Writers In Residence
Program Overview
Writers in Residence is a four-week intensive residency program hosted at WonderPlay Studio (WPS) in partnership with Little Goat Arts & Entertainment (LGAE), offering four writers the time, space, and creative support to develop new work across any form or medium. The residency culminates in a public evening presentation where each writer shares work developed during their time in the studio.
The program draws on the spirit of Writers at Play, valuing experimentation, collaboration, and the playful discovery of ideas, while offering writers the sustained focus of a dedicated residency structure.
Core Principles
- Writers of any medium or form are welcome: fiction, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, memoir, and hybrid work
- The residency supports the development of new work as well as existing works. Come get started, or get focussed on the next draft.
- Writers are encouraged to take creative risks in a supported environment
- Collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas between residents is actively encouraged
- The public presentation at the end of the residency celebrates process as much as outcome
Duration and Intake
The residency runs for four consecutive weeks. Four writers are selected per cohort. Each writer is expected to be present and engaged as much as possible at WonderPlay Studio for the full duration of the program.
Weekly Structure
Each week is shaped around a combination of independent writing time, group conversation, and light facilitation. Writers are given access to WPS during the residency period for writing and development work.
Week 1 – Orientation and discovery: establishing the work, sharing intentions, identifying creative questions
Week 2 – Deep development: sustained writing time with optional informal check-ins
Week 3 – Iteration and feedback: light peer sharing and dramaturgical conversations
Week 4 – Preparation and presentation: shaping the public showing and finalising the work
Dramaturgical Support
A dramaturg/story developer is assigned to the residency. The dramaturg’s role is to ask questions, provoke thinking, and help the writer see their work more clearly — not to prescribe direction.
Public Presentation
The residency concludes with a public presentation held on a Monday evening at WonderPlay Studio. Each writer will share an excerpt or extract from their work-in-progress. The presentation is intended as a celebration of the creative process, and audiences are welcomed into that spirit.
Applications close 10am AEST Monday 20 April 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 24 April and will receive an invoice for the $280 participant fee once the participants accept the residency offer.
- Application closes 10am Mon 20 April 2026
- Notifications sent Fri 24 April 2026
- Orientation Wed 29 April 2026, WonderPlay Studio
- Residency commences Mon 4 May 2026
- Public reading 6.30pm Mon 1 June 2026, WonderPlay Studio
- Location WonderPlay Studio, Level 2, 101–111 William Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
- Dramaturg Bali Padda
- Participant fee $280, invoiced to successful applicants only
- Bonus: All residents receive free access to Writers at Play, our monthly creative gathering, commencing Mon 20 April 2026.
