³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers (previously ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writersroom) is a cross-platform department which seeks out and develops new writing talent, with a strong emphasis on diversity and regionality, while also championing more experienced writers.
We work with a wide range of production departments across the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, with , and with Independent production companies across the UK.
We are part of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Drama Commissioning, within ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Public Service.
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Read our Annual Report for 2022/23
The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers team is thrilled to share our latest annual report covering activity and data for 22/23. We hope you enjoy reading about the many talented emerging writers we have worked with via our writer development groups and invite you to celebrate their successes with us. -
Read our Annual Report for 2021/22
Discover our development programmes, meet the 194 writers who took part, find out the partners we worked with, see case studies, credits, stats & more!
Where We Are
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers works with scriptwriters across the UK from our bases in London, Salford, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast.
Meet the Team and find out which staff are based in your area
Visit our blog for the latest news and updates, including behind-the-scenes insights from writers and producers of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ TV and radio programmes and top tips on script-writing. Follow the journeys of writers who have come through ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers schemes and opportunities.
How we work with writers
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers is the public face of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to the UK writing community, online and in the real world. Our focus is developing scriptwriters working in the English language. We run targeted Writers' Groups, support talent initiatives, offer career and script advice, and champion the writers we work with. We look for unique voices, identifying and developing talent through our schemes.
In partnership with ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ production departments, , and independent production companies we run:
- Scripted - a one-year development programme for writers identified through our Open Call submissions and other talent searches.
- Voices - a six-month development programme for writers indentified through our Open Call and divided into six nations/regions of the UK.
- Pilot - developing writers towards their first original script commission with a placement at an independent production company.
- Writers' Access Group - to give talented disabled writers the chance to expand their writing skills and to be offered opportunities in TV and Radio at the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.
- Write Across - an eight week writer development programme focussing on a particular location, run with local partner organisations.
- Short Form Content - supporting writers to develop scripts for digital platforms, such as The Break for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three and Fright Shorts for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ iPlayer, our award-winning lockdown shorts InterConnected, or for broadcast at live events, like our Festival Monologues.
- We support other ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ department's talent initiatives, for example Find Me Funny with ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales, the Dumping Ground Writers' Shadow Scheme with C³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award with Radio Drama North.
Read more about our Successes
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers within the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ
Addressing specific Production needs
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers staff attend development meetings and work as an internal agent, suggesting writers for specific projects. We also run other workshops on request (for example on storylining with the Natural History Unit).
The development of writers for the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Continuing Dramas (EastEnders, Casualty, River City) is managed by through the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Studios Writers' Academy. We support ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Studios with their Writers' Academy and Writers' Workshop with application windows advertised on our Opportunities page and entries made via our online E-submissions system.
A Lab for New Forms of Storytelling
The award-winning The Last Hours of Laura K was a pioneering 24-hour long immersive drama, which placed the audience at the heart of the story. It was developed at a ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers residential and subsequently produced by us.
We also work with other ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Production departments including to explore fictional storytelling using new forms of technology and social media.
Find out more and try two AI storytelling projects on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Taster website
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Studios TalentWorks: Writers’ Studio: Soap, Writers’ Studio: Cosy Crime and The Writer Spotlight
As part of its industry leading training portfolio, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Studios TalentWorks provides training and development opportunities for emerging and established talent, bringing together, nurturing and championing the next generation of British storytellers.
Among the offering is a newly created The Writer Spotlight scheme, which works with drama writers and comedy performers, who have previously worked on commissioned series, to develop and harness their own ideas and IP through workshops, events and access to industry experts.
For new and developing writing talent, it offers the Writers Studio: Soap, and Writers Studio: Cosy Crime courses. These courses give new talent the opportunity to work in ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Studios Drama Productions on major shows including EastEnders, Casualty, River City, Pobol y Cwm, Father Brown and Sister Boniface Mysteries and learn how to craft successful episodes.
to find out more about Writers’ Studio: Soap, Writers’ Studio: Cosy Crime and The Writer Spotlight.
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers within the Industry
In addition to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ in-house, we work in partnership with and independent production companies across the UK.
For Pilot, writers are placed with independent production companies to develop their first original script commission.
Other recent partnerships with companies across the industry include:
- Comedy Writers’ Programme
- Kudos North Writers’ Award
- Hartswood West Writers’ Scheme
- Zodiak Kids Writers' Award
- The Comedy Unit - NI writers placed on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ NI comedy series Soft Border Patrol and Scottish writers placed on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Scotland comedy series Scot Squad
- Gusman Productions – writers placed on Sketchtopia on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4
We welcome approaches from Independent companies who have a track record of making quality Drama for broadcast, and a history of supportive and creative relationships with writers. We would be happy to meet and discuss whether we could support your scripted development slate for the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy
From 2021, Comedy writer, writer/performer, director and producer development is looked after by ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy Commissioning, which brings together all comedy outreach that is happening across the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ under one strategy.
The separate Caroline Aherne Bursary, Felix Dexter Bursary and Galton & Simpson Bursary for writers have been brought together with two new bursaries for directors and producers into the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy Collective, a supercharged bursary scheme offering 10 places each year to up-and-coming writers, producers and directors who’d like to develop their careers in scripted comedy.
Find out more about the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy Collective leaders and alumni
We will no longer open a window specifically for Comedy script submissions or run further Comedy Room writer development groups via ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Writers.
Interested in breaking into Comedy?
Visit the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy Commissioning website to find out about more opportunities
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