Open Call SSB2026 Play That Story!
OPEN CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS
Summer Scriptwriting Base #10
PLAY THAT STORY!
July 17 - 26, 2026
Dolen, Bulgaria
READY TO EMBARK ON AN EXCITING CREATIVE ADVENTURE?
Summer Scriptwriting Base is an immersive learning experience for the storytellers of today and tomorrow. It is a unique blend of summer school, creative adventure, and rural retreat. Here, you will explore and gain hands-on experience in emerging forms and approaches to storytelling, including interactive, immersive, and transmedia narratives, game and experience design, live-action role-playing, and AI-assisted storytelling. The experience will push your creative boundaries and connect you with a global community of forward-thinking creatives.
THEME
The theme of our 2026 creative adventure is Play That Story!
Summer Scriptwriting Base has always been about creating playful immersive experiences where the location and the surroundings become a playground to work within - a place where participants can play out, enact, and experiment with different approaches to storytelling, and where creativity and fun are our modus operandi.
Additionally, the theme reflects the particular focus we will give this year to story forms that directly turn narratives into playful experiences: embodied and cocreated storytelling, and stories powered by elements of game design.
All the world's a playground - time to play our stories!
PARTICIPANTS
Your allies on this journey will be creative minds from all over the world. Summer Scriptwriting Base is a real creative boost - a truly transformative experience of learning, creating, and sharing. It offers a custom-tailored experience for creative content makers: theatre and cinema professionals, writers, game and experience designers, new media artists, educators, people from creative industries, and anyone else who strongly relies on creativity in their professional work.
BASE
The Play That Story! experience place in the picturesque mountain village of Dolen. Considered one of the most beautiful villages in Bulgaria, Dolen is nestled deep within the Rhodope Mountains. The village is renowned for its well-preserved traditional houses, earning it the status of a National Architectural Reserve.The Rhodope Mountains are among Bulgaria’s most unspoiled regions, offering breathtaking views and a rich cultural heritage. According to legend, these mountains were home to the mythological musician Orpheus. More recently, Dolen’s traditional singing was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Participants will be accommodated in charming, authentic 19th-century mountain houses, providing an immersive and inspiring atmosphere.
MENTORS
Our extraordinary team of experienced professionals will teach, guide and inspire you on this creative adventure.
MEET YOUR MENTORS & EXPLORE THE PROGRAM
HOW TO JOIN THE ADVENTURE?
To join us on this exciting journey, please complete the application form. As applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and the number of participants is limited to twenty, we encourage you to apply as early as possible, and no later than May 15, 2026. We hope to see you in July!
MORE INFO ON THE PARTICIPATION FEE & APPLICATION PROCESS
WHAT PARTICIPANTS ARE SAYING
"A creative reset. Creative fulfilment. Inspirational in every way. Nature. Stunning."
"Wonderful people, a warm atmosphere, and an experience that was both creatively inspiring and recharging."
"Fantastic, I keep recommending it to fellow creatives."