50/50 Applause Awards 2019

Statement

This year, 2019, ICWP has taken a decision not to bestow awards on theatres who achieve 50/50 gender equity in the playwrights that they produced in their seasons from July 2018 - June 2019. 

We are taking time to re-assess the extensive resources required: finance, volunteer hours and resources, and the ability of ICWP to acquire and maintain these resources.

Since the 50/50 Applause Awards were first instituted in 2012 we have seen the development of other theatre-monitoring projects such as " The Count" resourced by the Lilly Awards and the Dramatists Guild of America. 

" The Count" however uses different criteria from that used by ICWP and only covers theatres in the USA. 

As an international organisation, we need to include other countries with a theatre tradition where we have members working as playwrights and where the record of gender equity for female dramatists varies enormously.  

Those theatres, around the world, who continue to achieve 50/50 gender equity continue to command our respect and admiration and we applaud their efforts to put the works of women playwrights in front of audiences around the world in equal measure to male playwrights.

In this era where women's rights are being violated, standards of equality under attack and many of those rights that have been established by courageous campaigners are being eroded, it is vital that women's stories, imaginations and voices are included in the creative output of the global theatre community. 

We welcome inquiries from organisations and individuals who would like to partner with ICWP to continue the 50/50 Applause Awards in 2020. 

Awards Co-chairs 
Patricia L. Morin
Margaret McSeveney

To Contact us about the Awards:

Email awards@womenplaywrights.org