{{Short description|Nonprofit organisation representing playwrights in New Zealand}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2025}} '''Playmarket''' is a not-for-profit organisation providing script advisory services, representation for playwrights in New Zealand and access to New Zealand plays. Playmarket was founded in 1973 to encourage the professional production of New Zealand plays. The organisation represents many of New Zealand's theatrical writers. Playmarket is also a script development service and a publisher of plays.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|date=4 May 2016|title=Playmarket Annual}}</ref>
==History== alt=Murray looks at the camera. He has a bald head, grey eybows and is wearing a paisley shirt and a dark jacket the displays his New Years award medal. He is smiling.|thumb|Murray Lynch director of Playmarket Playmarket was founded by Robert Lord,<ref>{{Cite web|date=15 November 2019|title=Inside the Dunedin's Robert Lord Writers Cottage, the small home where writers get big ideas|url=https://thisnzlife.co.nz/inside-the-dunedins-robert-lord-writers-cottage-the-small-home-where-writers-get-big-ideas/|access-date=3 August 2021|website=thisNZlife}}</ref> Nonnita Rees, Judy Russell and Ian Fraser, initially as a script reading service. During the first eighteen months of the organisation, Playmarket licensed a total of 15 productions. They were founded in 1973 and registered as a non-profit making incorporated society in 1975.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
Past directors include Mark Amery. Murray Lynch was appointed in 2010 and is the current director. Lynch was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to theatre in the New Zealand 2021 New Year Honours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Director for NZ Playwrights organisation |url=https://creativenz.govt.nz/News-and-blog/2022/06/15/02/25/26/New-Director-for-NZ-Playwrights-organisation |access-date=30 January 2023 |website=creativenz.govt.nz |language=en}}</ref>
In 2013 Playmarket issued over 400 performance licences annually both in New Zealand and around the world.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Playmarket 40|publisher=Playmarket|year=2013|isbn=978-0-908607-45-7}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Founders of Playmarket Honoured |url=https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/news/founders-of-playmarket-honoured |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=Creative New Zealand |language=en}}</ref>
==Activities and structure== Membership Playmarket meet annually to review activities, receive the annual reports and elect a board. During the year the board meets to determine policy, establish budgets and monitor the activities of the organisation. Playmarket receives core funding from Creative New Zealand.<ref name=":1" />
Playmarket receives scripts, promotes plays and playwrights and runs clinics and masterclasses for new and emerging playwrights. Services for their playwright clients include circulation of scripts to potential directors and producers (in New Zealand and overseas), distributes royalties and negotiates contracts.<ref name=":0" />
Plyamarket run playwriting awards each year with announcements made at a ceremony. One of the awards is the Adam NZ Play Award for a previously unproduced new play and has a number of categories.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ADAM NZ PLAY AWARD – 2021 Winners from Playmarket |url=https://authors.org.nz/adam-nz-play-award-2021-winners-from-playmarket/ |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 April 2020 |title=Adam NZ Play Award |url=https://creativewriting.co.nz/adam-nz-play-award/ |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=Creative Writing NZ |language=en-GB}}</ref> There is also the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award, which in 2021 was won by Nathan Joe. Two other competitions are run: ''Playwrights b4 25'' in partnership with Auckland Live and ''Plays for the Young'' in three categories of plays written for 3–8 years, 8–12 years and teenagers. Both these awards are judged by a panel.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 July 2020 |title=Plays for the Young Competition |url=https://www.thebigidea.nz/work/227445-plays-for-the-young-competition |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=The Big Idea |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" />
Playmarket publishes a magazine called ''Playmarket Annual'' that formally was ''Playmarket NEWS'' and prior to that they took over the Downstage Theatre magazine ''Act'' with Playmarket publishing ''Act: Theatre in New Zealand'' from 1976 to 1986.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=31 May 2014 |title=Getting New Zealand Writing Into Theatres |url=https://landfallreview.com/getting-new-zealand-writing-into-theatres/ |access-date=30 January 2023 |website=Landfall |language=en-NZ}}</ref> The magazine includes a review of the previous year of theatrical activity in New Zealand.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" />
Playmarket sells published New Zealand plays. The bookshop is available online at their website which also provides profiles of New Zealand playwrights and titles, the bookshop also has a database of unpublished scripts.<ref name=":0" /> For an annual fee people can become members of Playmarket.
== Published playwrights == Client writers and published playwrights include Roger Hall, Hone Kouka, Renee, Dave Armstrong (playwright), Gary Henderson (playwright), Jean Betts, Michelanne Forster, Robert Lord (playwright), Bruce Mason, Ken Duncum, David Geary, Alison Quigan.
== See also == *Culture of New Zealand
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Further reference == * [http://www.playmarket.org.nz Playmarket website] * ''1992 Playmarket Directory of New Zealand Plays and Playwrights'' {{ISBN|0-908607-27-X}}
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Category:Cultural organisations based in New Zealand Category:Theatre in New Zealand Category:New Zealand literature Category:1973 establishments in New Zealand Category:Arts organizations established in 1973