead of the play being licenced and further developed and produced by Glasgow Lunchtime Theatre, in a future season of A Play A Pie and A Pint  (PPP). 

This programme recognises that South Asian writers face specific barriers to developing their craft and accessing a ladder of progression to professional production opportunities, barriers which are rooted in a history of marginalisation and systemic underinvestment in artists of South Asian heritage by predominantly white-led organisations.

It has been designed for writers who have already written at least one full length stage play (50mins +), but not yet received more than one professional funded production of their work (or had a production at PPP), and would benefit from professional artistic and dramaturgical support in their development as a writer.

South Asian Playwrights’ Programme is a collaboration between the National Theatre of Scotland, Glasgow Lunchtime Theatre, Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland  and Bijli Productions . 

Please Note: This opportunity exists in addition to the Playwrights’ Studio reading programme for PPP. 

South Asian Project   

The South Asian Playwrights’ Programme is part of The South Asian Project, established by National Theatre of Scotland in 2021 to enable the company to engage more significantly with South Asian artists and communities in Scotland, with an overall aim, over time, to develop new ideas for productions, forge new connections within communities and to reach new audiences.