Program Overview

IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship

The IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship is a collaboration between the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh and the Traverse Theatre, Scotland's leading New Writing Theatre. This fellowship supports innovative research and public engagement activities across the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

About the Fellowship

The fellowship is open to writers with an idea or story for an audience-focused, ambitious, and entertaining new play that speaks to the urgent issues impacting our lives now and into the future. The fellowship will be tailored to the writer's needs and availability, with the expectation that the writer can work at the University on a regular basis.

Key Details

• The fellowship is for a period of up to 10 months, starting from January 2026.
• The recipient will enjoy a private office at the University, as well as full access to the university library and the Institute's many other resources.
• The recipient will receive dramaturgical support from the Traverse Literary Department, with the expectation that up to two drafts be completed during their residency.
• The fellow will be expected to contribute to IASH and Traverse Theatre events, giving at least one work-in-progress seminar and/or reading of the work to an invited audience.
• The stipend for this fellowship is ｣12,000.

Eligibility and Application

• Candidates must have had at least one professionally produced play to be considered.
• The application process requires a cover letter and CV, containing information about why the applicant is interested in the fellowship, a short statement about themselves and their work, and a short statement about the story or idea they want to use as a starting point for their play.
• Applicants do not need to be based in Edinburgh, but should be able to travel to IASH regularly. Non-UK-based applicants are unlikely to be successful.

Previous Fellows

• Previous IASH/Traverse Creative Fellows have included Jo Clifford, Linda McLean, Pamela Carter, Iain Finlay Macleod, Clare Duffy, Peter Arnott, Frances Poet, Lewis Hetherington, AJ Taudevin, Apphia Campbell, Michael Patrick and Ois匤 Kearney, and Isla Cowan.
• These fellows have worked on a variety of projects, including plays that have been performed at the Traverse Theatre and other venues.

The Traverse Theatre

The Traverse Theatre is a dynamic centre for performance, experience, and discovery, often referred to as Edinburgh's 'beating heart of the Fringe' in August. The theatre enables people across society to access and engage with theatre, empowering artists and audiences to make sense of the world today. The Traverse champions equal expression and understanding, and works with the newest and rawest talent to nurture it and become the art, artists, and performances that can be seen on their stages.