INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS INC

What INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS INC does

International Centre for Women Playwrights Inc (ICWP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1989 and incorporated in the State of Ohio, USA. It serves women playwrights globally across at least 17 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Finland, Singapore, South Africa, India, and Italy. The organization operates as a virtual entity with 1-10 employees and no physical headquarters, conducting its activities through its website (womenplaywrights.org), email discussion lists, and digital community channels.

ICWP's core product surface includes the Script Search Database (a curated catalogue of 900+ plays written by women for stage, screen, TV, radio, and musicals as of January 2019), the ICWP Connect email discussion list, grant programs (including the Amy Oestreicher Grant), script feedback groups, and publications such as the Scenes From A Diverse World anthology. The organization previously administered the 50/50 Applause Awards from 2012 through 2018, recognizing theatres achieving gender equity in producing women playwrights. Its technology backbone is the Wild Apricot membership management platform, which powers the member directory, membership administration, and online sign-up workflows.

ICWP is funded primarily through tiered membership dues (including a free Sister/Mister tier for playwrights without means and a paid Sister/Mister Plus tier) and tax-deductible donations. Pricing specifics are not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on email outreach, content marketing via the CENTRE STAGE blog, and member referrals to drive acquisition and retention among its individual member base of women playwrights.

Name

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS INC

Legal name

International Centre for Women Playwrights Inc

Website

https://womenplaywrights.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International Centre for Women Playwrights is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving women playwrights globally through a script database, email discussion list, publications, grants, and advocacy programs for gender equity in theatre.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Support Services

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Playwriting & Scriptwriting Workshops (Stage) (EDAMAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Publishing & Submission Prep Workshops (Query Letters, Agents, Journals) (EDAMAMAI)

Keywords

• Women playwrights support
• Theatre arts nonprofit
• Playwriting community
• Gender equity theatre
• Script development

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Tiered membership program with paid membership options ranging from free tiers to paid subscriptions. Some memberships are free, with those who have means encouraged to pay to support playwrights in developing countries.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations to support women playwrights and organizational programs. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit virtual organization that supports women playwrights worldwide through a searchable Script Search Database of over 900 plays, the 50/50 Applause Awards program honoring gender-equity theatres, an email discussion list, grant programs, peer script feedback groups, publications, and online workshops. It operates as a membership-based community funded by dues and donations, connecting playwrights globally.

Product overview

ICWP is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of programs for women playwrights including the Script Search database (900+ plays), 50/50 Applause Awards recognizing gender equity in theatre, the ICWP Connect email discussion list, grant programs, script feedback groups, and various publications including the Scenes From A Diverse World anthology. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit incorporated in Ohio, USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Script Search Database A searchable online database of scripts written by women playwrights for stage, screen, TV, radio and musicals. Used by artists, producers, actors, and students to find original plays written by women.
• 50/50 Applause Awards Award program recognizing theatres worldwide that achieve at least 50% gender equity in producing female playwrights. Instituted in 2012 and recognizing theatres across Australia, Canada, Finland, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, the United States, and Wales; program was paused after 2018.
• ICWP Connect Email Discussion List A free-form email discussion list that enables ICWP members to discuss playwrighting topics, share opportunities and announcements, and provide peer support and encouragement.
• Scenes From A Diverse World Anthology A 600+ page international anthology containing 73 scenes from plays about diversity, authored by female playwrights from multiple countries, published by ICWP for college drama teachers, educators, and students.
• 3-Minute Play Contest An annual short-play contest run by ICWP to provide women playwrights with opportunities to showcase their work.
• Grant Programs Grant programs that provide financial support to women playwrights, including the Amy Oestreicher Grant and other fundraising-based awards.
• Script Feedback Group A peer-feedback program in which ICWP members provide and receive constructive criticism on scripts, with seasonal offerings such as Summer Shorts and Fall Follies.
• ICWP Publications A collection of ICWP publications including Seasons Magazine, Singular Voices (dramatic monologues for men and women), Mother Daughter Monologues, and Scripts By Women collections.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• PEN America: Writers' advocacy organization promoting literature and freedom of expression — adjacent in serving writers (including playwrights as literary creators) but with a much broader advocacy mission and donor base.
• The Authors Guild: Oldest U.S. professional organization for published authors — adjacent peer offering membership, advocacy, and contract support to writers, though primarily book authors rather than playwrights.
• Theatre Communications Group (TCG): National service organization for the nonprofit theatre field — adjacent as a membership/service body for theatre but serves institutions (theatres) rather than individual playwrights.
• Playwrights Horizons: Off-Broadway theatre dedicated to developing and producing new American plays — adjacent in advancing playwright careers but operates a producing theatre rather than a support/membership organization.
• Dramatists Guild Foundation: Charitable arm of the Dramatists Guild providing grants and emergency support to playwrights — directly comparable in providing playwright grants, but as the foundation layer of the larger Dramatists Guild ecosystem.

Direct peers

• National New Play Network: National alliance of theatres supporting new play production and playwright development — directly comparable as a membership-based network advancing new plays, though broader in scope than ICWP's women-playwright focus.
• The Lilly Awards: Awards program recognizing women working in theatre (playwrights, directors, designers) — closely comparable in mission to advance women playwrights and overlaps directly with ICWP's 50/50 Applause Awards concept.
• The Playwrights' Center: Minneapolis-based organization supporting playwrights through development programs, fellowships, and resources — directly comparable mission of advancing playwright craft and production, though without ICWP's women-only focus.

Emerging players

• New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA): Provides grants, resources, and fiscal sponsorship to individual artists including playwrights — overlaps in mission to support playwright livelihoods but serves broader arts disciplines beyond stage writing.

Broad incumbents

• Dramatists Guild: Larger, established professional association for playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists — directly comparable member-services model but serves all dramatists rather than ICWP's women-only niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-international-centre-for-women-playwrights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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