INK Wins Prestigious 2025 ABTT Stephen Joseph Award

INK Festival has been awarded the 2025 ABTT Stephen Joseph Award, recognising its ground-breaking work that has changed the UK performing arts landscape in terms of audience involvement and theatrical possibility. The award ceremony was held at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on Friday 5 December.

During the presentation, the ABTT and Stephen Joseph commitee shared the following statement:

“The impact of this year’s winner has been remarkable and far-reaching. Over the past ten years, they have transformed the arts in a small Suffolk market town into the country’s leading short play festival. Last year alone, they attracted over a thousand new scripts, producing more than 70 for delighted audiences in unique venues ranging from barns and buses to car showrooms and food-bank larders. Their work has created a thriving cottage industry, engaging the local community and networks across East Anglia and beyond. The panel was especially impressed by the care taken at every stage - from workshops for new writers, to script selection, development and clustering those selected into thematic groups for professional actor - each stage leaving a lasting ripple effect on everyone involved.”

The award announcement continued:

“…so it gives me great pleasure to annouce that the winner of the 2025 ABTT Stephen Joseph Award is: INK Festival. Congratulations to the entire team for this outstanding achievement - Stephen Joseph would be very proud”

A further statement highlighted the essence of the award:

“INK was awarded the Stephen Joseph award for... ground breaking work that has changed the UK performing arts landscape in terms of audience involvement and theatrical possibility.”

This significant national recognition celebrates INK’s creative ambition, its commitment to new writing, and its ability to bring theatre to unexpected places while engaging communities across Suffolk, East Anglia and beyond.