Late Windrush Victim's Compensation Funds New Prize for British Caribbean Playwrights

The first major prize dedicated to discovering and developing British Caribbean playwrights in 30 years has been established using compensation money from a Windrush victim who died before receiving it. The Windrush Prize for British Caribbean Playwrights was founded by Shereener Browne, founder and artistic director of Orísun Productions and a former barrister, in memory of her late father, Myron Brown.

The prize offers £10,000 to a UK-based British Caribbean playwright over 18. The winning play will receive a minimum three-week run at the Arcola Theatre in 2027, co-produced by Arcola and Orísun Productions, and will be published by Methuen Drama. The prize is open to both represented and unrepresented playwrights, requiring submissions of unpublished full-length plays.

The launch coincides with Windrush Day events across the UK, commemorating the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush in 1948. Browne's father came to Britain from St Kitts and Nevis in the 1960s and lived and worked for decades before being told he was no longer a British citizen when trying to renew his passport. He was among thousands of mainly Black Britons wrongly classed as illegal migrants and stripped of citizenship rights. Browne said this devastated his sense of identity and mental health.

Browne applied to the Windrush Compensation Scheme on her father's behalf after he developed dementia and strokes. He died before the money was paid despite requests to expedite the claim. After his death, she had to go through probate to access the compensation, which she described as retraumatizing. Government figures show over 50 people died awaiting payouts.

Browne said she wanted something positive to come from the loss. The prize aims to address the underrepresentation of British Caribbean voices in theatre and create lasting pathways for overlooked stories. New research from British Future's Voices of Equity project found only 41% of ethnic minority young people aged 18-24 are aware of the Windrush story, and 31% of white peers.

As part of the initiative, Orísun Productions will run workshops, seminars and networking events. Elsewhere, a permanent Windrush-inspired heritage trail was launched in Hammersmith to celebrate African-Caribbean history and contributions to British culture.