Book your tickets now for INK Festival 2023

Welcome to the Ink website

The UK’s leading producer of original short plays.

INK encourages, develops, produces and performs short new plays for stage and radio. To date INK has produced more than 350 plays at the annual INK Festival held in Halesworth, Suffolk.

Our aim is to provide inspiration, encouragement and opportunities for writers and theatre practitioners throughout the UK to showcase their work.

See the full programme here for the 7th INK Festival

This year we are inviting local secondary schools to visit on Monday 17th April, Youth Festival Day, enabling school children to see all the short play performances for free.

About Ink

What we do

Encourage

Scriptwriting

INK, based in East Anglia, was established in 2014 to provide encouragement and support to emerging scriptwriters, giving an opportunity for writers to annually submit new work, have it read, and then, for some, a chance to see their work produced and performed by professional actors at the INK Festival.

Throughout the year INK offers writing workshops and forums where writers can experience their work read by professional actors with discussion and feedback sessions.

The short play is a remarkably versatile and accessible art form. They are tales of the unexpected, relevant, funny, sexy, touching and disturbing. The pleasure of watching them is that they invariably leave you wanting more – that is rare in an age that doesn’t sit still!

Perform

The INK Festival

The 7th INK Festival takes place in Halesworth, Suffolk 13-16th April 2023 and will feature 50 short new plays for stage and radio, selected from annual submissions that we receive each year from writers aged 8-80.

INK is unique as it produces all the plays performed. This year we have an amazing selection of new works with topics ranging from floods, AI, love, loss, sibling rivalry and everything in between.

There is also an exciting lineup of poetry, comedy, musicals, short new films, talks, workshops, art, extensive children’s programmes and lots more!

On 17th April, we have introduced the new INK Youth Festival, a day when local secondary school students can come to experience the joy of live theatre, for free

Tickets are now on sale for INK Festival.

Support

Community

The INK community is formed by our many partners: writers, actors and theatre practitioners, audiences, volunteers, sponsors and supporters.

We are based in the market town of Halesworth in Suffolk. Throughout the year we work within the community to encourage new writing with on-line and in person workshops, youth drama and literacy projects to hundreds of children in and out of schools and tour to rural areas around East Anglia, prisons, care homes and hospitals.

We involve the whole town in the annual INK Festival, with more than 8 performances venues located within the town, and come together with the business community to bring a greater awareness and prosperity to this beautiful area and a huge injection of performing arts into East Anglia.

Pretty colourful bunting in the street party

Plan your visit to INK Festival

Here's some information to help make your travel and visit to Halesworth more enjoyable. You will find information on directions, parking, where to stay and eat, plus lots more.

Find out more
A group of K through grade 12 children standing together giving a thumbs up. The children are all different ages and races. The children have on purple, blue, red and gray shirts, are all smiling and standing in front of a white background.

Children's activities at INK Festival 2023

We have incredible free activities for children including opportunities to attend workshops and perform for 8-11 and 12-16 year olds.

Find out more
Colorful balloons, decorative bunting flags and wooden table outdoors

What is Sunday Funday?

Halesworth Sunday Funday on Sunday 16th April will see additional and exciting street performances and activities for everyone performed along The Thoroughfare and Market Square in the centre of Halesworth. Free to all. No tickets required. We have been generously supported by Halesworth Town Council and Durrants

Find out more

ART@INK

This year we are delighted to announce that Michael Fitzroy from Fitzroy Modern Art in Norfolk has curated a spectacular show of more that 250 paintings and prints from fabulous artists including Mary Webb, Alec Cumming, Colin Self and Mary Fedden. The show will run from 13-17th April in The Gallery at The Cut.

Find out more

Latest INK News

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ART@INK

This year we have the most extraordinary art show of more than 250 works which has been curated by Michael Fitzroy of Fitzroy Modern Art, Norfolk. Stunning works from Colin Self, Alec Cumming, Bruer Tidman, …

2023 Festival Programme

THE PROGRAMME IS HERE AND READY TO VIEW SO YOU CAN PLAN YOUR DAYS AT INK FESTIVAL 2023. Every ticket holder will be given a programme free of charge on arrival at the venues. The …

Special performances and interviews

During the four days of INK Festival we have some wonderful interviews and performances included in the price of your Festival ticket at The Cut. Thursday Kevin Clifton, dance king from Strictly Come Dancing will …

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Video & Podcasts

Audio Posted on 24.07.21

A Suffolk Man

Performed byTim Bentinck How do you know if you’re a Suffolk man? A man from Poland and a man from Suffolk take issue.

Audio Posted on 21.07.21

Training Purposes by Gary Ogin

Performed by Miranda Hart & Emma Henderson Marjorie is trying to reboot her friendships after saying things she really didn’t mean. Or perhaps did.