Download Play Amnesty Press Release

MEDIA RELEASE: 19 January 2017 - For Immediate Release
Stellar Quines and Glasgow Women’s Library launch a Play Amnesty to
showcase female playwriting talent.
Today Stellar Quines and Glasgow Women’s Library launch a ‘Play Amnesty’ for plays written
by women. Both organisations champion female voices and are asking people to donate
copies of plays and scripts written by women that have been published, produced and/or
performed for a new drama shelf.
To reflect the rich diversity of the Library’s collection, plays are sought from writers of all
backgrounds, cultures and nationalities. Glasgow Women’s Library is particularly keen to
receive plays that have a female focus, or strong roles for women, and writing from the Trans
community and Women of Colour. Plays not written in the English language are also
welcomed.
Plays can be posted to or dropped off at Glasgow Women’s Library or donated at one of the
Amnesty Drop Off points including: Stellar Quines or Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh; Playwright’s
Studio or Tron Theatre, Glasgow; Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee and Shetland Arts, Shetland.
Alongside the public Amnesty Stellar Quines will be working with Glasgow Women’s Library to
ensure culturally diverse voices are represented in their collection of plays, identifying women
playwrights and sourcing plays. The plays will be available to members and will be used by the
Library’s Drama Queens Group for readings. The project has the support of two of Scotland’s
leading playwrights Linda McLean and Lynda Radley who have commited to donate their work
to the drama shelf.
Linda Maclean, playwright:
When I was growing up I didn’t know that it was possible to be a playwright and a woman and
alive. And while I comfort myself that things are changing I often meet people who cannot name a
female playwright. I am so glad Stellar Quines and Glasgow Women’s Library is having a Play
Amnesty. It is such a positive step towards recording the many plays by women, living and dead,
who have contributed to the body of Scottish Theatre, and who deserve to shine.
Lynda Radley, playwright:
I am delighted to donate copies of my published work to Glasgow Women’s' Library, an
organisation I have been aware of since I first moved to Glasgow eleven years ago. Glasgow
Women’s Library provides excellent tailored resources including safe spaces for women to
learn and to grow, resurrects fascinating local herstories and curates a programme of work
that celebrates and challenges. Their values mirror those of Stellar Quines, an organisation I
have also had to pleasure of being nurtured by, and I feel honoured that my work will sit
alongside that of other female playwrights in Glasgow Women’s Library.
The Amnesty will close on the 28th February with the drama shelf unveiled on the 8th March to
mark International Women’s Day. A launch event at Glasgow Women’s Library will include
readings by the Library’s Drama Queens group, and workshop sessions with playwrights Linda
McLean and Lynda Radley as well as Stellar Quines Artistic Director and CEO Jemima Levick.
Jemima Levick, Artistic Director and CEO, Stellar Quines:
At Stellar Quines we work to celebrate and champion the voices and experiences of women
and girls, so we are particularly thrilled to be working alongside the Glasgow Women's Library
to launch a drama shelf. In doing so we hope to provide an access point to the brilliant
words, ideas and stories that so many female playwrights have penned over the years, so that
they can be celebrated and enjoyed by new audiences.
Sadly, the ratio of male to female voices that write for and are produced on the stage is still
unequal, so an opportunity to gather some of these together in one place is an exciting
prospect in beginning to redress the balance.
I believe passionately that both theatres and libraries have the capacity to change lives, and
hope that in browsing these shelves we will inspire some new theatre makers to begin their
journey and discover their own voice in the theatre.
Donna Moore, Adult Literacy & Numeracy Development Worker, Glasgow Women’s
Library:
At Glasgow Women’s we hold a rich and diverse collection of books, artefacts and archives
recognising and celebrating the lives of women and charting their historical and contemporary
achievements and contributions.
Everything we have has been donated by users, supporters, members and publishers. As a
result, our collections are wonderfully eclectic, rich and varied. But we also have spaces for
more women’s voices to be heard, shelves for more women’s creativity to be showcased,
places where women are absent from history. Although we have some plays in both our
library and archive collections – which we use regularly for our Drama Queens project - we
don’t have a section dedicated to drama. So, when Stellar Quines said that they wanted to
help us to expand our collection and help us celebrate the diverse voices of women
playwrights with the launch of a new drama shelf, we jumped at the opportunity to work with
this award-winning and fantastic organisation.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
EVENT DETAILS
Play Amnesty 19th January – 28th February 2017
DROP OFF POINTS
Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, Glasgow, G40 1BP
Stellar Quines, 30b Grindlay St, Edinburgh, EH3 9AX
Playwright’s Studio, 350 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow, G2 3JD
Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB
Traverse Theatre, Cambridge St, Edinburgh, EH1 2ED
Dundee Rep Theatre, Tay Square, Dundee, DD1 1PB
Shetland Arts, Mareel, Lerwick, ZE1 0WQ
Or post plays & scripts to:
Play Amnesty
Glasgow Women’s Library
23 Landressy Street, Glasgow, G40 1BP
Drama Shelf Launch
Wednesday 8th March, 2.00 – 4.30pm
Glasgow Women’s Library
23 Landressy Street, Glasgow, G40 1BP
0141 550 2267
Free - all ages welcome
Contacts:
Shirley Monteith, Marketing & Audience Development
Stellar Quines
[email protected]
0131 229 3851
Donna Moore, Adult Literacy & Numeracy Development Worker
Glasgow Women’s Library
[email protected]
0141 550 2267
Glasgow Women’s Library
Glasgow Women’s Library is the only Accredited Museum in the UK dedicated to women’s lives,
histories and achievements, with a lending library, archive collections and innovative programme of
public events and learning opportunities. GWL’s vision is of a world in which every woman is able to
fulfill her potential and where women’s historical, cultural and political contributions to society are fully
recognized, valued and celebrated. The organisation celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2016.
www.womenslibrary.org.uk
@gwlkettle
Stellar Quines
Stellar Quines is an award winning Scottish theatre company that celebrates the energy, experience and
perspective of women. Stellar Quines is proud to have provided a platform for women’s stories and
created live theatre driven by women and where female practitioners are at the forefront of all creative
roles throughout this time. Stellar Quines has established a reputation for high quality, diverse work
that reflects an eclectic range of theatrical styles and is underpinned by a commitment to pushing
boundaries and challenging stereotypes.
www.stellarquines.com @Stellarquines