Ilfeld Grants aim to nurture and support emerging artists, writers, and performers who push creative boundaries and blend disciplines. Our first application cycle will focus on supporting new writing for the stage.
Future submission cycles will support other creative media.
The Ilfeld Prize
Supporting artists, writers, and performers who push creative boundaries and blend disciplines.
The inaugural cycle is dedicated to emerging playwrights creating original work for the stage.
Inaugural Winners Announced
We are delighted to announce the three winners of the inaugural Ilfeld Prize, selected from over 700 submissions. Each winner receives £5,000, industry mentorship, and the opportunity to publish their play. The Ilfeld Prize is actively supporting all three winning playwrights toward full production.
Jacob Hodgkinson
How a Sting Tracks, Post-Show Talk
Vanessa Ackerman
Three Glorious Days
Chris Fung
Global Majority
Inaugural Winners Announced
We are delighted to announce the three winners of the inaugural Ilfeld Prize, selected from over 700 submissions. Each winner receives £5,000, industry mentorship, and the opportunity to publish their play. The Ilfeld Prize is actively supporting all three winning playwrights toward full production.
Jacob Hodgkinson — How a Sting Tracks, Post-Show Talk
Vanessa Ackerman — Three Glorious Days
Chris Fung — Global Majority
Contact info
Entry Requirements
Submissions are currently closed. Please check back later this year.
The competition is open to UK residents aged 18 and over. There is no requirement for prior experience.
Scripts must be original, unpublished, and unproduced.
Adaptations and translations are not eligible.
Scripts must not have been produced in any form, anywhere in the world, except for up to three public readings or showcases.
One submission per entrant.
Minimum length: 8,500 words (approx. 55 minutes running time).
Scripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF formats only. Please include page numbers on every page.
The entrant must exclusively own and control all copyright-related rights to the play script.
Entry into the Prize constitutes acceptance of these terms.
About Etan Ilfeld
Etan Ilfeld is a cultural entrepreneur, angel investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder of Watkins Media, Tenderbooks, Watkins Mind Body Spirit Magazine, PlayStrategy.org, and CEO of the Mind Sports Olympiad. He is also the inventor of The Synchronicity Oracle and Diving Chess.
FAQ
We plan on awarding several grants depending on the quality of the submissions.
Absolutely. If a script breaches a requirement we will discard it.
We want to celebrate new playwrights. We also hope to support them both financially through our grant and via potential mentorship in the industry.
A good story of course, but also something novel. Mixing genres and disciplines is also encouraged. Surprise us!
We plan to announce our longlist of candidates within four months of the submission deadline.
Yes, but the prize will be split.
As the writer you retain all copyright and other intellectual property rights in your script at all times. You can also withdraw from the Prize at any time.
The facilitators and management of the Ilfeld Prize reserves the right to disqualify any candidate at their discretion if continuing their participation would contradict the philanthropic spirit of the prize. All decisions are final, and by entering, entrants waive the right to challenge these decisions.
You can contact us at info@ilfeldprize.com