The Shekou Theater Festival, organized by China Merchants Culture Industry | Performing Arts Connection, is launching a new round of incubation projects for original plays. Both Chinese and foreign-language scripts are accepted.

Script and play proposal submission has begun, followed by the Incubation Camps and Writing Workshops in the summer, and performances scheduled for October and November.

This year, two key projects — “Theater in Situ” and “New Writing” — will be featured.

A scene from “‘Chen San and Wuniang’ in Multiple Time Dimensions” staged at I-Factory in Shekou in November 2023.  Photos courtesy of the organizer

‘Theater in Situ’

(Chinese or English scripts accepted)

This category encourages innovative performances tailored to non-traditional theatrical spaces, such as office buildings or outdoor areas. Applicants can select a preferred performance venue listed on the festival’s website and apply under one of the following categories:

1. New works

Creators are encouraged to explore their plays from diverse perspectives to stage them in non-traditional theatrical spaces and interact with audience uniquely.

2. ‘Enhanced versions’ of previous incubated works

Past “Theater in Situ” incubated works in 2022 and 2023 are welcome to join this category with the aim of further progress through refinement.

3. Develop works based on past incubated scripts

Last year, five scripts from the “New Writing” category were incubated and now the festival opens these works for further development. Interested applicants can access the script excerpts on the festival’s website and contact the playwrights for authorization.

‘New Writing’

(Chinese, English or German scripts accepted)

A scene from “Mechanical Eyes and Artificial Heart” staged at Mountain View Theater in Shekou in November 2023.

To apply for the “New Writing” incubation project, submit a script outline (not the full script) based on one of the following categories. Accepted outlines will guide participants through the festival’s mentorship process, culminating in a play-reading by the Drama School of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

1. Narrative writing

Writing a script is akin to sharing stories among friends at home. Whether prose, poetry, or another form, submit scripts that unleash your imagination and resonate with your audience.

2. Multilingual writing

This category promotes the use of various languages — oral, literal, and beyond — in drama writing. Embrace mother tongues, foreign languages, dialects, ancient languages, programming languages, and visionary languages in your creations.

3. Writing related to images

Delve into the realm of imagery and its profound impact on contemporary society. Explore the allure of visuals, digital manipulation of light and color, and reflect on our image-centric culture, offering fresh perspectives on perception, interpretation, and iconic works in art history.

4. Writing related to theatrical elements

Harness the theatrical powers of time, space, sound, body, light, and music to craft narratives that evoke emotions and captivate audiences.

5. Writing for theater and games

Explore the convergence of theater and gaming, drawing inspiration from video games and multimedia to create immersive experiences.

For further information on the application, interested creators can visit the festival’s official website at www.shekoutheatrefestival.com/en-US. The application deadline is 10 p.m. on May 10.