What is Write Across Birmingham and the Black Country?
Write Across Birmingham and the Black Country is an eight-week development programme specifically designed to support emerging writers and creatives who are at the early stages of their writing careers. Through a series of engaging workshops, expert-led sessions and networking opportunities, we'll explore the art of crafting compelling stories for television, empowering participants to develop their own new original series idea.
This professional development programme is led by ±«Óãtv Writers in collaboration with our programme partner organisations: ; ; ; ; ; and .
Selected writers will take part in a range of craft and industry sessions designed to grow their professional skills, cover the foundations of storytelling for the screen, and demystify the process of writing for television. They will learn how to generate exciting ideas for television by analysing recent shows that have resonated with audiences and exploring techniques that spark creativity. Writers will hear from industry guests such as screenwriters, producers, and commissioners, as well as connecting and developing working relationships with peers amongst the group.
During their time on the programme all participants will define and develop an original idea for a television drama or comedy drama series, laying the groundwork for a one-page pitch document. Writers will work collaboratively with support from the ±«Óãtv Writers team, industry experts and with their peers in the group to develop this idea, receiving editorial feedback and creative support along the way. It is hoped that the pitch will function as a creative springboard for the writer to develop further.
We are excited to invite up to 12 talented writers to join this programme, which will run from July to September 2024. Most sessions will be delivered digitally via online video calls, allowing flexibility, with select in-person sessions and workshops taking place in the Black Country and wider West Midlands region. Participants can expect approximately one workshop session per week, lasting 90 minutes to two hours. Participants’ commitment to attending all sessions is vital, and we will strive to accommodate the group’s existing work and personal commitments when scheduling. We will endeavour to give as much notice as possible regarding dates and times of sessions, but we might need to be flexible on occasion, owing to speaker availability. On those exceptional occasions where participants cannot attend live, we will endeavour to record the sessions. Support will be provided for any participants who need assistance accessing the online workshops.
To ensure accessibility, this programme is free to attend for all successful applicants. We will cover all reasonable travel costs and access needs. Please note that this is a non-paid writing opportunity.
Who are we looking for?
We want to find the next wave of exciting and passionate storytellers from Birmingham and the Black Country. We are looking for a diverse mix of writers and creatives who are at the beginning of their television writing career but who can demonstrate an interest and commitment to dramatic writing, alongside a growing creative track record, e.g., attending local writing workshops or theatre groups, performing their own material, or writing short films/plays.
We’re looking for writers with an original voice, a fresh perspective, and a keen interest in the medium of television and learning more about writing for it. You do not need to have any produced TV, film or theatre credits in order to apply.
Given the specific remit of this programme it will not be suitable for writers who already have a TV credit.
Eligibility
Writers should be over the age of 18 and currently live full-time in Birmingham or the Black Country (specifically the City of Birmingham, and the metropolitan boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and the City of Wolverhampton).
You can check whether your address is within the eligible region on the gov.uk website at
We strongly encourage applications from individuals who have been historically under-represented in the screen industries.
How do I Apply?
Applications will only be accepted via the ±«Óãtv Writers E-submissions system during the submission window. Full details including Terms and Conditions of Entry and the link to submit your entry are available further down this page. Please read this information and the Terms and Conditions before submitting your entry. You will be asked to confirm this as part of the application process.
The ±«Óãtv will facilitate access and support participants through the process of application and interview stages. If you require support in making your application, including if you need support in accessing a computer/internet then please contact us at bbcwriters@bbc.co.uk or via one of the local partner organisations who can contact us on your behalf.
Once you have clicked on the link for the opportunity, you will firstly be asked to confirm your eligibility before entering. (*Please note* If you do not meet the listed criteria, you cannot enter the opportunity. If you still proceed with your application, your submission will be flagged as ineligible and you are unlikely to hear that this is the case until after the deadline has passed.)
You will then need to log in to your E-submissions account (or create an account if this is the first time you have entered) and fill in a simple application form along with uploading your script as a pdf file (maximum file size 10mb) and supporting information.
The application system will time users out after one hour of logging in and incomplete submissions will not be saved. It is therefore highly recommended that answers to application questions are prepared and saved outside of the system in advance, and the information copied and pasted into the system when applying.
What will I need to submit?
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A paragraph about your writing history. You do not need to have any credits, awards or professionally produced work. We just want to understand your passion for writing and a little bit of the journey you have been on up to this point.
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A sample of your previous dramatic writing. This should be an original written piece of drama or comedy-drama (we are unable to accept sit com scripts), in the form of a radio, theatre, television, or film script. Samples should be a minimum of 20 pages (excluding title and/or character pages) and submitted in the form of a complete script, we cannot accept unfinished scripts or extracts.
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Creative task. We would like you to imagine a lead character for an original new TV series set somewhere within the Birmingham and Black Country region. Please provide us with a sentence or two describing the idea for your show and then introduce us to your lead character by responding to the following character questions (just a sentence or two per question is ideal):
1. Your character’s name/age/gender
2. Where were they born? Where do they live now?
3. Who are their parents?
4. Who do they consider their closest friend or biggest rival?
5. Do they have a romantic partner?
6. What do they do for a living?
7. What is their greatest achievement?
8. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to them?
9. If we searched their name using an internet search engine, what would we find?
10. When was the first time they fell in love?
11. What is their biggest secret?
12. What is their greatest regret?
13. What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to them?
14. What is their greatest fear? What keeps them up at night?
15. What makes them happy?
16. What item can they not live without?
PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept late submissions under any circumstances. Please allow plenty of time to create an E-submissions profile, navigate the system and submit your entry before the deadline. Please note that the ±«Óãtv Your Account at the top left of the web page is not the same as a ±«Óãtv Writers E-submissions account. It is totally unrelated, so having a ±«Óãtv Account (for ±«Óãtv iPlayer etc) does not automatically sign you up to E-submissions.
Read the Terms and Conditions of Entry for Write Across Birmingham and the Black Country
Selection
All entries will be reviewed by the ±«Óãtv Writers team and representatives from our partner organisations on the following criteria:
- The quality of the writing sample (evidence of a compelling story; ability to write interesting characters and believable dialogue; ability to authentically bring the story world to life); and
- The originality of the response to the creative task
To arrive at our final selection, we may ask applicants to attend a short video call with members of the selection panel. This will also provide an opportunity to talk about your writing and any ideas that you would like to develop through the programme. We will be sure to give applicants good notice if invited for a follow-up conversation.
Final Facts
The deadline for submissions is 5th March 2024 at noon. We will aim to come back to everyone by end of June 2024. The programme will commence in July and will run for 8 weeks. All details and schedule will be provided to successful candidates nearer the time.
Unfortunately, due to limited resources we’re unable to provide individual feedback on unsuccessful applications.
If you have any questions please contact us via email at bbcwriters@bbc.co.uk