Fellowship for Performing Arts Logo
Visit Theatre Site

Rules and Conditions

The Clive Awards are administered by Fellowship for Performing Arts, Inc., 630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1401, New York, NY 10036.

The Clive Awards 2023 shall be governed by these Rules and Conditions, subject to all applicable U.S. federal, state, and local laws.

  1. Entry Period: The entry period begins at 12:00AM EST on January 31, 2023, and ends at 11:59PM EST on August 31, 2023.
  2. Eligibility: Worldwide submissions are accepted. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
  3. Entry Guidelines:
    1. Submissions must be unpublished, unproduced, full-length plays written in English, with run times between 60 and 100 minutes.
    2. Musicals are not eligible for consideration.
    3. While the number of characters may be limitless, a play must be realistically performed by no more than six (6) actors to be considered.
    4. Submissions may be original or adapted from underlying material. If adapted, the source material must either be in the public domain or the submitting Playwright must be able to provide a written release granting fully transferable rights to the copyrighted third-party material.
    5. If a submitted script contains any copyrighted material, the Playwright must include in their submission: a signed letter from the authors and underlying rights representative stating that the Playwright has secured underlying rights. Alternately, Playwright may provide a copy of their signed contract with all financial information redacted. The following information should be made clear to Fellowship for Performing Arts (FPA):
      1. Length of agreement and standards for renewals/extensions
      2. Definitions of all parties involved
      3. Clauses indicating who has artistic control over the piece and what approvals are needed at what stages
    6. Submissions must not currently be under option or commissioned by another entity. If, during the course of the contest review period (January 31, 2023 – January 31, 2024), the rights to the script are promised or assigned to another party, the Playwright must inform Fellowship for Performing Arts and the script will become ineligible for consideration for the 2023 Clive Awards.
    7. Plays that have received previous readings will be considered. Please include a list of any readings or other development activity along with your submission only if applicable.
    8. Submissions are required to include:
      1. A cover page with the Playwright’s name, mailing address, email address, phone number and biography (no more than one page).
      2. A summary page with the title of the play, the Playwright’s name, a list of cast/characters (with doubling indicated), a synopsis of scenes, and indications of any precious development activity if applicable (no more than two pages).
      3. A typed script, written in the English language, with numbered pages
      4. If the script is an adaptation of material not in the public domain: proof of rights to use the material (see section 3d).
    9. The entire submission – Playwright name and contact information, Playwright bio, play title, character breakdown, scene synopsis, list of readings and/or development activity (if any), script, and proof of rights (if script is an adaption of material not in the public domain) – should be submitted as one (1) single PDF document. Please include the Playwright’s first and last name and title of the play in the file name, as in: FirstNameLastName-TitleOfPlay
    10. Simultaneous submissions are not permitted.
    11. Individual playwrights may submit up to two (2) plays for consideration. Each submission must be submitted separately, per the Guidelines.
    12. Any current employees of FPA, including contractors, are ineligible to be considered for the 2023 Clive Awards.
  4. Selection Criteria: FPA produces plays from a Christian worldview to engage a diverse audience. The judges will award the prizes to plays that reflect and serve that mission. FPA reserves the right to not award either or both prizes. At the sole discretion of FPA, any submission that contains profanity or lewd gestures, or promotes bigotry, racism, sexism, hatred, or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age will be disqualified without notice to the Playwright.
  5. Selection of Winners: An FPA-designated panel of judges (led by FPA’s Literary Manager) will review all submissions and select, in their sole discretion, a selection of finalists for further review. The Judges will notify finalists directly and may, at their sole discretion, request additional information or confirmation from some but not necessarily all finalists as part of the final review process from which the winners will be selected.
  6. First Prize: Contingent upon the Playwright agreeing to the Rules and Conditions, which include a development process and option agreement (outlined within), the First Prize winner will receive a $25,000 cash prize, including:
    1. $10,000, paid upon announcement and acceptance of the award.
    2. $15,000, paid following a development process and the completion of a staged reading presentation (live or virtual).  By way of example, the development process may require the Playwright to generate multiple revised drafts of the play based on dramaturgical feedback from FPA, including consideration of criteria as defined in section  4. FPA and Playwright will work together to schedule the staged reading in a timely manner.
    3. An option agreement, wherein it is understood that FPA will retain the exclusive option to produce the first production of the Play for a period of 24 months following the date of the staged reading presentation.
  7. Second Prize: Contingent upon the Playwright agreeing to the Rules and Conditions, which include a development process and option agreement (outlined within),  the First Prize winner will receive a $15,000 cash prize, including:
    1. $5,000, paid upon announcement and acceptance of the award.
    2. $10,000, paid following a development process and the completion of a staged reading presentation (live or virtual).  By way of example, the development process may require the Playwright to generate multiple revised drafts of the play based on dramaturgical feedback from FPA, including consideration of criteria as defined in section 4. FPA and Playwright will work together to schedule the staged reading in a timely manner.
    3. An option agreement, wherein it is understood that FPA will retain the exclusive option to produce the first production of the Play for a period of 24 months following the date of the staged reading presentation.
