Shakespeare’s Globe Unveils Climate Playwriting Prize

The world-renowned Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in London has launched its first-ever “Environmental Playwright” prize, aiming to harness the creative potential of playwrights and artists to inspire societal shifts towards a restorative relationship with nature.

As Michelle Terry, artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe, notes, William Shakespeare’s works are deeply rooted in the connection between humans and the environment. Almost every play he wrote explores this fundamental theme, from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to “The Tempest”. This legacy serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of storytelling in shaping our relationship with nature.

Terry emphasizes that Shakespeare’s Globe is not only celebrating its artistic heritage but also acknowledging the urgent need for collective action. “Now is the time to remind ourselves of our human nature and remember the profound and positive contribution we can make on planet Earth,” she says. By harnessing the power of storytelling, Terry believes that theatre can unite people and inspire meaningful change.

The “Environmental Playwright” prize is designed to support emerging playwrights in developing plays that address the climate crisis. The winning playwright will receive a £15,000 award, as well as access to industry experts, rehearsal space, and exposure to leading theatre decision-makers.

Submissions for the prize will open in June and close on Sept. 1st, with winners announced in the autumn. The competition is open to un-produced full-length stage plays in English that explore the climate crisis, including environmental changes, social, political, and cultural responses.

Shakespeare’s Globe is partnering with several theatres across the UK to host climate storytelling workshops. These initiatives aim to foster a sense of community and collaboration among theatre-makers, writers, and artists working on climate-related projects.

Guy Jones, new work associate at Shakespeare’s Globe, hopes that the prize will attract a diverse range of submissions from writers who may not have previously seen themselves as “climate playwrights”. Amber Massie-Blomfield, director of Fern Culture, emphasizes the importance of storytelling in shaping our understanding of the climate crisis and inspiring collective action.

Josh Cockcroft, director of impact and research at Climate Spring, highlights the transformative power of theatre to bring people together and inspire change. “Theatre transforms us, it moves us beyond ourselves to create, for a moment, a community experiencing something wholly unique and metamorphic,” he says.