At Outside Edge, we’re committed to supporting artists who want to use their craft to explore addiction, recovery and personal transformation. Whether you’re an actor, playwright or director, we offer a range of opportunities to get involved and make your voice heard.
“The work of Outside Edge changed my life as a man and a theatre artist. It proved to me that people can change and theatre can be a part of that.” —Mark Rylance, OETC Patron
The Phil Fox Award for Playwriting is an extraordinary opportunity for playwrights across the UK to submit full-length scripts about issues related to addiction. This award, named after the visionary founder of OETC, calls for bold, original voices to shine a light on addiction, recovery and its multifaceted impacts. Whether an emerging writer or an established playwright, this competition offers a unique platform to explore addiction—not just limited to substance abuse, but also non-chemical dependencies like social media or gambling, and the systemic factors that contribute to addiction. Your play could delve into the lives of those directly affected, or the ripple effects on families and communities.
The winning playwright receives a commission from OETC to further develop their script or create a new play centred on addiction-related themes. But that’s not all. The winner also gains invaluable mentorship from an established and award-winning playwright. This is more than an award; it’s a career-defining moment.
Interested in performing with us? We cast on a show-by-show basis and usually work with casting directors for each production. If you’re interested in a particular role for a production we’re currently casting, please email your CV or Spotlight link to [email protected]. To support OETC’s equal opportunities commitments to performers, we have an Integrated Casting Policy and Audition Guidelines.
Because we’re a small (but mighty) team, unfortunately we don’t accept unsolicited scripts other than when we run the Phil Fox Award.
We always love to meet talented writers, directors and other theatre-makers who share our passion for stories about issues related to addiction, or who have lived experience of addiction themselves. If you’re an artist who fits this bill and would like to invite us to see your work, please get in touch.
If you have an idea for a production or collaboration that gives a platform to stories and experiences of addiction and recovery, we’re all ears. Whether you’d like us to support your piece that tackles addiction, create a piece of theatre based on research in the field of creative health or addiction or something completely out of the box, we’re happy to hear from you. Submit your artistic proposals and let’s explore how we can work together.
To find out more about how we produce and stage work, please read our Artistic Programming Policy then get in touch at [email protected].
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