The organizing committee of the annual Wuzhen Theatre Festival in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, released the themes and guidelines for this year's Emerging Theatre Artists' Competition on Friday.

Applications to the competition and the festival's Outdoor Carnival section opened the same day.

Established in 2013, the competition is a core festival program that supports young theater practitioners by providing a platform for showcasing original works and receiving professional exposure.

Each year, the committee members give three keywords for which applicants submit a short stage production recording. Short-listed works are invited to perform and compete on-site at the West Warehouse Theatre during the festival.

The competition issues awards for Best Play, Most Outstanding Artist and a Special Prize for Excellence. Winners are offered opportunities in international theater festivals such as the Avignon Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

For this year's 12th edition, the keywords are "meteor, credit card, and peony". Participants must incorporate these elements into their original theatrical works, and each performance cannot exceed 30 minutes.

Applications are open until midday on Aug 20 on the festival's official site. Eighteen short-listed works will be chosen and announced on Sept 21.