Orísun Productions Launches The Windrush Prize for British Caribbean Playwrights

The first major prize of its kind in 30 years dedicated to British-Caribbean playwrights launches with funding, mentorship, workshop & publication opportunities.

Black theatre production company Orísun Productions has launched The Windrush Prize for British Caribbean Playwrights, the first initiative of its kind in 30 years dedicated specifically to discovering, nurturing, and elevating British Caribbean playwrights in the UK. Submissions will open on 2 October, with further information available here.

Established by Shereener Browne, founding CEO of Orísun Productions and former criminal barrister, the prize was born from both a personal and political history connected to the Windrush scandal. The Prize aims to address the ongoing underrepresentation of British Caribbean voices across British theatre and to build a lasting legacy for Caribbean storytelling on British stages. The Windrush Prize launches in partnership with Arcola Theatre in London, who will co-produce and present a production of the first winning play at the Arcola Theatre in 2027.

Open to UK-based British Caribbean writers over the age of 18, the prize welcomes both represented and unrepresented playwrights. Submitted works must be unpublished, full-length plays. The selected playwright will receive:

• A £10,000 cash prize
  A minimum 3 week run co-produced by Arcola Theatre and Orísun Productions
  Publication of the winning text by Methuen Drama

Shortlisted writers will also receive mentorship, professional feedback and a reading of an excerpt from their script.

As part of the wider initiative focussed on nurturing talent, Orísun Productions will prioritise outreach and connection through workshops, seminars and networking events delivered with established partners. These wraparound events will support skills development and professional networking beyond simply finding a ‘winner’. These events will also be designed to help unearth new writers – including individuals with stories to tell who may not describe themselves as playwrights. The workshops will feature British Caribbean writers and theatre-makers, with further details to be announced.

“This prize is deeply personal,” said Shereener Browne. “My father, originally from Nevis, spent decades building a life in Britain, only to have his identity and belonging questioned. He did not live to see the justice he deserved. Using the compensation to create opportunities for other people from the Caribbean diaspora both honours him and amplifies the unique and significant contribution the Caribbean community has made to this country.”

Shereener created the initiative as a result of her late father, Myron Brown’s (correct spelling), experiences at the hands of the British government. He became effectively stateless after being refused documentation required to prove his status as a British Citizen – despite having lived and worked in Britain for decades. Although he later successfully applied for compensation through the UK Government’s Windrush Compensation Scheme, the settlement was tragically awarded after his death. Browne is now using that compensation to establish The Windrush Prize as a lasting legacy for future generations of British Caribbean artists, naming the prize in honour of the Windrush generation – whose contributions transformed British cultural life while too often remaining historically overlooked.

“My origins are in the Caribbean, but I am also a Yorkshire lass raised a stone’s throw from the Dales. There are so many unique and untold stories like mine across Britain,” Shereener Browne added. “We want to encourage people to feel empowered to write their stories down, and give them the confidence to share them with the world.”

Arthur Torrington CBE, co-founder of The Windrush Foundation and Patron of The Windrush Prize said: “The Windrush Prize for Caribbean Playwriting is a powerful way to honour the resilience and creativity of the Windrush generation and their descendants. By encouraging stories from the Caribbean community to be told on stage, the Prize helps preserve our shared artistic legacy and reminds Britain of the vital contributions made by Caribbean people to its cultural and social life.”

The Windrush Prize will be administered by The Society of Authors, Robyn Law, Head Of Charities.

The initiative also launches in partnership with other leading arts and literary organisations including Methuen Drama, Casarotto Ramsay and Associates, Afridiziak Theatre News, London Writers Centre, Lewisham Council and The Kael Report.

The judging panel is jointly chaired by Harold Finley (founder/editor The Kael Report) and Clare Finburgh-Delijani (Professor, Dept. of Theatre and Performance at Goldsmiths University of London), alongside a distinguished panel including playwright Roy Williams, actor Steve Toussaint (The House Of The Dragons), Tracey Low (National Theatre) , Jack Lea (Playful Productions), Lynette Goddard (Professor, Black Theatre & Performance, Royal Holloway, London University) and Mehmet Ergen (Artistic Director, Arcola Theatre).

Harold Finley, Judging panel co-chair said: “The Windrush Prize is an exciting addition to the UK arts scene, providing a platform to celebrate and amplify the voices of Caribbean playwrights.”

Lynette Goddard, Professor, Black Theatre & Performance, Royal Holloway and judging panel member said: “I am delighted to be one of the judges for the Windrush Prize for British Caribbean playwrights. This fantastic initiative pays tribute to the Windrush-descendant generations and I am looking forward to seeing the range and directions of this exciting new work.”

Steve Toussaint, actor and judging panel member, said: “There has always been a recognition of the need for disparate voices in any lively art sector and healthy society in general. To be a small part of an exciting new scheme designed to address that need makes me very proud indeed.”

Sophia Jackson, Editor, founder & editor, Afridiziak Theatre News said: “The Windrush Prize is exciting and necessary. Afridiziak is honoured to be a partner, and we look forward to seeing the winning play at The Arcola.”

Founded in 2018 in Lewisham, South London, Orísun Productions is an acclaimed and award-nominated Black female-led theatre production company committed to developing bold, socially engaged work and amplifying underrepresented voices in British theatre.

Applications for The Windrush Prize will open on 2 October and close 2 December 2026, for more information Society Of Authors and The Windrush Prize