Contacting Us

Before contacting us

Please ensure that you have taken the time to read about How We Work to understand more about Bristol Old Vic and the way we work.

Once you've read that guidance, click below on the link that best fits your enquiry.

I’m an artist or company and I have an idea in development that I would like Bristol Old Vic to consider supporting

You can submit an idea to be considered by the BOV team using our online submissions portal, which is open all year round. We will review the submissions we receive a couple of times a year and at this point we will get back to everybody who has got in touch to let them know whether we are able to progress a conversation about their idea or not.

Our submissions form will ask you:

About you or your company
If you have received support from Bristol Old Vic in the past
About your idea
About the support you are looking for
To share some material with us (e.g a script extract or info document).

As a small literary team, Bristol Old Vic do not have the capacity to read unsolicited scripts. If you have a script you would like us to read, you should submit an extract through this form and we’ll be in touch after reviewing your form to let you know if we are able to carry a conversation forwards and potentially commit to reading a full draft, if you have written one.

Some things to consider before you submit your idea:

We support and develop new work that centres writers and their collaborators; idea submissions don’t need to be plays & can be inter-disciplinary in their approach, but they should be clear about how the work of a writer sits somewhere at the heart of their process.
Think about why Bristol Old Vic specifically are the right partner to help you develop this idea and make sure you include as much detail as you can. What is it that makes us a good collaborator for you?
Make sure that you have read the Programme Guidance around how we consider work against ideas of balance, audience, challenge, entertainment, commercial potential & quality; tell us how your work fits into that mix.

Some things about how we work:

We believe that teaching & training is a really important part of creative professional development but we try to note the point that this could cross into leading, telling or assuming the thoughts or intentions of an artist & we try to stay accountable to this
We acknowledge the limitations and pervasiveness of western dramaturgy models and want to welcome and amplify different and non-eurocentric approaches to storytelling
We want to work on the implicit basis that our job in all of our artist support is to honour the artist, their intention & our collaborative relationship
We feel the foundation of our artist relationships work best on the basis of two way trust & good faith interrogation on both sides.

If we are able to offer you some support with your idea, that is likely to sit within one of our three commissioning strands:

Commissions: we commission writers to work on plays and adaptations, with a view to developing and producing this work on one of our stages.
Co-Production Grants: we partner with independent artists & companies based in or from the South West to offer a financial contribution to their budget, a programmed slot in one of our theatres & bespoke in-kind support that helps them to build & produce an ambitious show as part of our programme.
Seed Grants: we offer a small cash contribution that begins new artist support relationships with independent artists & companies based in or from the South West. These small commissions might fund some early stage research & development, some time with a new creative collaborator or a reading/work-in-progress.

You can find out more about our currently commissioned projects here.

We will next be reviewing submissions in February 2025

I’m an artist and I’d like to introduce myself to Bristol Old Vic

We’re always keen to build our knowledge of artists and makers in the region and further afield. If you’d be interested in working on Bristol Old Vic’s artistic projects in a professional capacity you can get in touch with us to let us know who you are and what you do.

We’re keen to hear from anyone, from actors all the way through to backstage and technical staff, who is interested in working with Bristol Old Vic in the future.

Our submissions form will ask you:

About you
About your practice
Where you are based
If you have received support from Bristol Old Vic in the past
To share some material with us if you'd like to (e.g your CV or website details)

What happens next:

At our next review window dates, we’ll be in touch to let you know that we have received your information and have logged your details as part of our creatives database. We will also be in touch if we are able to meet to chat about your work in more detail or if we have any specific opportunities coming up that may interest you.

We will next be reviewing submissions in February 2025

I’d like to invite Bristol Old Vic to come and see my work

Our team try to watch as much live work as we can & inviting us to come to see a performance or a sharing is the best way for us to get to know what you do; we try to make it to as much work in Bristol and the South West region as we can & our team can often travel further afield, including to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival each year.

