Papatango founder: The term 'new writing' is not helpful to the theatre sector

Turvey, winner of the 2022 Genesis Foundation prize, was speaking alongside Bristol Old Vic artistic director Nancy Medina and playwrights Miriam Battye and Juliet Gilkes Romero, in an event moderated by the theatre’s new work producer Ben Atterbury.

Echoing Turvey’s comments, Medina noted that “risk used to be an exciting thing”, while Gilkes Romero admitted to concerns that shifts in theatre’s leadership and creative models could have a negative impact on new-writing commissions.

Citing changes introduced at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, which recently announced it was abandoning its artistic director model, Gilkes Romero said: “I worry about the current landscape.

“If you look at Manchester’s Royal Exchange not having artistic directors anymore, or theatre buildings doing away with literary managers – the risk in that situation is: ‘How do new writers gain access?’ That’s where the biggest risk is seen.”

The event marked the latest in the Genesis Foundation’s conversational series on theatre ecology, with previous discussions including the Arts in a Time of Crisis panel, in November last year.

This year’s panel suggested various proposals that they hoped would support a healthier and more productive environment for emerging playwrights, with Battye calling for all theatres to implement “a clear and robust  unsolicited scripts policy”, and Gilkes Romero expressing her hope for more mid-career development opportunities.

Medina concluded: “The development of art and stories has to be fundamental to every theatre.”