Playwright’s £4,900 to combat homophobia

An Oldham playwright has been awarded a £4,900 Lottery grant to create and direct a new work about homophobia in school.

Billy Cowan, originally from Northern Ireland, now runs the Writing Lab at Oldham Coliseum Theatre.

The Lottery grant means his theatre company, Truant, will be able to stage his new play “Care Takers”.

It is Billy’s view about homophobia in school seen from the point of view of an experienced deputy head teacher dealing with an idealistic new teacher who suspects a pupil is being bullied because he is gay.

Billy said: “I was bullied at school for being gay and I know homophobia still goes on in schools, but this is looking at the issues behind the scenes.

“The money is very helpful to put on the play and also to allow me to direct my own work.”

Billy’s debut as director is being mentored by the Coliseum’s artistic director, Kevin Shaw, and Oldham people will be able to see “Care Takers” at the Coliseum in July during the Wordsmiths Festival.

But before then it will also be performed in Dublin and and at the Lowry in Salford.

Billy has been working at the Coliseum for almost three years, and teaches writing to a local group of 15 people every two weeks, giving them the chance to read their own plays and then subject them to constructive criticism.

The new Lottery awards are made by Arts Council England. Since February, 13 projects in the North-West have been awarded a total of £215,098. Aileen McEvoy, interim executive director of Arts Council England North-West, said: “These awards create a range of artistic activities for communities in the region and support the Arts Council’s work in getting great art to everyone.”to stage his new work.