Writers and theatre makers
Although we're a small team, we want to use our resources to support as many of you as we can, in the best possible way.
Artist Development
Red Ladder has always supported artists to realise their projects and launch their careers. Although we are made up of a very small team, we want to use our resources to support as many artists as we can and in the best possible way, as we know just how tough it is being a freelance artist just now. We try to be as fair and transparent as possible with the time and resources we can offer.
Aside from exceptional circumstances, we only ever produce one show a year. We can’t support every writer or project that we would like to, but we’ll do our very best; and we particularly encourage artists from the North of England to get in touch with us. Find out how below…
Scripts
Red Ladder is a New Writing company, and proud of it! We commit to reading at least the first ten pages of every script that is sent to us. As a team, we meet roughly each month to discuss all that we’ve read, and decide whether we’d like to hear more. If we would, we’ll let the writer know, and negotiate a next step. At each subsequent step, the team will decide how or whether to continue – and the writer will have that same choice.
An update from October 2025
We’ve now been receiving scripts for nearly a year – thank you so much for your submissions! This is a learning process for us, and owing to capacity (there are only 3 of us reading!) we’ve decided to put a brief pause on submissions. We’ll receive scripts up until Friday 30th November 2025, and submissions will open again from May 2026. Look out for our update about a revised remit, about the kind of work we’d love to read.
Support for Artists
If you are looking for some help – for example advice about a project, or in-kind support to add into a funding bid, or simply some advice about the industry – we will also review your enquiry at our monthly meeting. We set aside a number of ‘Coffee Hours’ a month in which we meet with artists to discuss projects and offer advice.
Types of support
There are many ways in which we might be able to lend a hand. Some examples are:
- Reading a draft script, and giving dramaturgical feedback
- Advising you about Arts Council funding
- Making some introductions to other artists/organisations
- Assisting you to write a funding bid
- Producing advice (casting, project management, fundraising)
- Answering budgeting questions
- A general chat about your work
- Advice about the Northern theatre landscape, and building a career here
- Producing your show (in a very small number of cases!)
Who we’d like to hear from
In terms of the work that Artists approach us for support with, it doesn’t have to be a show that you think Red Ladder would produce, but it needs to chime with our ethos in some way – ie. making work that feels culturally accessible, that is socially minded, and relevant to the contemporary world.Please keep in mind that we won’t consider already-existing work that is considered “classic”, whether plays, musicals, or operas.
email: info@redladder.co.uk
Our shop
Buy scripts and DVD's
If you’re looking for inspiration, head to our online shop where you can order Red Ladder scripts and DVD’s of some of our past shows.
