Life in a Northern Town
A free creative writing opportunity for 14-18 year olds in Yorkshire

“I finally feel completely unashamed in calling myself a writer. Coming from a place of being told I couldn’t be a playwright, this has been invaluable. I felt comfortable and at my creative home from the get go.”
Life in a Northern Town Participant

Are you aged 14-18 and live in Yorkshire? Do you love telling stories or want to try writing something that feels like you?

Life in a Northern Town is all about giving you the space to get creative, express yourself, and share what’s important to you. Whether you’ve written before or this is totally new, this programme is here to help you find your voice. You can write about whatever excites you – the stories you care about, your community, your experiences – it’s all up to you.

The programme is part of a partnership with venues, playwrights and participants from across the North, led by Northern Broadsides, Barnsley Civic, Blackpool Grand Theatre and The Customs House.

Here’s what you’ll get if you join:

  • Time and space to create your own short play
  • Fun, online writing workshops with professional writers (and some in-person ones too!)
  • The chance to be part of a supportive group of like-minded young writers, sharing and learning together

Online workshops 6.30pm – 8pm on Tuesday evenings in 2025

Tuesday 4 February
Tuesday 11 February
Tuesday 18 February
Tuesday 4 March
Tuesday 11 March
Tuesday 18 March

All participants are invited to join an in-person sharing event on Saturday 22 February at Barnsley Civic.

And the best part? It’s completely free, it’s online, and it’s designed to fit around your life – no matter what else you’ve got going on. You don’t need any experience or fancy qualifications, just a passion for storytelling. We’d love to hear from people from all walks of life.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and know that diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We actively champion Northern voices that are currently underrepresented in the arts and particularly welcome applications from young writers who are disabled or from the global majority.

How to get involved
To be in with a chance of being a part of this programme, submit a 300 words (max) piece of writing inspired by where you live. We are not looking for a perfectly formed piece at this stage; we are looking for potential in your writing.  

This can be either a piece of script or prose.

Please submit your application to:
info@northern-broadsides.co.uk by Monday 6 January 2025 at 12 noon.

Please also complete our anonymous Equality and Diversity form: https://forms.gle/oHc2GShYiihnuQTP7