If you feel like the work you make is a good fit with us and you’d like us to come watch something you have made, let us know about opportunities to come and see your work by emailing invites@bristololdvic.org.uk and include the following information about your show:

Project title, date, time and venue
A few words about the show/sharing
To share some material with us if you'd like to (e.g show image or pack)

What happens next:

If someone from the team is able to make it we will be in touch to let you know. Due to the high number of invites we receive and small team capacity, we are only able to respond to shows and sharings that we can attend.

I am making a show and I would like Bristol Old Vic to consider co-producing or programming it

You may want to get in touch because you have a show that is fully developed and is looking to be either co-produced with Bristol Old Vic or programmed as a piece of visiting work; if this is the case, please make sure you’ve read up about how we work and follow the guidance below so that we can consider your work for the programme.

Our spaces and approximate programming timelines

The Theatre presents a year-round programme of work produced by Bristol Old Vic that includes plays (new work, adaptations, revivals and classic drama) and musicals and a curated visiting programme of live performance.

We programme the Theatre approximately 12-18 months in advance.

The Weston Studio presents a year-round programme including inspiring visiting work, new work produced with support from Bristol Old Vic, artist scratch and work-in-progress evenings, our Young Company shows and productions from the Bristol School of Acting and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

We programme the Weston Studio approximately 6-12 months in advance.

Technical information to help you understand our spaces

Please use this information to determine whether our spaces are suitable for your show.

The Theatre is an end on proscenium arch theatre space with a large, deep stage and forestage into the auditorium; the capacity is 528 across 4 levels: pit, dress circle, upper circle and gallery.
The Weston Studio is a studio space configured in thrust; there is a playing space of 5m x 5m & the capacity is 148 across a floor and balcony level.

The types of deals that we offer

For producing/co-producing approaches:

Our productions and co-productions are budgeted on a shared risk basis.

For touring visiting work approaches:

The deals we offer in the theatre vary dependent on the nature of the show and the number of performances (e.g. one night comedy is programmed on a different deal to a two week run of a play). Each deal is bespoke however visiting work generally will be offered either a guarantee or first call against a split on the box office or a straight box office split, as well as a set amount of in-kind technician hours.

What to include in your programming approach to us

Show and tour packs are very useful, however when you make an approach, we also need you to include at least one of the following things to aid us in our decision-making process:

a current script draft
a detailed story or show outline
a recording of the work

Please be sure to include any of these options as it will enable us to respond meaningfully to your approach. Please also clearly state whether you are enquiring about the Theatre or the Weston Studio.

An outline of our decision-making and response process

All programming approaches go through the following process:

When you send a proposal to us, you will receive an automated response acknowledging your submission & confirming receipt.
Your proposal and supporting material (script/story outline/recording) is assessed, taking our guiding questions and general availability into consideration. At this point we decide whether to take the show forward in the programming process or not*
If we take your approach forward, we will inform you that your supporting material (script/story outline/recording) will be shared for discussion at an upcoming Programming meeting. Programming meetings happen 1-2 times a month. The agenda for these meetings is heavy and we prioritise carefully according to our timelines; you may need to wait a few weeks before we are able to discuss your project. We try to inform you when it is likely that your proposal will be discussed and therefore when to expect a meaningful response on it.
If the team agree that we would like to programme your show, someone will be in touch to discuss the financial position of the show and possible dates.
If the team decide to politely pass on programming your show, someone will be in touch to inform you of the decision.

* We are immensely grateful for the approaches we receive, and our programming inbox is closely monitored. However, due to the volume of approaches we receive on a weekly basis, we are unable to respond individually to enquiries that do not feel like the right fit. If you do not receive a further response from us after your automatic submission acknowledgement, it means that on this occasion we have passed on your show.

How to contact us about programming your work

If you have considered the above and would like to bring your show to us, please email your programming approach to programming@bristololdvic.org.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you!