{"id":127248,"date":"2026-02-25T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/?p=127248"},"modified":"2026-02-25T07:12:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:12:46","slug":"from-page-to-stage-geelong-festival-back-for-round-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/news\/from-page-to-stage-geelong-festival-back-for-round-two\/","title":{"rendered":"From page to stage: Geelong festival back for round two"},"content":{"rendered":"

SUBMISSIONS have opened for the 2026 Geelong Short Play Festival.<\/p>\n

Now in its second year, the festival’s return follows a success debut 2025 season that drew more than 300 audience members across three performances.<\/p>\n

Writers are again invited to submit up to two original 15-minute plays, with six works to be selected by a panel of judges and staged by local theatre companies at the Geelong Arts Centre in August.<\/p>\n

Entries can explore any theme but must feature no more than five characters and be suitable for minimal staging, a requirement that reflects the festival’s focus on text-driven performance.<\/p>\n

Festival coordinator Paul Bucci said organisers hoped to build on lessons from the first year.<\/p>\n

“We learned a great deal from staging the inaugural festival, and we’re planning an even stronger event the second time around,” he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Six works to be selected by a panel of judges and staged by local theatre companies at the Geelong Arts Centre in August. Photo: Lena Talihmanidis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

“We want Geelong to punch about its weight creativity. So, to all the writers out there, it’s time for take two.”<\/p>\n

Submissions are open to residents across the Greater Geelong region, including the Bellarine Peninsula, as well as the Surf Coast, Colac Otway and Golden Plains shires.<\/p>\n

Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj praised the festival’s 2025 debut for captivating audiences and showcasing local theatre.<\/p>\n

He said the plays revealed the “tremendous talent” of the region’s “most gifted playwrights and actors” with “minimal sets but maximum imagination”.<\/p>\n

Entries close on 15 March.<\/p>\n

Submission guidelines and entry forms are available via the Geelong Writers website at geelongwriters.org.au<\/a> or by email at geelongwriters@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SUBMISSIONS have opened for the 2026 Geelong Short Play Festival. Now in its second year, the festival’s return follows a success debut 2025 season that drew more than 300 audience members across three performances. Writers are again invited to submit up to two original 15-minute plays, with six works to be selected by a panel […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":216,"featured_media":127249,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-127248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFrom page to stage: Geelong festival back for round two - Geelong Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Geelong Short Play Festival is back! 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