october 2012 newsletter - Pacific Shorts, Featured Playwrights and much more!

The 1st 'WLPG Shorts' program at the 2012 Kijimuna Festa in Okinawa

Thanks so much to everyone involved in the first ever WLPG Shorts program!!!

Pacific Shorts was a collaboration between WLPG, playwright/professor Toyoko Nishida, Kijimuna Festa, and ASSITEJ Japan to create original short plays addressing the festival's theme for 2012. The theme of the festival was "For Tomorrow - Theatre as 'Nuchigusui' for Children". The word 'Nuchigusui' means 'medicine for life' in the Okinawan language. In 2011, an unprecedented earthquake, tsunami, and an accident at a nuclear power station hit Japan. With that in mind, seven emerging playwrights from three countries were given the opportunity to write short plays inspired by this idea of 'Nuchigusui' – plays which will help heal children confronting troubles and give them a healthy vision, filled with optimism, for the future.

Read about the event and the plays submitted.

Check out the photo gallery of the event.

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may 2012 newsletter - 1 year/400 members/53 countries

Hard to believe it’s been a year since our website and network were launched – the time has moved so quickly and so slowly. Many thanks to all of our members, all those who come visit our website, for all those who believe in the power of new plays for young audiences. Unexpected and wonderful connections keep happening – playwrights from one country who are produced and/or published in another. Let’s keep talking and writing, and spread the word to all your colleagues and friends in your city, your country, your region. This newsletter is jam-packed with reports on the New Visions/New Voices play development workshop/showcase, four featured playwrights, lots of articles and opportunities.

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march 2012 newsletter - 350+ members!

350+ members!

As of March 2012 WLPG (Write Local. Play Global) had more than three hundred and fifty members in some forty-seven countries!  Wow!  We welcome recent members from countries such as Iceland, Russia, and Kenya.

We are also hard at work planning WLPG events in Australia and at the Kijimuna Festival in Okinawa.  As these plans are finalized, we will (of course) let everyone know.

But meanwhile, many thanks for being part of the network, and for your commitment to the value of playwriting for young audiences.  We look forward to knowing more about each of you, and the important work you're doing. 

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december 2011 newsletter - thanks for a fantastic year!

Thanks for a fantastic year!

Little did we know, when we started work on our website in April this year, that by the end of 2011 Write Local. Play Global would:

• ·       have more than 300 members from 46 countries
• ·       be the first-ever network member of ASSITEJ
• ·       be planning WLPG activities on four continents

Of course it’s all due to you.

Thanks for joining, sending information, promoting the network and for your commitment to the value of playwriting for young audiences. We guarantee we’ll be back next year with the latest news, info and a few surprises.

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october 2011 newsletter - 'yep, we’re official – in 50+ languages'

Yep, we’re official – in 50+ languages

It’s official. Playwrights for young audiences now have their own voice in ASSITEJ, the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People.

Write Local. Play Global. recently applied to be the first ASSITEJ network member – until now, only the ASSITEJ national centres in a country could be official members of the association. At the recent meeting of the ASSITEJ International Executive Committee in Makeevka, Ukraine the Executive Committee voted in favour of our application. This is part of a new strategy of ASSITEJ that recognizes how people network around the world. ASSITEJ now actively supports not only the vital national centres, but also ASSITEJ networks of like interests and regions.

So what does this mean?

Playwrights for young audiences can now take part in the official activities of ASSITEJ through WLPG. While there are ASSITEJ Centres in 80+ countries, a number of WLPG members are in countries that do not have national centres. Playwright delegates can attend the General Assembly at each Congress and take part in the debates, propose motions and vote. Through WLPG, playwrights around the world can now formulate their own ideas about policies and initiatives that can develop and support their work and advocate within ASSITEJ to make them happen.

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