Queer Playwriting Award Showcase

This development program aims to identify, support and develop new playwriting talent and get queer issues out there for mainstream audiences to consider and enjoy. The LGBTQIA+ community is diverse, exciting and full of stories and ideas that deserve to be heard on the stages of performing arts venues throughout the country. This is the chance you have been waiting for to tell a bold, funny, new, important, or exciting story to Australian theatre audiences.

Creators of new or developing works of theatre are invited to submit their proposals for consideration by a panel of supportive industry professionals. If you have an idea for a show, a completed script, or anything in between, we want to hear from you. Up to 4 works will be selected by the industry panel, and invited to present a 15 minute staged reading at Gasworks Arts Park as part of Midsumma Festival on Monday 20 January, 2025. One work will be selected to receive ongoing support and development with a view to becoming a full-scale work to be presented in Midsumma Festival 2026 or beyond. The ultimate aim of the Queer Playwriting Award is to tour the work nationally to expose it to a wide range of metropolitan, regional and rural audiences.

If you have any queries, contact Gasworks Arts Park on 03 8606 4200 or email marisa@gasworks.org.au

For updates and more information, keep an eye on the Gasworks and Midsumma websites, and follow us on social media.

Event Details
DATE & TIMES:
• Queer Playwriting Award call-out commences: Saturday 1 June 2024
• Call out closes: Thursday 4 July 2024
• Selection Panel Meets (to select finalists): Mid-July 2024
• Applicants notified and participation/details confirmed: Late July 2024
• Queer Playwriting Award & Showcase: Monday 20 January 2025
• Selection Panel Meets (to select Award recipient): February 2025
• Award recipient announced: Late February/early March 2025

QPAS 2024 WINNER ANNOUNCED
Congratulations to all the shortlisted finalists of the 2024 Queer Playwriting Award Showcase, presented in partnership with Midsumma Festival on 22 January.

We are delighted to announce the winner: The Queer Kingdom by Tom Ballard

“I’m fully stoked and filled with queer joy to be selected as the winner of this year’s QPAS. I can’t wait to bring the full story of the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands to the Gasworks stage, so that future audiences may laugh and cry and revel in its full insanity. I’m very grateful to Midsumma and Gasworks for this opportunity, I’d like to say a huge thank you to my dramaturg Stephen Niccolazzo and our brilliant cast for all their hard work, and I want to congratulate my fellow QPAS finalists on their funny, moving and inspiring work. Hurrah for queer theatre.”
– Tom Ballard, playwright

“Tom’s work really stood out to the audience and the panel for its originality, its humour, its coverage of queer issues, and the ambition to bring a so-crazy-it-must-be-true story to life. Tom’s ability to weave in gut punches amid the absurd, and hard facts wrapped in humour at a fast pace is awe-inspiring. Gasworks is very excited to work with him and his team to bring the full iteration of this show to our stage for a Midsumma world premiere.”
– Marisa Cesario, Programming Co-ordinator, Gasworks Arts Park

“We are unbelievably proud of the diverse stories and quality work to emerge from this year’s Queer Playwriting Award, in collaboration with the wonderful people at Gasworks. A big congratulations to Tom Ballard on his winning piece – we are overjoyed to hear that the script is continuing its development and we can’t wait to see it realised onstage soon”
– Karen Bryant, Chief Executive, Midsumma Festival

“QPAS is a fantastic initiative for the LGBTQIA+ community and cements Gasworks Arts Park’s commitment to support independent artists. There is a noticeable lack of new queer theatre works available in performing arts markets to be toured to venues in Victoria, and it is important to Gasworks Arts Park that we play a part in changing that. It is no easy feat for artists to present a work in development to an audience, especially during its very early stages. It is especially gratifying to see how enthusiastic and generous the artists were in offering feedback and assistance to each other. I think that this is one of the most beneficial parts of this program – it offers the opportunity for independent artists to network with each other and potentially even find opportunities to collaborate.”
Marisa Cesario, Programming Coordinator – Gasworks Arts Park