Deadline: 31 July 2012
The International Radio Playwriting Competition is run by the BBC World Service and the British Council, in partnership with Commonwealth Writers and is now in its 23rd year. It is a competition for anyone resident outside Britain, to write a 53-minute radio drama for up to six characters.
There are two categories: one for writers with English as their first language and one for writers with English as their second language.
The two winners will come to London and see their play made into a full radio production, which will then be broadcast on the BBC World Service. They will also each receive a £2,000 prize and there are certificates for runners-up.
The play must be in English, unpublished and must not have been previously produced in any medium. Whether you're experienced, new, or somewhere in between, we want to hear from you.
INTERNATIONAL PLAYWRITING COMPETITION 2012: TERMS AND CONDITIONS
These are the rules and terms and conditions for entering the click BBC World Service International Playwriting competition. Please ensure that you read and understand them as failure to follow will result in your entry not being considered.
RULES
1. Entry is only open to anyone who is over the age of 18 as at 31 July 2012 who is not normally a resident of the UK. This may include anyone living/working in the UK on a temporary basis (up to 12 months) at the time of entering the competition. Professional and previously published writers are eligible to enter, but this is not a requirement of entry.
2. Entrants must not be BBC, British Council or Commonwealth Foundation employees and their close relatives or any person connected to the competition. Proof of age, identity and eligibility may be requested.
3. Entrants should write a radio play of approximately 53 minutes’ length on any subject of their choice. Adaptations of novels are not eligible.
4. Plays entered must not have been professionally produced in any medium (an informal play-reading is acceptable; a play-reading with a professional director and in front of a non-paying audience is acceptable, but a performance involving payment to actors and/or a paying audience is not).
5. Plays entered in the competition must not, at the time they are submitted, have been offered for publication, performance or broadcast in any other form or medium to any other person or company. Nor can they, at the time of entry or during the course of the competition, have been entered for any other competition. The winning playwrights will be deemed to have entered into an undertaking not to accept offers for their entries from other broadcasters or publishers before April 2013.
6. All scripts submitted must be a minimum of 45 pages of A4 paper (or equivalent) and a maximum of 65 pages (note, a rough guide is a minute per page; please read and time your play before you send it). The play should have a maximum of six central characters (there may be up to 3 small "doubling" characters too, who don’t have more than a few lines each). Your script must be accompanied by a short synopsis which outlines the complete story of the play. This must be no more than 400 words.
7. There are two categories for entry. One is for entrants who speak English as a first language and the other is for entrants with English as a second language. The BBC may require proof of eligibility for the selected category before announcing a winner.
8. The play must be written substantially or entirely in English. Unfortunately, we do not have the facility to offer a translation service. Entries that have been translated must acknowledge this fact by giving a credit to the translator or translators. Entries that have been translated will be entered in the English as a first language category.
9. The competition opens on 1 May 2012 and closes on 31 July 2012.
Entries must be received at your British Council office or at the BBC in London by midnight GMT on 31 July 2012. Entries received after this time will not be considered.
10. Entries must be submitted either:
* by post to the following address: International Playwriting Competition 2012, BBC Radio Drama, Room 6015 BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA, United Kingdom
* to your click local British Council office
* or by email to the following email address: radioplay@bbc.co.uk
11. All entries must be accompanied by a completed copy of the entry form attached to this leaflet or which can be downloaded at www.bbcworldservice.com/radioplay from 1 May 2012.
12. Entrants can enter individually or as part of a group. If entering as a group, all entrants must meet the entry requirements and be eligible for the same category. No member should have also entered individually. Please note, the prize only includes payment for one airfare per category.
13. In the case of an entry by two or more writers, the BBC will need written or email confirmation from each writer involved that they are prepared to take a share of the prize money and are prepared to receive those funds from a nominee who will be one of the writers, as the prize money will be paid to one individual only. The nominee will be selected by the writers and it will be his or her responsibility to distribute these funds to the other writers and the organisers can take no responsibility for that aspect.
14. Only one entry per person is permitted including any group entries. If you submit more than one entry, only the first entry received will be considered. Please do not submit plays you have entered before.
15. All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The BBC accepts no liability if entrants ignore these rules and entrants agree to fully indemnify the BBC against any claims by any third party arising from any breach of these rules.
16. Entries must not contain defamatory, obscene or any other unsuitable material, such as that which may cause offence to a wide audience of all ages.
17. Entrants retain the copyright in their entries but grant to the BBC a non-exclusive licence to broadcast their entry across all media, as well as use it on any online platforms. Entrants also grant a licence to Commonwealth Writers to publish extracts of their scripts, along with their name(s), on the Commonwealth Writers website.
18. The prize for the winning entry in each category will consist of £2000 sterling and a trip to London (airfare and accommodation for one person) to see the winning play being recorded for broadcast on the BBC World Service and attend a prize-giving event. The prize is as stated and cannot be deferred or transferred. There will be no cash alternatives.
19. As with any new play, the BBC may require further drafts and revisions of the winning plays. Winners must be willing and able to undertake redrafting and revision work in conjunction with the BBC. This work is likely to take place between November 2012 and January 2013 and the winning entrants will need to keep time free, and remain contactable, to achieve this. This work will be completed with the winning entrant using email or the most suitable method available. We reserve the right to revoke a play's prize winning status if this work is not completed.
20. The BBC will reserve the right to make minor cuts, changes and edits to the winners' final draft scripts.
21. Subject to a satisfactory recording being made, the winning plays will be broadcast on BBC World Service in March 2013. Winners will first be required to enter into a contract with the BBC on the standard terms and conditions applicable for broadcast of BBC Radio Drama. No fee will be payable other than the £2000 sterling offered as prize money for one broadcast cycle and the BBC's standard package of rights under that contract. If repeated on the World Service, a sum of £1000 will be payable for the first repeat cycle and thereafter the BBC will have certain broadcasting and other rights all in accordance with the contract.
LINKS
Script format: How to set out your script in a good format for the actors
British Council: The UK's international cultural relations body
The competition application form will be available from 1 May 2012 here
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For inquiries/ submissions: radioplay@bbc.co.uk
Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/