Paines Plough Archives - Vital Xposure

Theatre set with a small plant on a round coffee table, and two folding chairs on either side.

New work by the Wellspring Writers

The second round of Wellspring, our professional development programme for London-based disabled, d/Deaf and Neurodivergent playwrights, was completed in spring 2024, following a presentation…

Ellie Dunn

Ladies, fellas and gentleTHEMs. I am here, a disabled, part Irish, queer. Allegedly anyway, I could be Swedish. As I type this I’m colouring…

Photo of a short haired South Asian man with stubble wearing a white shirt and grey coat. Text in shades of dark red and orange reads: Wellspring 2023 - Writers' Blog. Mohit Mathur. Bottom: company logos of Vital Xposure, Bush Theatre, Paines Plough, Soho Theatre, Theatre503, Arts Council England, City Bridge Trust and National Lottery Community Fund.

Mohit Mathur

Four years ago, sitting in a circle in my drama school and reading a play out loud, my heart started racing, all the words…

Em Prendergast

Hello! I’m Emma Prendergast and I am a working-class, writing-focused actor-deviser most recently working as an actor playing Athena in the National Theatre’s The…

Photo of a white androgynous person with short dark hair, pictured on a sand beach, in their wheelchair. They wear black leather clothes and peacefully gaze away from the camera. Text in shades of dark red and orange reads: Wellspring 2023 - Writers' Blog. Jesse Stone. Bottom: company logos of Vital Xposure, Bush Theatre, Paines Plough, Soho Theatre, Theatre503, Arts Council England, City Bridge Trust and National Lottery Community Fund.

Jesse Stone

Hi, I’m Jesse and I’m a queer crip writer with a passion for telling authentic, complex and joyful stories about trans and disabled people. Through…

Photo of a woman with white skin. Brown/Mousy brown hair tied back. Wearing a black/dark blue top. Text in shades of dark red and orange reads: Wellspring 2023 - Writers' Blog. Yaz Nin. Bottom: company logos of Vital Xposure, Bush Theatre, Paines Plough, Soho Theatre, Theatre503, Arts Council England, City Bridge Trust and National Lottery Community Fund.

Yaz Nin

I have struggled to navigate my way in this industry since acquiring a disability in 2018. I wanted to join Wellspring so I could…

Black and white photo of a mixed Asian and white young woman with brown hair and brown eyes,. Text in shades of dark red and orange reads: Wellspring 2023 - Writers' Blog. Sophia Wai Yee Ginsburg. Bottom: company logos of Vital Xposure, Bush Theatre, Paines Plough, Soho Theatre, Theatre503, Arts Council England, City Bridge Trust and National Lottery Community Fund.

Sophia Wai Yee Ginsburg

Hello, my name is Sophia Wai Yee Ginsburg. Here is where I would usually explain more about who I am, but I am sick…

Emma Dawson

I’m Emma Dawson, a playwright and prose writer, who enjoys writing about neurodivergent and queer characters, dysfunctional families, and everything that I think is…

Top: text in white letters read 'Wellspring Showcase'. Centre: a composite photo of headshots of eight people. It is a diverse mix of people with various characteristics: short and long hair; dark, blonde and turquoise coloured hair; most of them face the camera and smile against a neutral background, trees, a brick wall or stage lighting.

Wellspring Writers Showcase

An online presentation of fresh, determined voices in theatre who are re-defining the ‘mainstream’ narrative with provocations for social justice, multi-layered identities and their…

White letters on black background read 'Wellspring Writers' Blog'. Below is a framed portrait photo of a woman of Iranian, Iraqi and Polish heritage in her early 30's. She has curly hair, brown eyes and round cheeks. She is wearing a cream blouse with little grey flowers on it and blue trousers. In the background, there is a theatre light focused in the direction of the viewer. Below the photo, the name Lilac Yosiphon is written in white letters.

Lilac Yosiphon

When I was a kid, writing was an activity that came very natural to me. I wrote poetry and prose, monologues and journals and…