Supporting new writing is one of the best ways of developing a confident regional cultural voice and strengthening the identity of the city. Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow have been cited as writer friendly cities, and it is true that they have professional drama writers who still live there, writing about what they know for a national audience. This has helped put those cities on the national stage (and screen)

An open and supportive environment for writers can have beneficial effects above and beyond the work that is actually produced. Supporting writers means supporting creativity, risk taking, ideas, questions, research and plural perspectives. That has to be a good thing for the cultural life of the city as a whole.

While it is crucial to support beginning writers, emerging writers, and new voices, it must also be remembered that this does not necessarily always mean “young” writers. Voices develop at different ages and stages of life. But at whatever age they begin, a structure needs to be put in place so that we do not lose to elsewhere the writers that we nurture here. As Pete says, routes through to professional production need to be put in place from the off.

Given the multi-platform world we live in, writing for drama at BOV could also encompass the potential of developing work in other media, in addition to the theatre itself. Is there something that can be investigated regarding sharing Intellectual Property so that the theatre can benefit when success is found? The models of Salad Days and Peter Pan come to mind……..

Andy is right to talk about social responsibility and nurturing creative aspirations, but professional writing can and should be profitable too. These two strands can co-exist and support one another. A self sustaining writing development fund may just be a pipe dream, but it would be less vulnerable than one dependent on the whims of external funders.

Bristol Old Vic should be the natural home of new writing in the South West. Lets make it so.

All this costs money - but not megabucks! If BOV can provide the structure - give us the creative ’space’ - including permission to break new ground - then it’s up to us to make it work. Real creativity has to be bottom-up.

I’d be interested in discussing “Instinctive Writing vs Reasoned Writing” if anyone’s up for it.

Traditionally, the theatre has provided major productions of established plays in the main house, challenging new work in the studio and basement, and a commitment to develop new writing throughout the area.

Over the last few years, though, the last function in particular has been allowed to wither on the vine. This is a situation that’s completely unacceptable in a city of the size, diversity and vitality of Bristol.

The Old Vic needs a full-time Literary Manager with a commitment to finding and developing new writing. The studio needs to be more than just a space for hire with a similar commitment to presenting new work. At the same time, we need initiatives such as workshops and master classes with recognized writers, directors and actors. A Writer-In-Residence could work in conjunction with the Lit Manager, possibly mentoring local writers. A regular new writing competition would help to raise the profile of the theatre in the area. None of these ideas are new and are already well-established in cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. They should be happening in Bristol too.

It’s clear that Bristol is the cultural centre for many smaller communities in the South West. It should therefore be taking a lead as a focal point for new writing.

Ultimately, a publicly-funded civic theatre like the Old Vic has a social responsibility. That responsibility is to nurture the creative aspirations of the community it serves.

There should be a place in Bristol where work can be tried out and tested, perhaps through rehearsed reading, such as the excellent Script Space initiative. But then there also needs to be a route through to a professional full scale production.

In order to enable this, there needs to be someone at the Old Vic who can champion new work. I don’t think we need a script reading service but rather someone who finds the best writing talent in the region and helps them develop their work to the highest possible level. So that plays from Bristol can hold there own nationally and international as being works of quality. Now that would put the BOV on the map!