Student Play Inspired by EBACC Set for London Writers' Week at Central Saint Martins

The winners of The Student Guide to Writing: Playwriting, the new competition from the Bush Theatre, Oberon Books, the MA Dramatic Writing at Drama Centre London at Central Saint Martins and Writers at Work Productions, have been exploring what it means to be a student in the UK today, including considering the impact of the proposed new EBACC upon students studying arts subjects.

The play written by the five student winners is called "The Student Guide to Being a Student in the UK" and will be performed for the first time as part London Writers' Week on July 5th at Central Saint Martins.

Student winners include 17 year old Vee Tames, who won the competition's schools category with her ever first play, created using the competition's lesson plans which were written by industry leaders including John Yorke, creator of the BBC Writers Academy, Ola Animashawun, creator of The Royal Court Theatre's young writers programme, and Fin Kennedy, creator of Schoolwrights.

17-year-old Vee Tames says: ""In the aftermath of the EU referendum, regardless of what side you voted, it has been made clear that students aren't necessarily being listened to. Writing this play hopefully gives young people a voice to speak out about student issues. I firmly believe the arts and sciences have a symbiotic relationship and if we want our education system to help realise the potential of young people today we need to reinforce that sentiment by giving the arts an equal standing with the sciences in the EBACC programme."

Other competition winners include 35 year old MA student Titilola Ige, who secured her first professional writing opportunities via having the opportunity to learn craft from the lesson plan writers and who has recently been chosen to take part in the Soho Theatre/Nitrobeats "Bites" show and whose company is now an Associate Company at Tamasha theatre company, and emerging writer Mufaro Makubika from Nottingham who applied to do an MA but couldn't secure funding but who gained access to the leading industry training via the competition's free lesson plans.

Jennifer Tuckett, Director of The Student Guide to Writing: Playwriting, says: "The EBACC debate in the Houses of Parliament on July 4th is an important subject. Recent figures show there is already a decline in the number of students studying arts subjects in schools plus last year plans to end the Creative Writing A Level were announced. If we're to have a diverse writing industry, its important everyone has a chance to consider writing as a career which means providing access to this area at school and University level, as well as access to the leading industry training, which we hope the competition provides. The play by the student winners of The Student Guide to Writing: Playwriting is an at times funny, at times moving, at times angry but always passionate look at what it means to be a student in the UK today written by students themselves and we look forward to premiering the play for the first time at London Writers Week on July 5th."

The play draws inspiration from the Cultural Learning Alliance's recent figures showing a decline in the number of students studying the arts at school level, the announcement of the end of the Creative Writing A level last year and the forthcoming debate on whether arts subjects should be a part of EBACC, scheduled for July 4th in the Houses of Parliament.

To book free tickets and for more information, go to www.bushtheatre.co.uk/festival/the-student-guide-to-writing-playwriting-day.

To find out more about the July 4th debate on EBACC in the Houses of Parliament or to write to your MP to ask them to support arts subjects in the debate, go to www.baccforthefuture.com.