About Fence meetings

Fence members at a meeting in New York The Fence typically runs meetings twice yearly. These usually last between five and eight days.

Fence meetings occur either as part of a wider festival (for example D-CAF in Cairo or the Istanbul International Theatre Festival) or as a retreat, or as a satellite meeting to the IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts), or for a specific pedagogical purpose. Fence meetings typically feature 10-25 visitor members, combining with up to a similar number of home-based members. Together we:

Meet playwrights and cultural operators from each host country, learn about their systems & structures and opportunities & challenges for indigenous playwrights - as well as foreign ones
Meet each other and pursuing peer-led professional development activity which focuses on how to operate as a playwright in a changing landscape
Put work on – in a scratch night form - work written, directed and acted by participants as a practical laboratory way of generating material, engagement, excitement, partnership and exchange.
Make connections beyond the network; both to grow the number of countries represented beyond 40, but also to engage with a broader focus than just playwriting.

click here to open or download Looking over the Fence, a pdf collection of blog posts, meeting reports, photos and reminiscences written by Fence members over the years.