Ben SantaMaria
@bensantamaria.bsky.social
Writer | queer (they/them) | BAFTA Connect member | Paines Plough mentored writer 2024-26/Mercury Theatre Playwright | AD flamingtheatre.bsky.social | BFI NETWORK South East Script Lab shortlist | dramaturg @theatre503.bsky.social | MDANT bensantamaria.com
So grateful to be awarded a Peggy Ramsay Foundation grant - and double the amount I requested! Huge affirmation for me about a risk-taking play I’ve believed in for many years and can finally develop for a production.
October 20, 2025 at 7:39 AM
So grateful to be awarded a Peggy Ramsay Foundation grant - and double the amount I requested! Huge affirmation for me about a risk-taking play I’ve believed in for many years and can finally develop for a production.
What movie do you consider “perfect”?
September 20, 2025 at 9:07 PM
What movie do you consider “perfect”?
share one of your favorite moments from a HORROR film or TV show 🎥📺🖤
August 30, 2025 at 11:23 AM
share one of your favorite moments from a HORROR film or TV show 🎥📺🖤
Obviously, Control.
But I’d pine for Velvet Rope.
But I’d pine for Velvet Rope.
You can only listen to ONE Janet Jackson album for the rest of your life—which one do you choose?
album.ink/JJacksonDisc
album.ink/JJacksonDisc
August 20, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Obviously, Control.
But I’d pine for Velvet Rope.
But I’d pine for Velvet Rope.
Dog Eat Dog.
In your opinion, which album in Joni Mitchell's discography is the most underappreciated? | Explore our readers' poll results here: album.ink/JMitchellPoll
August 10, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Dog Eat Dog.
Reposted by Ben SantaMaria
🔴Reform Council Bans All Mentions of Climate Change While Quietly Taking Green Funds From Government
Reform-run West Northamptonshire is removing all references to ‘climate change’ and ‘net zero’ from official documents yet continuing to take government green grants
bylinetimes.com/2025/07/23/r...
Reform-run West Northamptonshire is removing all references to ‘climate change’ and ‘net zero’ from official documents yet continuing to take government green grants
bylinetimes.com/2025/07/23/r...
Reform Council Bans All Mentions of Climate Change While Quietly Taking Green Funds From Government
Reform-run West Northamptonshire is removing all references to ‘climate change’ and ‘net zero’ from official documents, yet continuing to take government green grants
bylinetimes.com
July 24, 2025 at 9:12 AM
🔴Reform Council Bans All Mentions of Climate Change While Quietly Taking Green Funds From Government
Reform-run West Northamptonshire is removing all references to ‘climate change’ and ‘net zero’ from official documents yet continuing to take government green grants
bylinetimes.com/2025/07/23/r...
Reform-run West Northamptonshire is removing all references to ‘climate change’ and ‘net zero’ from official documents yet continuing to take government green grants
bylinetimes.com/2025/07/23/r...
Reposted by Ben SantaMaria
If you work in #Theatre or #TV please give this a little share.
London Summer Social for #Playwrights #Screenwriters & their friends! THIS THURS 23rd July 7-10pm at Soho Theatre WALTHAMSTOW. All levels of experience. Come with friends or come alone! #SupportPlaywrightsSummerSocial
London Summer Social for #Playwrights #Screenwriters & their friends! THIS THURS 23rd July 7-10pm at Soho Theatre WALTHAMSTOW. All levels of experience. Come with friends or come alone! #SupportPlaywrightsSummerSocial
July 22, 2025 at 7:55 PM
If you work in #Theatre or #TV please give this a little share.
London Summer Social for #Playwrights #Screenwriters & their friends! THIS THURS 23rd July 7-10pm at Soho Theatre WALTHAMSTOW. All levels of experience. Come with friends or come alone! #SupportPlaywrightsSummerSocial
London Summer Social for #Playwrights #Screenwriters & their friends! THIS THURS 23rd July 7-10pm at Soho Theatre WALTHAMSTOW. All levels of experience. Come with friends or come alone! #SupportPlaywrightsSummerSocial
I only wish I’d had the option to be recognised as non-binary for my whole life. It would’ve made so much difference and saved me from so many toxic ‘friendships’. It’s still a struggle to deal with binary people and behaviour but I’m so glad to have partly escaped that binary trap.
Today is International Non-Binary People's Day and the first day of Non-Binary Awareness Week
The day was first celebrated in 2012, started by Katje van Loon. The date was chosen for being precisely midway between International Women's Day and International Men's Day.
