Beyond the Draft is a free, eight-week programme running 17 Jan – 14 Mar 2026 for six playwrights in Scotland who self-identify as experiencing barriers to access within the theatre sector. These could be early-career playwrights or those with more experience in the arts who feel disadvantaged by a lack of access to creative education or formal training.

This group was created by early-career playwrights who recognise how hard it can be to find space to learn and grow without the pressure to fit into an existing market, prove yourself to institutions, or produce the ‘next big play.’ Opportunities like this are rare, especially for artists who experience barriers to access. The focus is creating a space that centres development, not output — where writers can find community, build confidence, and grow their craft on their own terms.

The final sessions will be developed in collaboration with the programme’s workshop leaders and facilitators and tailored to the needs of the group, but will include sessions that explore theatrical structure, developing your voice as a playwright, and decolonised dramaturgy.

Beyond the Draft is part of the Fellowship Programme 2026. Created by the Producing and Dramaturgy Fellows at the National Theatre of Scotland, the programme is a series of free creative opportunities designed for artists who experience barriers to participating fully in Scottish theatre.

The programme sets out to try and combat the gaps and lack of development opportunities that feed future inequality, and to support the growth of artists to work towards their full potential.

For further information, please contact hannah.low@nationaltheatrescotland.com or visit https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/events/beyond-the-draft.