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Open Call for Writers – Sound Plot: ULU
August 5 @ 8:00 am - August 15 @ 12:00 pm
FreeSound Plot is Centre 42’s audio plays series, each edition drawing on a certain geographic area in Singapore. This edition, produced in collaboration with the NTU Museum, zooms in on Jurong West and its surrounding area, where the university is located.
This is an invitation for two writers to respond through audio drama to this fascinating area, guided by the curatorial prompt “Ulu”. Selected writers will need to be available for an intensive 3-week script development phase in October 2024, and will work with a director during the recording and production process in November & December 2024. Audio production will be done in collaboration with Artwave Studio, and slated for release online in January 2025.
This is a paid opportunity, and commissioned writers will receive $1,000 each.
TO APPLY
Application period runs from 5 August 2024 (12pm) to 15 September 2024 (12pm). Please complete this online form to submit the following:
- Your updated CV. Highlight your experience in writing for / working in the audio medium.
- A writing sample of no more than 10 pages. This should be from an existing stage play, audio play, or screenplay.
- Your proposal for a 15-minute audio play, which must:
- respond to the curatorial prompt below
- tell us about the curiosity, fascination, or other impulse that draws you to this work, and how you imagine this play might delve into these ideas
- describe your ideas for the narrative, characters, and world that the play takes place in
- be no more than 2 pages.
CURATORIAL PROMPT
ULU
Jurong West tends to be the butt of our “ulu” jokes. After all, it’s where we seem to tuck away things we’d rather not see: cemeteries, a man-made island heaving with chemicals, and secretive military bases.
But if we look beneath this industrial veneer – always building, always reclaiming – what other stories might we find? Here thrum large swathes of undeveloped secondary forest, rewilding over the memories of the gambier plantations that kickstarted Singapore’s endless development. Here, the coast hugs the mouth of the Straits of Johor, where we can still imagine our deep connections to ancient kingdoms. Here lies a large university town, filled with utopian architecture that tells a story about a world that could be so much better and kinder to the earth. And here lie the hopes and dreams of new families looking to build lives in one of the fastest-growing residential zones on the island, each built-to-order flat remaking the “ulu” face of the Western region.
We invite you to write a play that reckons in any way with these ideas. Whether you’re curious about the many layers of history in Jurong West; have a story to tell about the diverse range of people who live, work, and play here; or have a speculative tale about its future, we want to hear your ideas!
SCHEDULE
The turnaround for these audio plays will be quick and intensive. Selected writers will need to be available for the phases outlined below and commit to the duration of the project.
5 August – 15 September:
- Open Call for Proposals
- Prepare your documents and apply via this form
20 September:
- Selected writers will be notified
1 October – 21 October:
- Script development intensive
- Writers will need to be available to turn in drafts of their script, engage in discussions with script dramaturg, director, sound designer and producer
27 October – 10 December:
Audio pre and production phase
- Writers will need to be ready for script edits, rehearsals with voice actors and director, and participate in the recording process
6 January – 17 February:
- Audio post-production phase: reviewing of edits and final publishing
20 January – 28 February
- Launch of Audio Plays, starting from 20 January 2025