The day was first celebrated in 2012, started by Katje van Loon. The date was chosen for being precisely midway between International Women's Day and International Men's Day.
July 14, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I only wish I’d had the option to be recognised as non-binary for my whole life. It would’ve made so much difference and saved me from so many toxic ‘friendships’. It’s still a struggle to deal with binary people and behaviour but I’m so glad to have partly escaped that binary trap.
Lovely community creation by @annaruthjordan.bsky.social & co again. 🥳 I wonder if we can also ripple this out online? Folk keep saying they miss Theatre/Screen Tw***er for contacts & advice, but we have Bluesky. Just need to collectively talk here more instead of Meta. But real world’s best, obvs!
Playwrights! Screenwriters! Friends of playwrights and screenwriters! If you're in London on the 24th July PLEASE join us for a #SupportPlaywrightsSummerSocial at Soho Theatre Walthamstow. Pls share.
July 13, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Lovely community creation by @annaruthjordan.bsky.social & co again. 🥳 I wonder if we can also ripple this out online? Folk keep saying they miss Theatre/Screen Tw***er for contacts & advice, but we have Bluesky. Just need to collectively talk here more instead of Meta. But real world’s best, obvs!
So annoyed Theatre & Film Tw***er hasn’t migrated here and still hangs out on Meta. Thought the whole point was to go somewhere more progressive but all the main industry action’s still on Insta. 🫠
July 4, 2025 at 10:07 PM
So annoyed Theatre & Film Tw***er hasn’t migrated here and still hangs out on Meta. Thought the whole point was to go somewhere more progressive but all the main industry action’s still on Insta. 🫠
Reposted by Ben SantaMaria
Just a reminder that generative AI is theft of labor and intellectual property, uses vast amounts of energy/ water, provides at best mediocre results (if not outright lies or misinformation), actually affects your ability to think over time (mind duh), and is in general a really fucking bad idea.
June 19, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Just a reminder that generative AI is theft of labor and intellectual property, uses vast amounts of energy/ water, provides at best mediocre results (if not outright lies or misinformation), actually affects your ability to think over time (mind duh), and is in general a really fucking bad idea.
Not gonna trust anyone who gives PLAINCLOTHES less than 5 stars. Blown away by the BAFTA screening tonight.
Congrats to Carmen Emmi and the “Plainclothes” team! Premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast. 👏
Magnolia Pictures (@magnoliapics.bsky.social) picks up worldwide rights for a Fall theatrical release!
Magnolia Pictures (@magnoliapics.bsky.social) picks up worldwide rights for a Fall theatrical release!
Magnolia Takes Global Rights To Sundance-Winning Thriller ‘Plainclothes’
Magnolia Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to the Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey thriller Plainclothes from filmmaker Carmen Emmi.
deadline.com
June 11, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Not gonna trust anyone who gives PLAINCLOTHES less than 5 stars. Blown away by the BAFTA screening tonight.
Reposted by Ben SantaMaria
dead pleased to announce the Y3 cohort of our Tour the Writer development programme.
14 writers from 7 areas across the country who will continue their mentorship over the next year, culminating in a showcase of their work.
Find out more about the cohort here: painesplough.com/news/announc...
14 writers from 7 areas across the country who will continue their mentorship over the next year, culminating in a showcase of their work.
Find out more about the cohort here: painesplough.com/news/announc...
Announcing our Mentored Writers for Year 3 of Tour the Writer - Paines Plough
We’re delighted to announce year three of Tour the Writer, our multi-year writer development programme in partnership with seven locations around the country. We’ve selected two writers from each of t...
painesplough.com
May 30, 2025 at 1:28 PM
dead pleased to announce the Y3 cohort of our Tour the Writer development programme.
14 writers from 7 areas across the country who will continue their mentorship over the next year, culminating in a showcase of their work.
Find out more about the cohort here: painesplough.com/news/announc...
14 writers from 7 areas across the country who will continue their mentorship over the next year, culminating in a showcase of their work.
Find out more about the cohort here: painesplough.com/news/announc...
