Simon Stephens Opens TURNING THE PAGE: CREATIVE NEW WRITING Conference Today

Simon Stephens will deliver the keynote platform at conference 'Turning the Page: Creating New Writing (1945-2013)' at the University of Reading today, September 13th 2013.

In the last of three conferences organized by the AHRC-funded project, 'Giving Voice to the Nation:The Arts Council of Great Britain and the Development of Theatre and Performance in Britain 1945 -1995', the University of Reading and Victoria and Albert Museum seek to chart and explore the peaks and troughs of New Writing since the advent of state subsidy to the arts. With a specific focus upon fostering dialogue across the decades, this conference brings together academics, practitioners, funders and policy-makers to share knowledge, perspectives and insights into the histories, practices and discourses of 'New Writing'.

Keynote speaker Simon Stephens is an award winning playwright whose recent work includes 'London' (Salisbury Playhouse), 'Morning' (Traverse Theatre) and 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' (National Theatre), which is currently playing at the Apollo Theatre and won the 2013 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. He has taught on the Young Writers' Programme at The Royal Court Theatre and is currently Artistic Associate at the Lyric Hammersmith. Stephens's work is particularly popular in Germany where his writing is some of the most frequently produced of any English playwright, including Shakespeare.

Stephens will be joined by freelance translator and lecturer Michael Raab, who has worked in the field of dramaturgy at the State Theatre, Stuttgart, the Munich Kammerspiele, State Theatre, Mainz and the Schauspiel, Leipzig.

Their keynote panel 'Two Kingdoms: England vs. Germany' will see the practitioners discuss the reception and relationship of new British writing in Germany and is one of a number of keynote platforms scheduled across the two day conference featuring a host of prominent theatre practitioners and academics.

Dr. Graham Saunders, Principal Investigator of the 'Giving Voice to the Nation' research project, said: "This conference comes at a timely moment when issues of funding new writing, the increasing role of the dramaturge and literary manager in theatre institutions and the teaching of theatre 'texts' in University
Drama Departments have all changed radically in the past 10 years. This two day conference at the University of Reading brings together a wide range of playwrights, practitioners and academics with the intention of providing "a state of play(writing)" in contemporary British theatre and performance."

Conference registration is now open and available via the University of Reading's online shop: http://www.store.reading.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=2&modid=2&deptid=16&catid=32&prodid=268.

The conference will run Friday 13th September 2013 (9.30am - 5.30pm) and Saturday 14th September 2013 (9.30am - 5.30pm). Full rate: Single Day £50. Both days £100; Writers' Guild of Great Britain / Unwaged / Postgraduate Student Day Rate: £40. Lunch and coffee is included in the conference fee.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski

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