scottish society of playwrights at 50
Celebrating 50 years
1973-2023
In 2023 and 2024, the SSP launched the SSP@50 project, a programme of events, and granted ten SSP@50 Fellowship Awards, supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
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Freelancers Employed
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Community Engagement
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Commissions
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Public Events and Activities
Aims of the SSP@50 Project
To celebrate and honour the cultural and socio-economic contribution of Scotland’s playwrights over the past 50 years, both in Scotland and around the world and look forward to the future
To connect with and strengthen communities across Scotland by funding projects that increase the cultural relevance of, and foster understanding and ownership of theatre which reflects its surroundings
To encourage experimentation and ideas that range beyond conventional boundaries, which will contribute to and strengthen the development of theatre across Scotland
To provide opportunities for writers to take the space and time to create new work and provide opportunities for the development of future projects
About the SSP@50
The idea for the SSP@50 project was born at a meeting between the SSP, Graham Eatough Senior Lecturer, Theatre, Film & Television Studies at University of Glasgow, and Louise Stephens, Creative Director of Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland.
From that meeting grew an ambitious, wide-ranging project aimed at celebrating the achievements in theatre in Scotland over the past 50 years and looking forward to the next 50, and beyond.
Key Activities
December 2023: The project launched at The Saltire Society, Edinburgh.
February 2024: Ten Fellowship Awards granted to innovative, inspiring, boundary-stretching projects that honoured, celebrated and promoted playwriting in Scotland.
August 2024: A joint celebration held during the Edinburgh Festival to mark SSP’s 50th, Playwrights’ Studio Scotland’s 20th, and the Traverse Theatre’s 60th anniversaries. The event was open to SSP members and the Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland network, plus invited guests from across the theatre and cultural sector in Scotland. The event was fully booked.
October 2024: The University of Glasgow Theatre Studies Department hosted two “In Conversation With…” events, featuring four of the SSP@50 Fellows.
November 2024: A major conference marked the end of the anniversary year and celebrated the achievements of the Fellows brought together playwrights and the wider industry to discuss the future of playwriting in Scotland was held. The event was fully booked.
Dig Deeper
More about the SSP@50 project
Big Decisions
Watch recordings of the panel discussions from this major conference, held in November 2024.
SSP@50 Fellowship Awards
Read about the writers who were awarded an SSP@50 Fellowship Awards, and all about their projects.
Statistics & Feedback
How well did the project meets it aims and objectives? Explore all the important statistics.
