IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship

• This Fellowship will be spread across a 10-month period from January to October 2027, giving the writer the time, space and support needed to research and write the play whilst working around other commitments.
• Each Fellowship will be tailored to the writer's needs and availability but it is expected that the writer can work at the University on a regular basis – such as two or three days a week, or two weeks per month for example. Applicants do not need to be based in Edinburgh, but should be able to travel to IASH regularly.
• The recipient will enjoy a private office at the University, as well as access to the university library and the Institute’s many other resources, including joining the community of other Fellows working at IASH during this time.
• The recipient will receive dramaturgical support from the Traverse Literary Department, with the expectation that up to two drafts be completed during their residency, with another draft due at some point after the residency finishes (exact timelines to be tailored to needs of the project and Traverse Theatre). There may also be the opportunity for practical development periods working in collaboration with the Traverse artistic team and other creatives as required.
• The Fellow will be expected to contribute to IASH and Traverse Theatre events as mutually beneficial, giving at least one work-in-progress seminar and/or reading of the work to an invited audience.
• The commission associated with this fellowship is £12,000.

• Jo Clifford (2010) and Linda McLean (2011) were both writing on aspects of the life, work and legacy of David Hume, as part of the 2011 celebrations to mark the tercentenary of his birth. Jo’s play The Tree of Knowledge, written during the Fellowship, was performed at the Traverse Theatre in December 2011.
• Pamela Carter was in residence in the autumn of 2012 and Iain Finlay Macleod in spring 2013. The theme for 2012-13 was “Difficult Dialogues”.
• Clare Duffy was in residence from September 2014 to May 2015, working on her play Arctic Oil, performed at the Traverse Theatre in 2018.
• Peter Arnott was the 2017 Fellow, working on his play Variant, performed at Òran Mór and the Traverse Theatre in 2023.
• Frances Poet was the 2018 Fellow, working on her play Still, performed at the Traverse Theatre in 2021.
• Lewis Hetherington was the 2019 Fellow, working on his play Deep Time.
• AJ Taudevin was the 2020 Fellow, working on her play A(u)nti(e) Empire, performed at Summerhall in 2025.
• Apphia Campbell was the 2021 Fellow, working on a new play.
• Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney were the 2022 Fellows, working on their play Union of Craic.
• Isla Cowan was the 2024 Fellow, working on a new play.
• Michael John O'Neill was the 2025 Fellow, working on a new play.
• Jack MacGregor is the 2026 Fellow, working on a new play titled Foil.

As Scotland’s new writing theatre, the Traverse Theatre is a dynamic centre for performance, experience and discovery, often referred to as Edinburgh’s ‘beating heart of the Fringe’ in August. Enabling people across society to access and engage with theatre is our fundamental mission.

Our year-round programme bursts with new stories and live performances that challenge, inform and entertain. We empower artists and audiences to make sense of the world today, providing a safe space to question, learn, empathise and – crucially – encounter different people and experiences. Conversation and the coming together of groups are central to a democratic society, and we champion equal expression and understanding.

We commission, produce and programme for existing and future audiences to offer new and exciting experiences for everyone, and our partnerships with other theatre companies and festivals enable us to present a wide range of innovative performances.

The Traverse would not exist without our over-arching passion for talent development and embracing the unexplored. We work with the newest and rawest talent – with an emphasis on the Scottish-based – nurturing it to become the art, artists and performances that can be seen on our stages through a variety of creative learning and literary programmes.

The timely, powerful stories that start life on our stages have global impact, resulting in dozens of tours, productions and translations. We are critically-acclaimed and recognised the world over for our originality and artistic risk, which we hope will create some of the most talked-about plays, productions, directors, writers and actors for years to come.

• This Fellowship is open to writers with an idea or story for an audience-focused, ambitious and entertaining new play that speaks to the urgent issues impacting on our lives now and into the future, contributing to the cultural voice.
• Candidates must have had at least one professionally produced play to be considered; screenplays and unproduced scripts typically are not counted. You do not need to be based in Scotland, although if you live elsewhere, it may be useful to detail your preferred working pattern at IASH during the Fellowship period (e.g. relocation to Edinburgh, regular short visits, longer occasional visits, etc.).

Applications for the 2027 round closed on Friday 2 October 2026 at 17:00 UK time. Applications received after this time will not be considered. Due to the scale of applications, we sadly cannot provide individual feedback to applicants.

Please send a CV (2-3 pages in PDF or Word doc format) and a cover letter (no more than 2 pages of A4 in PDF or Word doc format) containing the following information to iash@ed.ac.uk before the deadline:

• Why you are interested in the Fellowship.
• A short statement about you and your work.
• A short statement about the story or idea you want to use as a starting point for your play.

Notes: Candidates must have had at least one professionally produced play to be considered. We’re particularly interested in knowing what the story is you want to tell (even if it’s just a starting point), thematically how it might link in with the Traverse Theatre and IASH’s interests, what research areas or university expertise you wish to tap into, and, crucially, what your ambitions would be for an audience experiencing your work. Applicants are reminded about IASH's policy on AI use in Fellowship applications, and must disclose any use of generative AI tools / LLMs in their proposals: https://www.iash.ed.ac.uk/news/new-iash-policy-use-ai-applications

Shortlisted writers will be interviewed via Zoom or in-person in the week commencing 16 November. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to send two examples of their writing / work prior to interviewing – please do not include any writing examples in your initial application.

We welcome applications from all writers and theatre makers interested in the Fellowship. If you have any questions about the application process or Fellowship, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at iash@ed.ac.uk. We are particularly interested in applications from groups who have been traditionally underrepresented.