MEDIA RELEASE: 19 January 2017 - for Immediate 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 providesexcellent tailoredresources includingsafe spaces for women to learn and to grow, resurrectsfascinating localherstories and curatesa 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 LyndaRadley as well asStellar 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

0131 229 3851

Donna Moore, Adult Literacy & Numeracy Development Worker

Glasgow Women’s Library

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.