Opportunities
Film production company Breach Independent is looking for high-concept, visually interesting short film scripts for production summer 2010. Max length 10', achievable on small budget (£5-£10K) but all genres considered. Logline/synopsis only in the first instance.
Topical comedy sketch show Newsjack returned for a second six week run on BBC Radio 7 on 7 January 2010, and they're once again holding an open call for new material. Newsjack seeks to comically scrutinise the news and is a showcase for new comedy writing, so anyone can submit material.
Deadline for sketches: Monday, 12:00noonDeadline for one-liners: Tuesday, 5:00pm
Strong Point Theatre are looking for a talented writer to develop the script for a new musical, due to be work-shopped in April. The show centres around four young women in 1960s London, and the
choices they make faced with the society that they find themselves in.
We would like the script to explore the emancipation of women, so
ideally (but not essentially) the writer who comes on board will have
an interest in writing about this theme. There is a modest fee on offer for the successful writer. Expressions
of interest, including any examples of past work if available, should
be sent to Johannah Jolson (co-founding producer of Strong Point
Theatre); info@strongpointtheatre.co.uk. For more information about Strong Point Theatre, please visit
www.strongpointtheatre.co.uk
Short film producers Loonatik & Drinks are looking for short film scripts to produce. They're looking for
scripts under 10 minutes and will be shooting on HD. Although they're
open to any genre they are particularly drawn to strong, original, dark
tales with the potential for stunning visuals.
Short film production company Horseshoe Boy is looking for a short film script to produce this year. It will ideally be 4-5 minutes in length and needs to have a small number of characters and locations. If you think you've got something that might be right, then email an 1-page outline or treatment only at this stage to adam@horshoeboy.com
Watson's Wind-Up has an on-going call for sketches for this BBC Radio Scotland topical sketch show.
Writing Competitions
Theatre Writing Partnership is looking for writers based in the East Midlands for 'Crossovers' a new playwriting development scheme.
Deadline: Friday
12th February 2010.
TheatreWorks launch Dialogue - a call for scripts from writers based in the South West. The most promising 10-20 minute script will be performed at a script-in-hand performance at the Salisbury Playhouse.
Deadline: Wednesday
17th February 2010.

BBC Wales Drama and National Theatre Wales are looking for new
Welsh Writers. Successful applicants are invited to attend a four-day residential workshop. Applicants must have at least one professional credit and be either born or resident in Wales.
Deadline: Wednesday
17th February 2010.
Writers Lab is a new development scheme for writers based in North West England. Run by Bolton University in conjuction with
BBC Writersroom and leading N.W independent production companies, including
Red,
Lime and Abbott Vision.
Deadline: Friday
19th February 2010.
Kaos Films are inviting submissions for their annual British Feature Screenplay Competition.
Deadline: Sunday
28th February 2010.
Theatre Writing Partnership launch Ears Wide Open - an opportunity for two writers (one from the West Midlands and one from
the East Midlands) to collaborate and write a series of short audio plays in
response to locations in Birmingham and Nottingham.
Deadline: Sunday
28th February 2010.

The John Brabourne Big 5 Comedy Award
They are looking for a talented individual to write a 10' comedy short script that has the potential to be made into a short film.
Deadline: Sunday 28th February 2010.
The End of the Pier International Film Festival have launched a short screenplay competition.
Deadline: Monday
1st March 2010.
The People's Play Award launched by New Writing North & the People's Theatre Company. Open to writers resident in North East England.
Deadline: Thursday
25th March 2010.
Scotland: Write Here, Write Now. BBC Scotland Comedy is looking for Scottish and Scotland-based comedy writers to submit the opening 10-15 pages of a contemporary comedy drama or sitcom.
Deadline: Friday
26th March 2010.
RealDeal Theatre are looking for submissions for their forthcoming 2010 Sitcom Saturday.
Deadline: Wednesday
31st March 2010.
NB: Do not submit before Monday 1st March.
The Muslim Writers Awards are looking for creative, interesting and exciting screenplays from Muslim writers. The work must be written in the English language. There are additional catergories for novels, short stories and poetry.
Deadline: Friday
14th May 2010.
High Tide are now looking for new plays to produce at their 2011 Festival.
Deadline: Saturday
15th May 2010.

Zeitgeist Theatre have an ongoing call for very short, entertaining scripts for their regular grand-slam/pub event in South London.
Scripts must be no longer than 8minutes long, require less than 5 actors and be simple to stage. Priority is given to writers who live in the South London area.
Events

Check out the Bath Literature Festival which runs from 27th February to 7th March 2010.
News & Articles
Check out the new guide to Writing for BBC Continuing Drama Series.
It includes a summary of the various routes into the BBC's continuing
drama series and an interview with John Yorke, Controller of Drama
Production and New Talent.

You've written a script, what next? Check out my Script Angel blog. It
includes articles on writing for theatre and submitting your spec
script to production companies. All posts are also available on the
Blog tab of this website.

What does a script editor do? Take a look at my Q&A with writer Michelle Lipton on the role of the script editor.