Bristol Old Vic champions new cohort of writers for residency programme

At the heart of her vision for the theatre, Bristol Old Vic artistic director Nancy Medina is committed to developing UK writing talent at all stages of their careers.

One key tenet of this strategy is the Five Year Commitment residency – funded in its first year through the Genesis Foundation Prize.

The residency is a sustained programme of support that offers four writers “time and space to build their craft though the commissioning, development and presentation of new work”.

Medina is keen to harness the scheme both to promote homegrown and regionally based writing talent, as well as introducing Bristol audiences to writers from around the country.

Following an open call and selection process, she was very inspired by the “extraordinary” ability of the numerous respondents.

Five Year Commitment writers 2025. L to R: Winsome Pinnock, Hannah Khalil, Muneera Pilgrim, Sam Parker – photo: Bristol Old Vic

“We originally intended to appoint three writers,” she recalls, “but we have made space for four simply because we believe these incredible writers – all at very different stages of their careers – represent the core of what we would like to achieve with this initiative.”

Previously announced on the project is award-winning writer for stage, radio, film and television, Winsome Pinnock, whose prolific body of work has been produced in Britain and internationally over the last four decades.

Now, a cohort of three writers has been invited to join: Hannah Khalil, Sam Parker and Muneera Pilgrim, all of whom have a connection to Bristol and the South West region.

L to R: Ben Atterbury (Literary Manager), Muneera Pilgrim, Sam Parker, Nancy Medina (Artistic Director), Hannah Khalil – photo: Ciara Hillyer

“When the landscape for new writing is particularly complex, it is an honour to be joined by three more writers on this ground-breaking initiative,” says Pinnock.

“Bristol Old Vic’s commitment to investing in writers over a five-year period is both inspiring and necessary, recognising that the creation of new plays requires time, trust, and nurturance.

I look forward to having the space to explore and develop my work within such a supportive community and to contribute to the theatre’s legacy of innovation and storytelling, and I cannot wait to work with the resonant and beautiful voices of Hannah, Sam and Muneera.”

L to R: Raynor Taylor, Erin Peacock, Roxana Vilk, Sukina Noor from the inaugural Early Career Writers Group, January 2025 – photo: Bristol Old Vic

Complementing the Five Year programme, Bristol Old Vic has announced four writers to join its inaugural Early Career Writers Group, led by local playwright Ross Willis (Wolfie, Wonder Boy).

Raynor Taylor, Roxana Vilk, Erin Peacock and Sukina Noor were chosen from over 200 applications: “a demonstration,” says literary manager at the theatre, Ben Atterbury, “of both the demand and strength of the talent pool here in the South West”. The group will be meeting for collaborative sessions for the next six months, aiming to help them to be bold in developing their work.

For Medina, this dedication for championing new writing will serve to meet the demand for contemporary stories, as well as finding “the classics of the future”.

Early Career Writer session at Bristol Old Vic with Sukina Noor and Roxanna Vilk – photo: Ciara Hillyer

To find out more about the Bristol Old Vic literary programme and support available for artists, visit www.bristololdvic.org.uk.

Applications for the 2025-26 cohort of Early Career Writers Group will open in July.

All photos: Bristol Old Vic

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