June 3 , 2008 From Martha Runyon:

New Brunswick, NJ...The Unlimited Potential Theater Company (UPTCo), a project ofVSA arts of New Jersey (VSA/NJ), is seeking poems, essays, short stories and plays by New Jersey residents eighteen years of age or over for its 15th annual Joyce Indik New Jersey Wordsmith Competition. The contest is open to all writers, and submissions by writers with disabilities are especially encouraged. All works submitted will be juried by a panel of judges who are professionals in the fields of theater and/or literature. Selected works will be showcased at the New Jersey Readers’ Theater. The reading will held in late fall 2008 during the Work in Process Forum, a weekend event designed for the sharing and development of new plays in an educational environment. The deadline for submissions is September 3, 2008.

VSA/NJ is a part of the international VSA arts network, an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and is dedicated to promoting the creative power of people with disabilities. UPTCo, a project of VSA/NJ, is an inclusive program designed to involve individuals with physical disabilities in all aspects of the performing arts.

Major funding for VSA arts of New Jersey is provided in part by the Middlesex County Cultural & Heritage Commission and NJ State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The content of this program was developed in part through funding provided by the central office of VSA arts, under an award from the U.S. Department of Education. However, the content does not necessarily reflect the policy of the U.S. Department of Education and endorsement should not be assumed.

There is a $15 entry fee for this competition. To request an application or to receive additional information, contact VSA arts of New Jersey, 703 Jersey Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901,
(732) 745-3885, 745-5935, or 745-3913 (TTY), info@vsanj.org, www.vsanj.org.