Sky Writes Freelance Roles
New Writing North and Sky Studios are working together on Sky Writes, a new talent development programme which seeks to identify and nurture television writers from under-represented groups who are based in the North of England. This is the first year of the programme, which they anticipate will begin in Spring 2021.
Sky Writes has been created to help diversify the pool of television writers in the UK. It will offer an introduction to writing for television for people from under-represented groups and under-served geographical areas in the North of England, with a particular aim to support people of colour and those from LGBTQ+, disabled and lower socio-economic backgrounds.
The initiative, managed by New Writing North, will seek to address commonly identified barriers for writers, including a lack of role-model writers who reflect under-represented characteristics; the scarcity of entry-level access opportunities for people writing for television; and the challenges of gaining insider knowledge about scriptwriting, development and commissioning faced by those outside the industry.
Sky Writes will launch in Gateshead, Rotherham and Blackpool in Spring 2021. In each location, the project will begin with a series of open-access sessions for those with little or no writing experience and progress to offer more in-depth professional development for those who are identified as having the potential to be successful television writers.
They are looking for a Writer in Residence for each of these locations: Gateshead, Rotherham and Blackpool.
Each Writer in Residence will lead on devising the content and overseeing the delivery of the taster sessions, masterclasses and workshops in their location. The writers will work closely with the programme participants, the Sky Writes Coordinator (freelance post) and New Writing North. The writers will play a key role in selecting participants and deciding who will progress to the advanced stage of the programme. The Writers in Residence will regularly report back to New Writing North.
Deadline: 6 November 2020
Source: BBC Writersroom