The Reading Room Playreading Series - Open Call for Curators

Open Call for 3 Cape Town based Curators
Closing date 16th February
APPLICATION FORM

The Reading Room is a programme designed to offer a vibrant space where artists of varying experience can huddle together over a cup of tea in the theatre for robust discussion, engagement and the exploration of play texts, old and new. The Reading Room aims to inspire Writers to write and Directors to direct. And to develop a dynamic and contemporary collection of plays for the use of the Cape Town theatre community.

The Reading Room is putting out a call for three Cape Town based curators to curate one of three readings that will happen on the 14th July, 18th August and 6th October 2024.

Applicants are invited to pitch a theme with a list of playtexts (3-4 suggested) that will form the basis of the staged readings and the conversation. Curators are encouraged to consider a director that they would like to work with for the staged readings. Curators can use playwrights, themes, history, ideas and concepts (for example) to group texts together to provoke engagement and conversation.

There are many plays in the Yvonne Banning Reading Room for curators to take a look and find inspiration in trying to find a theme or a concept! For example we found some plays that explore the theme of ‘Re-Imagining Greek Tragedies’:

Iphigenia and the Furies (on Taurian Land) and Antigone by Ho Ka Kei
Paradise by Kae Tempest
Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound translated by James Kerr

Either pop in for a visit at Theatre Arts to take a look at the texts that are available to explore, or you can explore our Online Play Catalogue

Proposals are to be submitted via. Google Form (see link above) by Friday the 16th February 2024.

Ensure your proposal includes:

- What the themes | conversation points are that you would like to facilitate conversation with audience / participants

- How you would like to structure the evening

- Budget breakdown

Curators must be based in Cape Town.

Each selected curator will be given a budget of R5000 to curate the evening.

Profit will go towards the purchasing of new texts for the Yvonne Banning Reading Room.

Questions can be addressed to Caroline at caroline@theatrearts.co.za