MEDIA RELEASE – COMMUNIQUÉ

Village Scene Productions to sponsor a writing competition:

Montreal, update April 18 (original March 27, 2005): Village Scene Productions (V.S.P.) is sponsoring a writing competition in collaboration with La Fondation Emergence entitled ‘Creating New Traditions’ as part of the campaign for ‘The National Day Against Homophobia’(la Journée nationale de lutte contre l'homophobie). The theme of this third edition on June 1, 2005 is ‘A Family Reality’(La famille grandit).

The slogan chosen, "A Family Reality", is all-inclusive, since it covers the realities of a homosexual person within his or her family, or realities of homoparentality. The topic of  "family" highlights the importance of family relations within the lives of homosexuals; the surrounding elements of education, community and emotional bonding, all being major contributors. The continuum of existence plays a determining part in everyone’s life; it is the principal area for transference of values from one generation to another. It is crucial to work so that homophobia is no longer tolerated. As the family redefines itself and expands with each generation and from culture to culture, new traditions are being created and established. We suggest you using your medium to connect to this topic.

• Interested artists, playwrights, and authors are invited to submit 1 act plays, monologues, poems and short stories of 1,000 to 3,500 words, approximately 5 to 20 minutes lecture time.
• The material should be original work in English and not have been previously produced. Typed font size #12 Arial, Times or Courier and double-spaced.
• All submissions should be made on-line to info@villagescene.com
• Contact information must include the name of who is making the submission, phone number and e-mail.
• The deadline for receipt of submissions by V.S.P. is Sunday May 8, 6pm. Please indicate if you wish to present or perform your own work if your submission is selected.
• The top six selections are being awarded cash prizes of: #1 = $100.00, #2 = $75.00, #3 = $50.00, and #4 to #6 = $25.00
• The first prize piece selected will also be published in a feature of TOBE monthly magazine in an upcoming issue*.
• Notification of the winners selected will be made on Sunday, May 15.

Selected pieces will be presented to the public on Friday June 3 and Saturday June 4 at 8pm at Playwrights Workshop Montreal, 4322 St Laurent – corner of Marie Anne. For reservations contact: boxoffice@villagescene.com or call 514 526-9842 to reserve, as place is limited. A $5.00 donation is requested at the door and all profits go to The Montreal GLBT Int’l. Theatre Festival.

*Added bonus : The first prize winner in the competition will get his/her work featured in the monthly magazine TOBE ... the selected piece will get published in an upcoming issue of TOBE. Depending on the length of the piece and print space a synopsis or abridged version of the piece will be printed and the entire work will be made available to readers online.

For more information on the contest and other V.S.P. activities please contact Ms. Elaine Fiddes event coordinator at info@villagescene.com or you can leave a message at 514 526-9842.

Performing artists who are interested in presenting and/or performing the selected pieces at the above event may contact Davyn Ryall, artistic director at V.S.P. 514 526-9842 or davyn@villagescene.com

For more information and the schedule of other events to be held in collaboration with the Fondation Émergence and(la Journée nationale de lutte contre l'homophobie) visit their web-site www.homophobie.org or contact (514) 866-6788 p.blain@emergence.qc.ca

Village Scene Productions P.O. Box 142, Station C, Montreal, Qc. H2L 2H0