After meeting in a workshop at Playwrights Theatre Centre in Vancouver, the three founders (Susinn, Loretta and Lynna) joined forces to produce three new plays in the 2011 Vancouver Fringe. We formed Wet Ink Collective to find ways to support each other to develop our writing practices.
We were highly aware of the lack of strong female protagonists in contemporary plays, the dearth of great roles for older actresses in the prime of their abilities, and the disturbing inbalance in the number of plays written by womxn playwrights produced in theatres around the world. We knew that the best way that the three of us could contribute to changing this was to support each other to keep writing our plays – and to find ways to deepen our process, develop our scripts, and create our own production opportunities. We agreed that no matter what the obstacles we would keep doing our work.
We formed Wet Ink Collective and decided that we wanted to pool our resources and hire a dramaturg to give us feedback on our work and keep us going. We were so excited about this idea that we decided to share the love and began to invite our fellow female writers to join Wet Ink Collective Writers Group.
Before long, we needed a facilitator to run our writer-driven sessions. We hired theatre maven and BC Entertainment Hall of Fame inductee Jane Heyman and developed a blueprint, which became the structure for Wet Ink Collective’s Intensives.
As the years passed, we continued to expand, including scripts of all kinds: film, television, web series and musicals. We hired more facilitators, the highly accomplished Liesl Lafferty and award winning director Mindy Parfitt.
Most recently, we hired UBC Professor Emerita and Genie Award-winner Peggy Thompson.
We are proud to say that several of our writers have completed full drafts of their scripts, theatre companies have produced some, and others are on their way. Our members have also organized their own readings, small writing groups, and other ways to expand opportunities for womxn to tell their stories.
We have also supported our community with other activities, such as:
- hosting ‘Salons’, which celebrate successful womxn in the industry and expose our members to potential mentors who highlight their experience of how to get your scripts completed and produced. Featured guests include Yvette Nolan, Lucia Frangione, Sally Stubbs, Colleen Murphy, Jill Daum, Carmen Aguire, M.A.C. Farrant, Tracey Power, Meghan Gardiner, Alison Kelly and Stacey Kaser, Janet Munsil, Nicolle Nattrass, Michele Riml
- taking part in opportunities by presenting members’ scripts; for example, producing readings at the BC Buds festival at the Firehall Arts Centre (2014-2016), and creating the Spring Reading Series at the Arts Club Theatre BMO Space (2015)
- organizing Master classes with Governor General Award-winning playwright Colleen Murphy (2014-2015)
- providing ongoing access to resources via newsletters and shared resource folders
- maintaining a list of Dramaturgs and Story Editors, so once members’ scripts have been through an Intensive, they can take their pieces to the next level
- supporting members when they are having a public reading of their script by promoting it on our website and other social media
- finding accessible venues to address the needs of our Facilitators and members
- providing financial scholarships for Indigenous and BIPOC womxn (starting in 2017)
Our community is self directed, self-reliant independent womxn artists who support each other to stay on the path.
Our community has grown to 100 plus members and supportive friends.
Our goal is to empower each other – to empower ourselves.
