Northern Laughs 09 - Applications Open

Can you make us LAUGH?
Want to develop your own original TV comedy script for the BBC?
Want to learn from the best in the industry?

BBC Comedy, BBC writersroom, Northern Film & Media, Screen Yorkshire and Northwest Vision and Media are searching for exceptional writers from the North who want to write comedy for television. If you can make us laugh, have a passion for TV Comedy, a strong individual and funny voice and excellent characterisation skills, you could take part in our scheme Northern Laughs.

Northern Laughs will provide a fantastic training and development opportunity for up to three comedy writers from each Northern region. The selected writers will learn about writing for television comedy through mentoring from leading comedy writers including Jeremy Dyson - The League of Gentlemen, Funland, Armstrong and Miller, and workshops which will give a detailed and invaluable insight into writing comedy for the BBC.

Each writer will receive a development bursary from BBC writersroom and there will be an opportunity for a writer representing each region to have their work showcased at the Edinburgh Festival in August 2009. At the end of the development process each script will be considered by BBC Comedy and the best ideas will be put forward to the BBC Comedy Commissioner in the North. Writers will also have a calling card script with which they can then apply for the BBC’s College of Comedy 2010.

How to apply to Northern Laughs
Please read the Guidelines carefully before enquiring as they should contain all the information you need. Once you have carfully read the guidelines, you must download an Application Form and return to BBC Writersroom as directed.

***The deadline for completed applications is Thursday 12 March 2009***

BBC Comedy Workshops - NOW FULL!

Due to an overwhelming response the workshop is now fully subscribed, however application is still open until 12 March 2009.

To launch the Northern Laughs comedy development scheme BBC writersroom & BBC Comedy North are coming to Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester to run a series of talks about writing Comedy for the BBC.

This is your chance to find out more about the Northern Laughs scheme, find out what the BBC Comedy department in Manchester are looking for, and to ask any questions you have about writing comedy for BBC TV.

The Manchester Workshop
6-8pm
Monday 9 February 2009
BBC Oxford Road, Manchester, M60 1SJ
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?zoom=16&countryCode=GB&qs=M60%207HB

For a place on the guest list, please email your full name in the body of the email, with the subject heading Northern Laughs MANCHESTER to: writersroom.events@bbc.co.uk

For details of the Newcastle and Yorkshire events, please visit the relevant region's screen agency.