An Invitation to Create
Last year, something special happened. Through our 100 Characters project, we worked alongside a huge range of performers and writers, bringing short-form theatre to life in ways that surprised us, moved us, and reminded us why performance matters. We watched people take the stage with brand-new work. We saw moments of joy, cheering, heartbreak, stillness — everything in between. Audiences leaned in. Performers found courage. Short-form theatre showed just how powerful it can be.
It was incredible.
This year, we want to go further. We want to open that door wider and say something simple:
Everyone can make performance.
Let’s make it easier. Let’s do it together. Let’s support you to do it.
That’s where Performance from a Prompt begins.
One prompt. As little as three minutes. A community.
We’re inviting anyone in and around Bristol to respond to a single creative prompt and imagine as little as three minutes of performance.
That’s it.
To take part, all you need to do is:
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Request the prompt by emailing hello@thescratchtheatre.co.uk
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Read the prompt
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Take a moment to think — maybe 20 minutes over a coffee in a café
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Sketch down an idea
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Send it to us as two short paragraphs, or a stream-of-consciousness video
No polished script. No finished performance. Just an idea.
What Happens Next
From there, we’ll select a number of submissions, welcoming a mix of backgrounds and experience levels — beginners alongside seasoned performers, people trying something new alongside those returning to their craft. We don’t create barriers here. We open doors.
If selected, you’ll shape your initial spark into a short performance through facilitated sessions, shared feedback, and a supported creative process, alongside others responding to the same prompt. Some pieces will be quiet. Some loud. Some strange. Some tender. We’ll aim to stage as many final pieces as possible as part of our events.
Why we’re doing this
Because performance matters.
Because creativity matters.
Even in busy lives, there should always be space to make something. A few minutes can tell a story, shift an audience, or remind someone they’re not alone.
This project invites you to create alongside others who believe performance can move people — and that it’s worth making time for. It gently challenges the stories we tell ourselves:
“I don’t have time.”
“I’m too tired.”
“I’ve never done this before.”
“This isn’t for me.”
We can’t wait to see what you make.
