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Steve Waters is a Professor of Scriptwriting at the University of East Anglia's School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing. He serves as convenor of the MA in Creative Writing: Scriptwriting programme and supervises 5 Creative/Critical PhD students. Waters is an active member of both the Creative Writing Research Group Steering Committee and CreativeUEA, with a particular focus on climate-related creative work through ClimateUEA. His office is located in room 1.18 of the Arts and Humanities Building at UEA.
Waters is a prolific playwright working across stage, radio, and screen, often focusing on political and climate change themes. His research interests include playwriting pedagogy, climate change drama, and the relationship between science and artistic practice. He has been described as "one of the UK's most accomplished political playwrights" and has been at the forefront of artistic practice related to climate change since creating The Contingency Plan in 2009. His work frequently explores how drama can address complex social and environmental issues through innovative forms including site-specific performances at nature reserves.
Waters' recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on climate change narratives through multiple media forms. His work shows an evolution from traditional theatre to site-specific environmental performances and radio dramas that engage directly with ecological issues. The Song of the Reed series represents a significant body of work combining artistic practice with conservation efforts at Wicken Fen and Strumpshaw Fen nature reserves. His scholarship bridges creative practice and academic inquiry, particularly in understanding how drama can contribute to public discourse on sustainability.
- BBC Audio Drama Awards 2023 for Song of the Reed
- Caucasian Chalk Circle nominated for Best Revival and Best Performance (2023)
- Nominated in top ten Outdoor Theatre shows by Outdoor Theatre conference for Murmurations
- Nominated for Best Fiction Podcast by British Podcasting Society 2020 for Fall of the Shah
Professor Waters has successfully secured significant research funding including an AHRC Leadership Fellowship for "The Song of the Reeds: Dramatising Conservation" and multiple Arts and Humanities Research Council grants. He supervises five PhD students working on creative/critical projects and has been instrumental in developing playwriting pedagogy through his involvement with the British Theatre Conference and numerous workshops. His impact extends beyond academia through collaborations with major theatres including the Donmar Warehouse, Bush Theatre, and Sheffield Theatres.
Waters leads the "Song of the Reed" creative research project, which involves collaborations with Wicken Fen and Strumpshaw Fen nature reserves. He co-convened the Writing and Science Project at UEA and continues to develop interdisciplinary work through ClimateUEA. His current projects include "Dodo, Phoenix, Butterfly" - a collaboration exploring future climate scenarios, and ongoing work with the Creative Writing Research Group to advance understanding of scriptwriting as both practice and scholarly inquiry.
