Becoming an Arts Foundation Fellow in Theatre Writing has truly changed my life. I received the Fellowship at a pivotal moment in my career, where I was gaining traction in my work but scrambling to make my practice at all financially, practically or spiritually sustainable. As an early career writer, commissions don’t come very quickly or plentifully: our industry’s lack of funding means our institutions have lost the financial flexibility to take risks on new talent. This means that unless you have the time and money to self-produce your work, or write it for free in the hopes it will eventually get picked up, it can feel near impossible to get a career in writing off the ground. Thanks to the Arts Foundation, I’ve had the opportunity to invest the time, space and confidence to fully commit to my practice and to push myself in new directions. Unsurprisingly, this has fundamentally transformed my artistry.
On a personal level, the Fellowship has had a profound impact on my view of myself as an artist. Prior to being awarded the Fellowship, I wasn’t yet calling myself a writer by trade – I worried I wasn’t experienced or prolific or simply old enough to claim that title. When the Arts Foundation recognised me for my craft, I was pushed to do the same, and that change has opened so many doors. I’ve been able to move away from juggling zero-hour jobs and unpaid projects, and I’m now working fully freelance as a writer, director and dramaturg. I had the time to figure out how I wanted my voice to ring in our culture, what kind of mark I wanted to make on my discipline, and the true luxury of making decisions slowly, rather than snapping up every opportunity that came my way out of necessity.
In the past year I’ve written the first draft of my next play, which has received support from the Royal Court, and I’ve been able to invest in growing my practice as a screenwriter. I had the time to meet with over 35 different television development companies, create samples of my writing to share with producers, and as a result I served on two writers’ rooms for new Channel 4 series, and created a treatment for the TV adaptation of my solo show NO ID, which is now in ongoing development with Fifth Season.
The Fellowship also gifted me the resources to explore other sides of my work as a multi-hyphenate artist, especially my music. I was able to buy a piano, recording equipment and editing software, which has created so much ease and freedom in my work as a musician. Being able to write and record my own compositions has already started to feed back into my writing and directing practice, and I’m working towards releasing a new EP soon.
This Fellowship has also given my practice a level of credibility which has led to opportunities I once thought were out of reach. I’ve worked as a dramaturg with Inua Ellams on a new piece at Sadler’s Wells, led a six-week playwriting course for queer people of colour at Theatre Peckham, and lectured, directed and tutored at several drama schools and universities.
I can’t overstate how much I treasured the residency aspect of the Fellowship. Spending a week at Hawkwood with other Fellows and shortlisted artists was inspiring in ways I didn’t expect: aside from delighting in a stretch of dedicated time with nothing to do but care for my practice, I also got to become part of a little community of incredibly talented artists across a wealth of disciplines, exchanging knowledge, experiences and many laughs. Our residency has also led to some real-life collaborations: this year Dan Guthrie (shortlisted for Visual Art in 2024) commissioned me to write a response to his exhibition ‘Empty Alcove/Rotting Figure’ at Chisenhale Gallery, and our whole cohort is still in regular contact, supporting each other constantly.
This fellowship has been one of the greatest blessings of my career so far. It’s given me belief, space and resources that will keep shaping my work for years to come, and I couldn’t be more grateful.