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, 12:00noon

Deadline 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.