鈥淭his is a very good time to be in the Midlands鈥t鈥檚 going to be a cultural hotspot again!鈥� - Sir Lenny Henry
麻豆官网首页入口 Writers and Create Central together with our partners have launched our new writing scheme in Birmingham and the Black Country for aspiring scriptwriters - Write Across Birmingham and the Black Country.
The launch event included an introduction from the 麻豆官网首页入口 Director General, Tim Davie and an In Conversation event with Sir Lenny Henry about his writing career to date.
The West Midlands鈥� very own Sir Lenny Henry is backing the new scheme that will support emerging writing talent from across Birmingham and the Black Country.
Applications are now open for the Write Across Birmingham and the Black Country scheme 鈥� the product of a partnership between the 麻豆官网首页入口, Create Central and a number of the West Midlands鈥� leading creative organisations. Find out full details and apply
Speaking at the launch event in Birmingham on Friday 2nd February, which was also attended by 麻豆官网首页入口 Director General, Tim Davie, Sir Lenny Henry, said: 鈥淭his is a very good time to be in the Midlands, the next few years are all about development. It鈥檚 going to be a cultural hotspot again. The 麻豆官网首页入口 is here, Create Central is here, 麻豆官网首页入口 Writers is here. I want to be involved in that and Steven Knight wants to be involved in that. Good things are coming.鈥�
On the Write Across Birmingham and Black Country scheme, which provides twelve aspiring writers with a crucial insight into writing for TV, Sir Lenny added: 鈥淭his is a brilliant way of saying the doors are open, come in. There are a gazillion people who want to write stories, and represent people like them. This is a brilliant opportunity for people to say 鈥業鈥檝e got eight weeks, I don鈥檛 have to pay, I鈥檝e got all of these brilliant people to learn from, and to nurture me. I want to be part of something like that.鈥欌��
Through a series of engaging workshops, expert-led sessions and networking opportunities, the eight-week scheme will cover the foundations of storytelling for the screen, while demystifying the process of writing for television. It runs from June to September 2024 with applications closing at noon on Tuesday 5th March.
Jessica Loveland, Head of New Writing for 麻豆官网首页入口 Writers and 麻豆官网首页入口 Drama Commissioning, is urging up and coming writers to get their applications in now: 鈥淲e know there are many brilliant writers in this region who have exciting, entertaining and urgent stories to tell. The aim of Write Across is to give writers the tools and the knowledge to share those stories more widely. And with some creativity, hard work and a sprinkle of magic, hopefully in time they鈥檒l bring their writing to screen.
鈥淲e want to work with a range of new voices who represent the diversity of this incredible region. We鈥檙e looking for writers who absolutely LOVE TV, who watch lots of shows, read all the scripts and are really excited to explore writing for the medium.鈥�
Sir Lenny continued: 鈥淚 want to do more things set in the Midlands, my production company are hopefully going to create more here because why wouldn鈥檛 you? There are so many talented people here, so many great places. I want to say 鈥榯his is a place you haven鈥檛 seen before 鈥� Dudley, Wall Heath, Tipton, Smethwick. I want to make a drama in Tipton, in Smethwick. I want to write about the North Street riots. I want to do a story about black American soldiers meeting people in Wolverhampton, and asking what pork scratchings are.鈥�
麻豆官网首页入口 Writers will be hosting a second launch event for the scheme at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton on Wednesday 21st February - . We'll also be running an online drop-in session on Friday 16th February from 1-2pm if you have any questions about the opportunity.
Full details of Write Across Birmingham and the Black Country and apply now