Pop-Up Plays call goes out to talented writers across our area

Nottinghamshire-based Fifth Word, in collaboration with Curve Leicester, Derby Theatre and with support by arts organisation Fuel, has issued its latest call-out to East Midland writers who are dedicated to producing new shorter plays that can ‘pop up’ outside of a traditional theatre space.

Fifth Word is an award-winning theatre company, founded in 2007, which commissions and tour productions across the UK.

The final pieces will be original ideas that have been proposed to Fifth Word, responding to the theme of connection, aiming to reach new audiences and giving them new means to encounter theatre in different settings.

These could be short immersive site-specific pieces, audio walking stories, installations, outdoor performances, through to digital-live hybrid work, and could take place anywhere that we encounter in our everyday lives, such as a café, a park, a bus stop, a library and people’s own homes.

Laura Ford, artistic director of Fifth Word, said: “Pop-Up Plays is an exciting opportunity to rethink how and where theatre happens.

"By commissioning new work from East Midlands writers and bringing it directly into everyday spaces, we hope to spark fresh ways for audiences to connect with live storytelling. This initiative isn’t just about creating theatre in

unexpected places – it’s about giving more production opportunities to writers, amplifying unheard voices, and proving that great theatre can happen anywhere."

In a world where people are increasingly disconnected, Pop-Up Plays will inspire moments of connection through performances in everyday spaces.

The Pop-Up Plays will help tackle the shortage of paid productions for East Midlands writers to create bold, boundary-pushing work. Writers are encouraged to consider how they want to engage the audience with their play, its development, or how audiences can be part of the creation of the plays.

This programme of work is open to all, new, emerging and existing writers, the only requirement is that they have a connection to the East Midlands, as Fifth Word are looking for pieces that directly reflect the communities in which the East Midlands serve.

East Midlands playwright, Mufaro Makubika, (We Need New Names, Fifth Word/New Perspectives/Brixton House, Shebeen, Nottingham Playhouse/Theatre Royal Stratford East,), said: “Like so many other theatre makers in the region and across the country, Fifth Word has played a significant role in my development as writer.

"I have no doubt that without their support and encouragement, I would not have been able to create some of the work I've done.”

Peter Knott, Midlands area director at Arts Council England, added: “We’re delighted to support Fifth Word’s Pop-Up Plays, using funding from the National Lottery.

"As well as giving writers the opportunity to develop skills and showcase their talents, it will attract new and younger audiences, many of whom may be experiencing theatre for the first time.”

To find out more about Pop-Up Plays, visit www.fifthword.co.uk/productions/pop-up-plays