It’s official! Our U-Compete writing competition is back, this time with additional prizes! Presented by Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre, U-Compete is open to high school and post-secondary students from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.
A winning script will be selected from each Atlantic province and will receive a $1000 cash prize. The winning scripts will be read during Marshlight Theatre’s New Works Festival, taking place in Tantramar, NB, on March 29, 2026, and streaming virtually on PARC’s Facebook Page. One script will be selected as the overall winner (and receive an additional $1000 cash prize!), and viewers in person and online will vote on the audience’s choice!
Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre (PARC) is thrilled to acknowledge the support of the National Arts Centre English Theatre. Their commitment to the creation of new Canadian plays establishes a cash prize for the Overall and Provincial winners for the U-Compete Student Playwriting Competition for 2026, 2027, and 2028.
Script Guidelines
Script length: No minimum, maximum 20 pages (numbered on header)
Font: Any legible font (Times New Roman, Arial, Courier, etc.)
Font Size: 12
Margins: 2.5 centimeters on all sides
Line spacing: 1.5
Dates
Submission Deadline: March 1, 2026
Provincial Winners Announced: March 13, 2026
Online Public Reading and Overall Winner Announced: March 29, 2026 (Date/Time TBD) in collaboration with Marshlight Theatre’s New Works Festival
Fee
There is a $20 fee to participate in U-Compete. This fee gives each applying playwright an annual PARC student membership with all the benefits and services of membership – including the PARC weekly e-bulletin, the Home Delivery program and professional development workshops.
Click HERE to register and secure your membership.
Submissions
Sign up HERE, and upload your script submission as a PDF.
PARC is committed to facilitating any requested accessibility accommodations for registration or for the contest itself (time flexibility, language, etc). Our goal is to support all student playwrights on their journey throughout the competition!
Contact [email protected] with any questions.