YEP Writers 14-17 Workshops

Everyman Playhouse is running a series of playwriting workshops for young writers aged 13-18, starting on Wednesday 11 November and running through to 10 March. They're free to take part in, and they're designed to help you get a piece of writing ready for the Royal Court Young Playwrights Award.

That award is a free, open-access competition for anyone aged 13-18, and these sessions are built around it. The whole point is to give you a bit of a push if you've wanted to try your hand at playwriting but weren't sure where to start, or if you've already got something on the go and want some help getting it over the line. It's a good way to work through a script with other people in the room rather than just staring at a screen on your own.

There are four sessions in total, all from 5pm to 7pm. The first is on Wednesday 11 November, led by Jack Nicholls. After that, Lizzie Nunnery takes over for the remaining three: Wednesday 13 January, Wednesday 10 February, and Wednesday 10 March. You'll get a different voice to start you off and then a consistent one to work with as you develop your writing over the winter.

One thing to keep in mind is the deadline for the award itself: applications close on Sunday 1 November 2026. The workshops start after that, so they're less about the initial entry and more about the work that comes after. If you're between 13 and 18 and fancy spending a few evenings writing at the Everyman, these are free and run right through to March.