Drama Theatre Skopje

The National Institution Drama Theatre Skopje announces a competition for an award to a Macedonian author under the age of thirty for the best dramatic text.

The deadline for submitting applications is February 28, 2026.

FORM AND CONTENT OF THE COMPETITION

The competition for the selection of the best dramatic text by a Macedonian author under the age of thirty includes:

General information;

The competition for the selection of the best dramatic text by a young Macedonian author under the age of thirty (hereinafter referred to as the Competition) aims to affirm contemporary Macedonian drama, encourage Macedonian dramatic creation and maintain the continuity of Macedonian dramatic writing.

Right to participate;

Only authors who are Macedonian citizens and under the age of 30 (thirty) have the right to participate in the competition for the best dramatic text.

Priorities;

The submitted dramatic text should be unperformed and be an original work of authorship, not a dramatization or adaptation of novels, short stories or motifs of existing dramatic works.

Evaluation and criteria;

The evaluation of the submitted drama texts and the selection are carried out by the Commission for the selection of the best drama text by a young Macedonian author under the age of 30, formed by the director of the National Theatre Drama Theatre Skopje, and adopted by the Board of Directors of the National Theatre Drama Theatre Skopje.

Method and deadline for submitting the required documentation;

The application for participation in the Competition for the selection of the best dramatic text by a young Macedonian author under the age of thirty is submitted on a prescribed form, which is an annex to these regulations, and it must contain:

-personal data about the author (name, surname, unique identification number of the author and date and place of birth);

-short biography, and

- phone number and address.

Along with the application for participation in the competition, the candidate must also submit an identification document (ID card or passport) to prove age and citizenship, as well as 5 (five) original copies of the drama text, which will not be returned.  

One author can submit only 1 (one) dramatic text.

Once a drama text submitted to the Competition has been reviewed, it cannot be offered again for consideration in another published Competition for the selection of the best drama text by a Macedonian author under the age of thirty.

The application, together with all copies of the play text, is submitted in a sealed envelope to the National Drama Theatre Skopje, marked "for participation in the competition for the best play text by a young author under the age of thirty."

The deadline for submitting the application and other required documentation is 15 days from the date of publication of the Competition.

If the drama texts are sent by registered mail, those that are delivered in a timely manner with a postmark date of no later than the fifteenth day from the announcement of the Competition will be accepted.

Reviewing and deciding on the results of the drama texts submitted to the Competition;

The committee will evaluate the submitted drama texts in accordance with the following criteria:

– the application of dramaturgical rules (dramatic structure, dramatic model, genre consistency, character structure, the acuity of dramatic action and the quality of dramatic dialogue and linguistic means of expression);

-the degree of influence of the text on the quality of the cultural life of the community;

-the quality of the innovation of the content of the dramatic text, and

-the originality of the written text in the Macedonian language, which has not previously been published and publicly performed.

Additional information;

The committee has the right not to award a prize if it decides that the quality of the submitted drama texts is unsatisfactory.

Announcement of results;

The president of the committee, with the assistance of the members, prepares the text of the Decision on the winner of the award, the announcement and the explanation with which the winner of the "Goran Stefanovski" award for the best dramatic text by a young Macedonian author will be announced.

At a specially scheduled press conference, the president of the committee, in the presence of all members, announces the winner of the award on April 27, the birthday of Goran Stefanovski.

The winner of the "Goran Stefanovski" award may not independently inform the public and is obligated to remain silent until the official press conference.

Award ceremony

The "Goran Stefanovski" Award for the best dramatic text by a young author under the age of 30 is awarded at a special ceremony.

One of the members of the Commission and the Director of the National Drama Theatre Skopje will speak at the ceremony.

The awarded author receives a plaque and a preliminary contract for the performance of the dramatic text in the program of the National Drama Theater Skopje in the next two years from the day of the award ceremony, and a cash prize in the amount of 60,000.00 (sixty thousand) denars.

The winner of the award will sign an Author's Agreement with the National Drama Theatre Skopje, according to which the theatre undertakes to incorporate the awarded drama text into the theatre's proposed programme and to produce it with a performance on the small stage or on the "Risto Stefanovski" stage in the theatre within two years from the date of the end of the Competition.

The author undertakes not to alienate the text, or rather the copyright, to other legal entities and individuals until the premiere at the National Drama Theatre Skopje.

The application for participation in the competition consists of:

Completed form available in attachment

-personal data about the author (name, surname, unique identification number of the author and date and place of birth);

-short biography, and

- phone number and address.

Along with the application for participation in the competition for the selection of the best drama text by a young Macedonian author under the age of thirty, the candidate must also submit an identification document (ID card or passport) to prove age and citizenship, as well as 5 (five) original copies of the drama text, which will not be returned.  

The deadline for submitting applications is February 28, 2026.