Unscripted Sundays celebrates first anniversary

They initially gathered simply to read scripts and breathe life into characters born from their imagination. What began as a simple exercise soon evolved into an exciting creative incubator. A project of Yaad Bridge Entertainment, Unscripted Sundays celebrated its first anniversary on March 29 at Johnny’s Place on Dunrobin Avenue, and thespians came out to show support for the initiative that showcases the talent of young storytellers.

Since its launch, Unscripted Sundays has created a consistent space where writers test their scripts through live table readings with actors and an engaged audience. Over the past year, numerous scripts have passed through the programme’s pipeline, helping writers refine their work while giving actors opportunities to collaborate and develop their craft. The programme has also begun connecting writers with local and international mentors, strengthening the pathway from script development to production.

CEO of Yaad Bridge Entertainment, Sherando Ferril, shared that what began as a simple idea to assist young creatives in honing their craft has grown into a true incubator for talent.

“It is now a meaningful creative pipeline, and we are excited to celebrate the writers, actors, mentors, and partners who have helped build this space and to share what the next stage of the programme will look like,” Ferril told The Gleaner.

Ferril added that the platform is unprecedented in its facilitation of young creatives getting the kind of instant feedback they need to properly develop their art form.

“As much as we talk about film, television, and theatre, there is no good film, television show, or theatrical performance that does not commence with a good script. Therefore, Unscripted Sundays came out of the need to nurture writers, to give them an opportunity to showcase their work and an opportunity to garner feedback from a live audience,” she stated.

To mark its first anniversary, the organisers also launched a training workshop for actors, to be conducted by Ferril, who has extensive experience in producing, directing, acting, and writing. The launch of the Unscripted Sundays Scriptwriting Mentorship Programme was also met with rousing approval as the organisers disclosed that they had identified local and international writers who have jumped on board to mentor some of the writers. The cherry on top is that some of the work presented will go into actual production between this summer and the end of the year.

“To be able to see it still being relevant … thriving and growing after a year and having sponsors and partners come on board wanting to help us to push the mandate further, is more than exciting for me. It’s quite empowering and quite encouraging that we see it after a year moving from just nurturing writers to nurturing actors,” she said.

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com