The Lysicrates Foundation

04/05/2026

TWO DAYS LEFT TO SUBMIT!

Attention all playwrights: Applications for the ninth Martin-Lysicrates Prize close THIS WEDNESDAY AT 5PM!

You are invited to submit the first 10-12 minutes of a new play for young people aged 12–15 years, to go in the running to be awarded a commission of $15,000 and dramaturgical support to complete the play. Three finalists will have their scenes performed at a live event for young people on Friday 14th of August, where the kids vote on their favourite play.

The annual Martin-Lysicrates Prize, first awarded in 2017, celebrates the best new Australian writing in theatre for young people. At the heart of the Martin-Lysicrates Prize are young people and their worldview. Young people are the inspiration and intended audience of this unique commission; as well as key participants in the process of awarding the annual Prize.

Applications are now open, and will close Wednesday 6th May 2026 at 5pm. For more information, the Prize’s application processes and to submit your play, head to https://www.martinlysicrates.com.au/ or the link in our bio!

14/04/2026

ENTRY INFORMATION

ABOUT THE MARTIN-LYSICRATES PRIZE

The annual Martin-Lysicrates Prize, first awarded in 2017, celebrates the best new Australian writing in theatre for young people. At the heart of the Martin-Lysicrates Prize are young people and their worldview. Young people are the inspiration and intended audience of this unique commission; as well as key participants in the process of awarding the annual Prize.

The inspiration for the Martin-Lysicrates Prize is the Great Dionysia Ancient Greek theatre festivals where the city of Athens stopped, spirited audiences converged, new plays were watched, and the people effectively chose their annual award-winning playwright. The Martin-Lysicrates Prize honours past tradition and today’s young people by weaving democratic ideals and new cultural experiences together.

The Martin-Lysicrates Award is a genuine endeavour to inspire new stories and support playwrights to develop original scripts ready for production consideration. Along with a full commission, the winner enters a dramaturgical process, providing a fantastic opportunity for a playwright to work with a dramaturg from Australia’s leading producer of new works for young people.

THE 2026 PRIZE

You are invited to submit the first 10-12 minutes of a new play for young people aged 12 – 15 years. The play must be able to be performed by no more than 4 actors (actors can perform multiple roles). Actors can include adults and young people.

Following a short-listing process, three scripts are presented to a live and online audience of school students of the relevant age. It is the audience of young people who judge which play is awarded a full commission.

Prizes are awarded as follows:
● On the day, the most votes from the audience in the theatre plus votes of those watching via live streaming - $3,000 for the winner and $1,000 each for the runners-up.
● Some weeks later votes are counted from audiences who have watched the recorded performances on our website from all over the world.
● The combined votes from both 1) and 2) are counted and the overall winner receives a commission worth $12,000 and dramaturgical support to complete the play.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are now open and will close on Wednesday 6th May 2026 at 5pm.

To submit, please email [email protected] with the subject line
YOUR NAME: PLAY TITLE (MARTIN-LYSICRATES ENTRY) e.g. “MADELAINE NUNN: THE EXPERIMENT (MARTIN-LYSICRATES ENTRY)”

We also need the following information:

Please attach 2 PDF’s:

PDF 1: Cover page
- Cover page with play title and contact details (name, email, phone number, address).

PDF 2: Consolidated PDF
- A synopsis (max. 300 words);
- Proposed cast size and character information;
- The first 10-12 minutes of your play for young people aged 12 – 15 years (approx. 10-12 pages).

Please note that the second PDF must exclude any identifiable contact details.

The shortlisted finalists will be announced by the end of May.

13/04/2026

📣 📝 CALLING ALL PLAYWRIGHTS 📝 📣

Submissions for the NINTH Martin-Lysicrates Prize are now open!

The annual Martin-Lysicrates Prize, first awarded in 2017, celebrates the best new Australian writing in theatre for young people. At the heart of the Martin-Lysicrates Prize are young people and their worldview. Young people are the inspiration and intended audience of this unique commission; as well as key participants in the process of awarding the annual Prize.

You are invited to submit the first 10-12 minutes of a new play for young people aged 12 – 15 years, to go in the running to be awarded a commission of $15,000 and dramaturgical support to complete the play.Three finalists will have their scenes performed at a live event for young people on Friday 14th of August, where the kids vote on their favourite play.

