Learn to write a play with Middle Child
- Free courses for first-time playwrights, 16-25 year olds and working class writers
- Write a script to be performed at Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival 2026
- Apply now before Tuesday 25 November
Aspiring playwrights from Hull and East Yorkshire are invited to apply for one of three new writing programmes with local theatre company, Middle Child.
The introduction to playwriting, working class and 16-25 year old writers’ groups will see participants write short scenes to be performed at Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival 2026.
The Middle Child Writers’ Group is a free introduction to playwriting course led by Tom Wells.
Past writers have since gone onto receive paid commissions in theatre, including Marc Graham, whose play Isabelle will be produced by Middle Child next year.
Class Acts is a new programme for working class people in Hull and East Yorkshire who want to explore politics, class and community through theatre.
It features a series of five book clubs, reading plays by working class writers, followed by free writing workshops with five nationally renowned playwrights.
Class Acts is made possible with funding from the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust.
No Dress Code is a free, short introduction to playwriting scheme for young people aged 16-25, led by Lydia Marchant over four days in February.
It’s part of a new Middle Child scheme, supported by the I Am Fund, to improve access to theatre for young people from across our region.
Middle Child literary manager, Matthew May, said: “Our Writers Group is one of the longest running and most impactful parts of our programme.
“Since 2018, Tom Wells has led the group with kindness and skill, launching careers and growing confidence for many in our region.
“We’re delighted to grow our offer to directly address troubling statistics around the decreasing number of young and working class people working in the arts.
“Thanks to the I Am Fund and the Barry Amiel & Norman Melburn Trust for supporting us to get more people in Hull writing, and our co-founders Wykeland for their ongoing support of Fresh Ink, ensuring they have a place to see their work performed for the first time by professional actors.”
Tom Wells is a playwright from Hull whose work has been performed on stages across the country.
His adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The BFG will be performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon this winter.
Lydia Marchant is a writer from Hull who has worked across theatre, television and podcasts.
Her credits include Mumsy at Hull Truck Theatre, EastEnders for the BBC and British Scandal for hosts Alice Levine and Matt Forde.
Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival is a showcase of new work by writers with a meaningful connection to Hull, which takes place every summer across the Fruit Market.
Information about each writers’ group, which are all open to anybody with a HU postcode, is available at middlechildtheatre.co.uk/create.
Applications for all three programmes close at midday on Tuesday 25 November.
About Middle Child
Middle Child are a new writing theatre company rooted in Hull. We bring people together for unforgettable experiences full of big ideas.
Every day we work towards a fair and equitable world where anyone’s story can be told and heard. We commission the writers of tomorrow to tell untold stories that make sense of the world today.
We set fire to expectations of what a night at the theatre can be. From electrifying gig theatre in Hull nightclubs to drag inspired cabaret in London and family shows in Salford parks, we deliver unmissable performances in unexpected places.
Our award-winning work is underpinned by our commitment to investing in local people, providing opportunity without having to leave the city. From our Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival to our Theatre Library, and renowned workshop programme we provide accessible routes into the industry.
We always prioritise wellbeing, in the stories we tell, the artists we develop and the people we employ. The social value of increasing access to great art drives everything we do.
Middle Child are a registered charity, an Arts Council England national portfolio organisation and receive significant support from Hull City Council. We are a Resident Company of the National Theatre and are generously supported by our Middle Child Mates.
Middle Child are a 4 Day Week and Living Wage employer and a PiPA (Parents and Carers in Performing Arts) Charter Partner.