Why Submit to Slackline Cyberstories?
The world is in crisis. Everyone seems to be pushing the extremes – either completely melting down or pumping out so much online creative content that you almost wonder if they hadn’t predicted the future several months ago. So why submit to Slackline Cyberstories, an unpaid opportunity, run by a tiny theatre and production company?
We have five good reasons (and could probably come up with many more!) Read on…
1.) Slackline Cyberstories is not just another “put a monologue online” contest
Wait! Before anyone takes that the wrong way… We’re not saying there’s anything wrong with all of the monologues and other creative content that people are putting online at the moment. Actors need to act. Playwrights need to write. And thank you to anyone and everyone who has picked up their guitars and sung us a cracking parody coronavirus song. Our own founder, Kristin, is plank- and squat-challenging daily on Instagram to channel some of the energy she normally spends coaching triathlon in her side job. We get it!
But Slackline wanted something different for Slackline Cyberstories. We’re carefully reading and re-reading (and re-reading!) submissions. Our chosen weekly script is being assigned to (fanatastic) actors and directors, who are rehearsing them and working together to ensure that the script comes together in a way that the playwright can be proud of, virus or no.
2.) Building a community
One of Slackline’s filters when it comes to developing projects is: will it build community? At the moment, despite all of the Zoom calls, it feels like we’ve lost something when it comes to the theatre and film community. We strive for every project to connect theatre makers who might not otherwise connect and Slackline Cyberstories is no exception. We want to meet playwrights who we haven’t met and stay in touch with those we have. And we promise to promote their work like crazy.
3.) Championing female playwrights
Despite promises for gender parity, female playwrights still aren’t being programmed to the degree that their male counterparts are.
Though having a piece on stage or online with Slackline doesn’t quite add up to being staged at the National, we are committed to doing our part to get female playwrights’ work seen. Working with us leads to connections with other strong women in the industry and had led to exciting connections beyond a Slackline production.
4.) Committed to working with female directors and highlighting strong roles for women aged 35+.
Additionally, Slackline is committed to working with fantastic up-and-coming female-identifying directors and actresses aged 35+. These are further areas where we have identified that the balance needs to be redressed.
Women’s stories don’t become less interesting when they become 35, but sometimes it feels like the world thinks they do. Slackline looks for strong roles for women over 35 – roles that are funny or flawed or fierce or all of the above… just like the real women who write, direct and play them.
5.) Slackline will not always be tiny
Slackline may be tiny now, but look out! As our community builds, so do our plans, our stories and so does our reach. When you submit to Slackline Cyberstories, you’re becoming a part of our growing community of female-led theatre and it’s going to be awesome.
Words have power… we’d love to read yours!
#wildwomenunite #femaleledtheatre #redressthebalance
For more about working on a Slackline project, read the brilliant Rebekah King’s blog about being a playwright on our recent Slackline Stories (Part Deux).
To see Slackline Cyberstories in action, visit us on YouTube!
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