Applications are now open, and will close Wednesday 6th May 2026 at 5pm. For more information, the Prize’s application processes and to submit your play, head to https://www.martinlysicrates.com.au/

04/09/2025

📕 THE ‘JAMES MARTIN’ IN MY WORLD 📕

On Thursday 14 August, The City of Parramatta and The Lysicrates Foundation launched The ‘James Martin’ In My World: A Treasury of True Stories of Struggle and Triumph - an anthology of short stories by young people in Parramatta.

Students in Years 7 and 8 were asked to tell a story in 500 words or less about someone who they know has experienced a real-life struggle and later overcame that adversity.

A total of 30 stories were selected to be published in the book, with the award ceremony taking place on Thurs 14 August at Parramatta PHIVE, with presentations by the Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Martin Zaiter and NSW Chief Justice, The Hon. Andrew Bell.

This competition was presented in partnership between the City of Parramatta and the Lysicrates Foundation, with the support of the NSW Department of Education, and with the involvement of Catholic Schools NSW and the Association of Independent Schools of NSW, facilitated by the NSW Education Standards Authority.

📕 📕 📕

📷 Alice Boshell Photography

02/09/2025

📢 Introducing: Mic Drop!
🎭 Launched at the Martin Lysicrates Prize in August by our Co-Founder, Patricia Azarias
📝 Edited and designed by playwright Brendan Hogan, Mic Drop is a new online magazine created just for young people.
✨ Read the first issue and get involved by submitting your students’ work.
👉 Explore here: https://www.martinlysicrates.com.au/mic-drop/

01/09/2025

⏰ Voting Closes October 31st!⏰

🎭 Students can shape Australian theatre by watching, debating and choosing which play is completed

🏆 Their votes decide the $12,000 commission

👉 Teachers email class votes by Friday, 31 October: [email protected]

📖 Find out more: martinlysicrates.com.au or the link in our bio!

01/09/2025

Wonderful! Thank you Punchbowl Public School

29/08/2025

🥾 THE JAMES MARTIN CHILDREN’S WALK 🥾

James Martin was the son of a horse groom who walked 20 kilometres from Parramatta to Sydney and back every weekday in the 1830s to attend school.

Just over two weeks ago, The Lysicrates Foundation honoured James Martin by with school students recreating his education journey.

Martin would become Premier of New South Wales, Chief Justice and a passionate advocate for education.

The walk on August the 14th involved 25 students and seven teachers from Arthur Phillip High School, Marsden High School, Parramatta High School, Riverside Girls High School and Ryde Secondary College.

In 2025 the walk, which started in 2023, became an official activity for Public Education Week celebrating its theme ‘Ignite Your Potential’.

The event began at the James Martin statue in Martin Place, where students were welcomed by the Chief Justice, the Honourable Andrew Bell, NSW Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar, and Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib.

Murat Dizdar told the students that James Martin’s story teaches us all an important lesson, “that persistence is power, and every learner in NSW has the right to an enriching education”.

“Thankfully, kids no longer have to walk 20 kilometres every day to get to school but every single one of our 800,000 students deserves to pursue their passions through public education,” he said.

🥾 🥾 🥾

📷 Alice Boshell Photography

25/08/2025

💥 STUDENTS CAN STILL VOTE! 💥

We may have completed in the Martin-Lysicrates Prize live portion but there is a still a way to make your students’ voice heard.

Head to https://www.martinlysicrates.com.au/event/2025 or the link in our bio to watch all three plays.

Voting will be open until COB on Monday 15 September.

🎭 Through the link in our bio, the students catch watch the first ten minutes of our three finalist plays written by accomplished Australian playwrights in their classroom.

🤔 They are asked to judge for themselves which one of the three plays they want to see finished.

🪙 Each student picks their favourite - we ask the teacher to tally the votes for each play and send the three results to us by COB Friday 31 October - via email [email protected].

🏆 These votes are tallied determining the remaining commission amounting to $12,000.

🖐️ KEEN TO GET INVOLVED?
If you are a teacher with students keen to watch the videos and vote for the 2025 Martin-Lysicrates Prize, please email [email protected] to register your interest and we will be able to provide you more information.

📷 Alice Boshell Photography

19/08/2025

“Murat Dizdar told the students that James Martin’s story teaches us all an important lesson, “that persistence is power, and every learner in NSW has the right to an enriching education”.

“Thankfully, kids no longer have to walk 20 kilometres every day to get to school but every single one of our 800,000 students deserves to pursue their passions through public education,” he said.”

READ THE WHOLE STORY:
https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/latest-news/the-historic-school-trek-that-inspires-students

👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

Students and teachers walked from Martin Place to Parramatta to honour James Martin. Linda Doherty reports.