The festival presents brand-new plays, workshops, industry talks and a keynote speech from the artistic director of the Royal Court.

Plays 

Running on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July, Fresh Ink will showcase early versions of new plays by emerging and established Hull writers, especially commissioned for the festival.

The inaugural edition features script-in-hand performances of new work inside a marquee at Stage@TheDock by Rosie Race, Hannah Scorer, Marc Graham, Grace Waga Glevey, Andrew Houghton and Prince Kundai.

Each evening performance will also include a teaser of Middle Child’s 2025 show by Sid Sagar, with pay what you decide tickets available from £3-£10.

There will also be sharings of work by the Middle Child Writers’ Group over a free breakfast, as part of its A Play and a Plate scheme, supported by the Two Ridings Community Foundation.

Workshops

Learn from some of the best in the business with a programme of writer workshops in the pop-up space on Pier Street. 

All workshop tickets are £5, apart from the free A Play and a Plate evening sessions on how to read a play, with Rachael Abbey, which include food.

Talks

Taking place across both venues, free-to-attend industry talks will cover topics big and small, including a keynote address on the state of new writing in the UK, from David Byrne, artistic director of the Royal Court.

Book Now

Tickets are required for all events, including free talks. Book now through the Middle Child website, or on the day from the festival box office on Stage@TheDock.