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Northern Voices Scheme open to North Writers

Friday 24th July, 2009

BBC writersroom, Northern Film & Media, Screen Yorkshire and Northwest Vision + Media have launched this year’s Northern Voices Scheme. The scheme is searching for writers from the North who want to write drama for television, and who have a strong individual voice and ability to create great characters.

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Northern Voices will provide training and development for up to four writers from each region to learn about writing for television drama from some of the most experienced producers and writers in the country. It will also provide the opportunity to develop an original TV drama calling card script with the support of a writer mentor.

Northern Voices will include a day long workshop led by John Yorke, BBC Controller, Drama Production.  This workshop will give a detailed and invaluable insight into writing continuing drama for the BBC.  The scheme will also include access to a nationally renowned writer mentor in each region.

Michael Chaplin (North East) is a writer for the screen, theatre and radio whose creations include 'Grafters' for ITV and 'Monarch of the Glen' for the BBC.  John Fay (North West) was one of ‘Coronation Street’ core writers between 2001 and 2007.  He created the conspiracy thriller ‘Mobile’ for Granada TV and has also written episodes of ‘Torchwood’, ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘Clocking Off’ for the BBC.   Lisa Holdsworth (Yorkshire)’s first commission was an episode of ‘Fat Friends’ which was shortlisted for a Best New Writer BAFTA. She spent three years on the ‘Emmerdale’ writing team and has written extensively for New Tricks, Waterloo Road and Robin Hood.

At the end of the development process each script will be read by BBC writersroom and the best will be passed onto John Yorke’s team and BBC Drama North.  The aim of this project is for new regional talent to develop a calling card TV Drama script with which they can begin a successful career in writing Drama for television.

To apply to the Northern Voices scheme you must:

•  be living within the North East, Yorkshire or North West Region
•  have already had a script commissioned or had a professional reading of your work (for any platform, film, radio, stage or TV)
•  be over the age of 18, and
•  not in full time or undergraduate education
• have a sample script that is 30 - 90 minutes/pages

If you are interested in applying please download guidelines and application form below.

The deadline for completed applications to arrive is noon on Friday 28 August 2009.

E: info@northernmedia.org | T: +44 (0)191 275 5930 | F: +44 (0)191 275 5931