  8. Payments: Winning Playwrights shall be personally responsible for any and all income, employment or payroll taxes, workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation insurance or payments required by Federal, State, International or local law associated with any and all compensation the Winning Playwright receives from FPA.
  9. Winner Notification:
    1. Finalists will be notified on or around December 31, 2023.
    2. Winners will be notified on or around January 31, 2024.
    3. FPA shall have no liability for any winner notification that is lost, intercepted or not received by potential winner for any reason. In FPA’s sole discretion, selected potential winner may be disqualified and required to forfeit the prize, and an alternate potential winner may be selected from among the remaining eligible Entrants if selected potential winner: (i) cannot be reached for whatever reason after a reasonable effort has been exerted; (ii) declines or cannot accept, receive or use the prize for any reason; (iii) is found to be ineligible to enter The Clive Awards or receive the prize; or (iv) cannot or does not comply with any provision of these Rules and Conditions. Forfeited or unclaimed prizes may not be awarded. FPA is not obligated to contact potential winner in any other manner than otherwise mentioned in these Rules and Conditions. Selected potential prize winners may be required to complete (as directed by FPA) an Affidavit of Eligibility, Release of Liability, and Publicity Release, and a completed W9 (collectively, the “Affidavit”), along with a signed Developmental Option Agreement.
    4. If potential prize winner does not comply with these requirements, in FPA’s sole discretion, prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner may be selected from among the remaining eligible Entrants.
    5. FPA reserves the right to modify the notification and Affidavit procedures in connection with the selection of alternate winner, if any.
  10. Grant of Rights:
    1. Except where prohibited by law, by accepting a prize, each winner agrees and acknowledges that FPA and any of its designees may, without any limitation or further compensation, use winner’s full name, city of residence, submission title, or other likenesses, entries, pictures, portraits, voices, testimonials, biographical information (in whole or in part), and/or statements made by winner(s) regarding The Clive Awards or FPA, worldwide and in perpetuity for any and all purposes, including, but not limited to, advertising, trade and/or promotion on behalf of FPA, in any and all forms of media, now known or hereafter devised, including, but not limited to, print, TV, radio, electronic, cable, social media, or World Wide Web, without further limitation, restriction, compensation, notice, review, or approval (“Publicity Release”).
    2. By participating in The Clive Awards, Entrants and anyone shown in their submissions will be sharing their personal information with FPA.
  11. No Tampering, Right To Cancel, Modify: FPA shall not have any obligation or responsibility, including any responsibility to award any prize to Entrants, with regard to: (a) entries that contain inaccurate information or do not comply with or violate the Rules and Conditions; (b) entries, prize claims, or notifications that are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, damaged, or otherwise not received by the intended recipient, in whole or in part, due to computer, human, or technical error of any kind; (c) entries who have committed fraud or deception in entering or participating in The Clive Awards 2023 or claiming the prize; (d) internet, telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, or computer malfunctions, failures, or difficulties; (e) typographical, printing or other errors or omissions in these Rules and Conditions, in any Clive Awards-related advertisements or other materials, or other problems or errors of any kind whether computer, network, mechanical, human, electronic, typographical, printing, or otherwise including, without limitation, errors or problems which may occur in connection with the administration of The Clive Awards, in the processing of entries, in the selection or announcement of winners or in the awarding of prizes; (f) any inability of the winner to accept the prize for any reason; (g) if a prize cannot be awarded due to delays or interruptions due to Acts of God, natural disasters, terrorism, weather, or any other similar event beyond FPA’s reasonable control; or (h) any damages, injuries, or losses of any kind caused by any prize or resulting from awarding, acceptance, possession, use, misuse, loss, or misdirection of any prize or resulting from participating in The Clive Awards 2023.

    If for any reason, The Clive Awards 2023 is not capable of running as planned due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, phone malfunctions, or any other causes beyond FPA’s control, which affects the proper conduct of The Clive Awards, FPA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend part or all of The Clive Awards 2023.

    PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CLIVE AWARDS IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, FPA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES AT LAW OR IN EQUITY FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

  12. Representations and Warranties/Indemnification: By entering The Clive Awards 2023, each Entrant represents and warrants as follows: (i) Entrant’s entry is Entrant’s own original work and was created solely by Entrant for the purpose of entering The Clive Awards and that Entrant owns and controls the entry and all rights in it throughout the world; (ii) the entry, as of the date of submission, is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim; (iii) the entry has not been previously published, produced, distributed, or otherwise exploited; (iv) the entry does not and will not infringe the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other personal or proprietary rights of any person or entity; (v) the entry does not and will not violate any applicable laws.
  13. Severability: The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Rules and Conditions shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these Rules and Conditions shall otherwise remain in effect and be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein. FPA’s failure to enforce any provision of these Rules and Conditions shall not constitute a waiver of such provision.
  14. Winners List: FPA will post a winner’s list at cliveawards.com.

*All fields required.