The Virgin Labfest (VLF), the country’s premier festival of untried, untested, and un-staged one-act plays, is now accepting applications for its Writing Fellowship Program (WFP). Applications will be accepted until 30 April at 11:59 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time).

The program is open to college students and young professionals aged 18 to 29 whose works have not yet been produced by a professional theater company or published in a national or international literary journal. Applicants must also not have received first, second, or third prize in any national or international playwriting or screenwriting competition.

Aspiring fellows are required to submit a fully accomplished application form via tinyurl.com/VLFXXIWFPApplicationForm, along with one to two original sample plays written in English or Filipino.

Submissions must be in PDF format, using 12-point font, double-spaced, and set on 8.5-by-11-inch pages. Manuscripts must not contain identifying marks, and the total length of all submitted works must not exceed 10 pages. All entries must be solely authored by the applicant.

Complete guidelines are available at tinyurl.com/VLFXXIWFPApplicationGuidelines.

Once submitted, applications are considered final. Only those with complete and compliant requirements will advance in the screening process. The list of selected writing fellows will be announced on 20 May.

Organized by the Artist Training Division under the Arts Education Department of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the two-week mentorship program will run from 16 to 28 June 2026, through a hybrid setup combining online sessions via Zoom and onsite activities at the CCP Complex.

Selected fellows will participate in lectures, discussions and workshops focused on playwriting and script critique, sharpening both craft and critical perspective. The program also opens opportunities for dialogue with established playwrights and directors through talkback sessions.

The fellowship culminates in a staged reading of the fellows’ works on 28 June 2026, as part of the 21st edition of the VLF Writing Fellowship Program. Meanwhile, Virgin Labfest 2026 will run from 3 to 28 June at the Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez, CCP Complex, Pasay City.

For inquiries, contact the CCP Artist Training Division at ccp.vlfwfp@gmail.com. More information on current and upcoming programs is available on the CCP’s official website. Updates may also be accessed through its social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.