 In the first twelve years of its existence the SSP received funding from the Scottish Arts Council.This meant that, besides such tasks as negotiating the first national contract for playwrights with the Federation of Scottish
Theatre and representing playwrights in dispute with theatre managements, the Society was able to act as a major development agency for playwrights.During this period, based on the work of the US National Playwrights' Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Center, it developed the model of playwrights' workshops that is now recognised and used throughout the UK by such institutions as North West Playwrights Workshop and the Performing Arts
Lab.