Thrilled to continue developing a play that means so much to me in Year 3 of Tour the Writer with the incredible support of @painesplough.bsky.social & @mercurytheatre.bsky.social. Year 2 was a blast with my Mercury writers gang. Looking forward to more fun leading up to our showcase next year. 🙏
May 30, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Thrilled to continue developing a play that means so much to me in Year 3 of Tour the Writer with the incredible support of @painesplough.bsky.social & @mercurytheatre.bsky.social. Year 2 was a blast with my Mercury writers gang. Looking forward to more fun leading up to our showcase next year. 🙏
Another spellbinding Patrick Wolf show. Tears of laughter when he called that tech-wrecked old Astoria part of London “Dubai”. And in full tears at the beauty and grief and genius on display.
May 16, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Another spellbinding Patrick Wolf show. Tears of laughter when he called that tech-wrecked old Astoria part of London “Dubai”. And in full tears at the beauty and grief and genius on display.
Reposted by Ben SantaMaria
C'mon , let's get fossil fuel ads banned . . . first step , a debate in Parliament . Will you be the 100,000th signature on my petition ? Sign at govpetition.uk/700024 – almost there !
May 8, 2025 at 7:39 PM
C'mon , let's get fossil fuel ads banned . . . first step , a debate in Parliament . Will you be the 100,000th signature on my petition ? Sign at govpetition.uk/700024 – almost there !
Reposted by Ben SantaMaria
Reposted by Ben SantaMaria
A bunch of wonderful playwrights (headed up by @kaylatmf.bsky.social ) have been working in support of the trans community in wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling organising this open letter in support & solidarity. We have over 1500 names. If yr a UK-based writer & pls add your name
over 1500 UK writers including caryl churchill, hollie mcnish, michaela coel & max porter (pick your genre) signed this letter and call to action in support of the trans community. if you’re a UK writer, sign. if you know a UK writer, send it to ‘em!
docs.google.com/document/u/0...
docs.google.com/document/u/0...
An Open Letter of Solidarity With the Trans Community from UK Writers
An Open Letter of Solidarity With the Trans Community from UK Writers The UK Supreme Court ruling of 16th April 2025 was the result of a coordinated and privately funded attack on the human rights an...
docs.google.com
April 23, 2025 at 7:04 AM
A bunch of wonderful playwrights (headed up by @kaylatmf.bsky.social ) have been working in support of the trans community in wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling organising this open letter in support & solidarity. We have over 1500 names. If yr a UK-based writer & pls add your name
Just a quick reminder that this is the best pop video ever.
Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Beethoven (I Love to Listen To) (Official Video)
YouTube video by EurythmicsVEVO
youtu.be
March 27, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Just a quick reminder that this is the best pop video ever.
Reposted by Ben SantaMaria
Israeli forces arrested Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land,' in the occupied West Bank after settlers beat and injured him, according to his colleague
‘No Other Land’ co-director attacked by Israeli settlers and arrested
The film is an Oscar-winning documentary collaboration by Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers.
aje.io
March 24, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Israeli forces arrested Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land,' in the occupied West Bank after settlers beat and injured him, according to his colleague
The poster’s the only thing that’s dated about this masterpiece, which is on iPlayer now. Hadn’t revisited it in ages but can confirm STONEWALL (the 1995 version - not the dodgy later flop) is still one of the greatest films ever made.
March 24, 2025 at 11:14 PM
The poster’s the only thing that’s dated about this masterpiece, which is on iPlayer now. Hadn’t revisited it in ages but can confirm STONEWALL (the 1995 version - not the dodgy later flop) is still one of the greatest films ever made.
I’m not convinced most people are actually using Bluesky. And a lot are still posting on X(terminate). Just isn’t taking off, which is slightly worrying.
March 20, 2025 at 9:46 PM
I’m not convinced most people are actually using Bluesky. And a lot are still posting on X(terminate). Just isn’t taking off, which is slightly worrying.
Fab BAFTA Connect LGBTQIA+ Creatives networking night. Always reassuring to hear others admit they find networking awks but still keep showing up at events and being lovely to chat with. Big congrats to the new BAFTA x BFI NETWORK Flare mentees who were announced there too. #BAFTAConnect #BFIFlare
March 20, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Fab BAFTA Connect LGBTQIA+ Creatives networking night. Always reassuring to hear others admit they find networking awks but still keep showing up at events and being lovely to chat with. Big congrats to the new BAFTA x BFI NETWORK Flare mentees who were announced there too. #BAFTAConnect #BFIFlare
Profoundly traumatic. Stunningly filmed and acted. Left me in a state of shock.
March 16, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Profoundly traumatic. Stunningly filmed and acted. Left me in a state of shock.