Stellar Quines, an award winning Scottish theatre company that celebrates the energy, experience and perspective of women and the now 26 year old Glasgow Women’s Library, the only Accredited Museum in the UK dedicated to women’s lives, histories and achievements, have joined forces in an exciting and important new project .
This joint project is the launch of a ‘Play Amnesty’ for plays written by women. Both organisations champion female voices and are asking people to donate copies of plays and scripts written by women that have been published, produced and/or performed for a new drama shelf.
To reflect the rich diversity of the Glasgow Women’s Library collection, plays are sought from writers of all backgrounds, cultures and nationalities. Glasgow Women’s Library is particularly keen to receive plays that have a female focus, or strong roles for women, and writing from the Trans community and Women of Colour. Plays not written in the English language are also welcomed.
Alongside the public amnesty, Stellar Quines will be working with Glasgow Women’s Library to ensure culturally diverse voices are represented in their collection of plays, identifying women playwrights and sourcing plays. The plays will be available to members and will be used by the Library’s Drama Queens Group for readings. The project has the support of two of Scotland’s leading playwrights Linda McLean and Lynda Radley who have commited to donate their work to the drama shelf.
Acclaimed Scottish playwright Linda Maclean said, “When I was growing up I didn’t know that it was possible to be a playwright and a woman and alive. And while I comfort myself that things are changing I often meet people who cannot name a female playwright. I am so glad Stellar Quines and Glasgow Women’s Library is having a Play Amnesty. It is such a positive step towards recording the many plays by women, living and dead, who have contributed to the body of Scottish Theatre, and who deserve to shine.”
The Amnesty closes on the 28th February with the drama shelf being unveiled on the 8th March to mark International Women’s Day. A launch event at Glasgow Women’s Library will include readings by the Library’s Drama Queens group, and workshop sessions with playwrights Linda McLean and Lynda Radley as well as Stellar Quines Artistic Director and CEO Jemima Levick, who said,
“At Stellar Quines we work to celebrate and champion the voices and experiences of women and girls, so we are particularly thrilled to be working alongside the Glasgow Women's Library to launch a drama shelf. In doing so we hope to provide an access point to the brilliant words, ideas and stories that so many female playwrights have penned over the years, so that they can be celebrated and enjoyed by new audiences.
Sadly, the ratio of male to female voices that write for and are produced on the stage is still unequal, so an opportunity to gather some of these together in one place is an exciting prospect in beginning to redress the balance.
I believe passionately that both theatres and libraries have the capacity to change lives, and hope that in browsing these shelves we will inspire some new theatre makers to begin their journey and discover their own voice in the theatre.”
Plays can be posted to or dropped off at or donated between 19th January – 28th February 2017 at one of the Amnesty Drop Off points listed below:
Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, Glasgow, G40 1BP
Stellar Quines, 30b Grindlay St, Edinburgh, EH3 9AX
Playwright’s Studio, 350 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow, G2 3JD
Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB
Traverse Theatre, Cambridge St, Edinburgh, EH1 2ED
Dundee Rep Theatre, Tay Square, Dundee, DD1 1PB
Shetland Arts, Mareel, Lerwick, ZE1 0WQ
Or posted to:
Play Amnesty
Glasgow Women’s Library
23 Landressy Street, Glasgow, G40 1BP
including: Stellar Quines or Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh; Playwright’s Studio or Tron Theatre, Glasgow; Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee and Shetland Arts, Shetland.
Drama Shelf Launch is free event and takes place at Glasgow Women’s Library on Wednesday 8th March, 2.00 – 4.30pm