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BBC Writersroom launches in Scotland

Angela Galvin

Development Producer, BBC Writersroom Scotland

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The 20th of January 2017 is a date that has been playing on loop in my mind for many months. And no, it’s not because a certain reality star becomes the 45th US President on that day but because of something much closer to home. It’s the day BBC Writersroom Scotland launches.

Now, I know our small event won’t compare to the all singing…well maybe not singing …all dancing shindig happening across the sea but I think it is a BIG deal. Why? Well, I have to come clean and admit I have a vested interest. I’m the Development Producer tasked with the exciting job of setting up the new Scottish base for the BBC Writersroom, alongside my colleague Audrey McFadden, the Development Co-ordinator for Scotland. But it should be even more important to any writer or person working in the creative industries across Scotland.  Again, why?

Angela Galvin, Development Producer for BBC Writersroom Scotland

Well if you are reading this blog you know how brilliant the BBC Writersroom is. On our website we have scripts, blogs, vlogs, tips and tricks of the trade - everything you need to help you get down to the difficult task of writing when a blank page is giving you a hard stare. Writersroom Scotland’s aim is also to champion new and experienced writing talent. We want to support and develop writers so that they can go and create brilliant stories for the audience. And, it’s not a pipe dream. Look at the amazing TV, radio and digital content coming out of the UK today. Our programmes are winning awards right, left and centre, they are championed as the best there is and are sought after and replicated by broadcasters around the world. But, at the heart of many of these projects are UK writers. Writers that started writing just like you and that is where we come in.

Audrey McFadden, Development Co-ordinator for BBC Writersroom Scotland

Writersroom Scotland will feed into all the pan-UK Writersroom schemes but will also create bespoke opportunities for writers from or living within Scotland. The Continuing Drama Scheme will now include River City and will place several writers and directors at the heart of production. We will have talent searches including BBC 3’s The Break which will see series three shot at the River City Dumbarton site in winter 2017. We will have the annual Scottish Writers’ Festival in April 2017 which was attended by over 200 participants last year. It will have sessions from key writers working in TV and film and master-classes on developing and creating narrative content. There will be residential events for writers where they have the time and space to develop ideas alongside industry professionals and the Scottish writers group will have bi-monthly events and access to a writing space at BBC Scotland. I could go on and on but I’ve been given a word count.

Watch this space…

All next week we'll be featuring Scottish productions and scripts on our blog to celebrate the great work being done in Scotland and to highlight some of the opportunities for writers

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