NSDF is back in Edinburgh for the fifth year running with Methuen Drama, The Pleasance, IdeasTap and NSDF Edinburgh Emerging Artists’ Competition in association with Royal Shakespeare Company and Spotlight. NSDF11 Selectors will be picking the very best of student new work from the Fringe and will transfer the most outstanding piece to the RSC, Stratford on 18th September in the Swan as the only show at their classical training conference and then on to The Pleasance, Islington as part of their Autumn 2011 season (22 to 24 September).

What's more, NSDF will also support the winning production with expert guidance from a professional director, workshops from the Royal Shakespeare Company and £1000 prize money to go towards transfer costs to the RSC and Pleasance. NSDF will provide accommodation in Stratford and all marketing and technical support for both venues. Competition winners will need to pay their own travel costs for both venues and accommodation costs for the Pleasance, London.

The NSDF Selectors (Lucy Briers, Tamara Harvey, Holly Kendrick, David Newman and Chris Thorpe) will be seeking out exceptional new talent as well as remounting the most outstanding new piece of work.

In 2007 this led to Tony! The Blair Musical selling out it's run at The Pleasance, London. In 2008 they transferred Ella Hickson's Eight, winner of a Fringe First and the Carol Tambor Award, and in 2009 Reuben Johnson's Territory proved to be such a hit it was presented again by The Pleasance in 2010. That year also saw Fringe First and Adelaide Festival winners Bear Trap Theatre Company's Bound sell out before transferring to Australia and a UK tour in summer 2011.

You can enter your production if you are 16 or over, have been a student within the last year, and are involved with a theatrical production that is taking place at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe during August 2011 and has not been produced professional in the UK before.

Once we have received your application NSDF will contact you and agree a date when a member of the NSDF Selectors can come and see your production. You need to make sure that a member of your team can meet the NSDF Selector 10 minutes before your show on the agreed selection performance and give them two complimentary tickets for the performance. Everyone that enters a show has to carry the Methuen Drama, The Pleasance, IdeasTap and NSDF Edinburgh Emerging Artists’ Competition logo and copy on any publicity (posters, flyers, programme).

On Friday 26 August NSDF will invite everyone who has taken part in the competition to an awards ceremony taking place 13:00 - 14:00 at AceDome, where everyone will be welcome to have a drink and hear the final shortlist and winner.

If you are a producer why not apply to win a place on Stage One's producers workshop too?