大象传媒

Return to previous page: The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2025

Deadline: 12 noon on Monday 21 April 2025

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

ELIGIBILITY

1. To be eligible to enter The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2025, you must meet the following criteria:
2. You must be aged 18 years or over on Monday 24 February 2025. You must reside in the North of England* (see end of T&Cs) on a permanent / full-time basis. The North of England is defined by the Boundary Committee for England which includes the North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber. We will not accept submissions from outside of these areas.
3. You must not have a previous writing credit for 大象传媒 Audio Drama.
4. The script submitted must not have previously been produced or be in development with any other broadcaster or production company.
5. The script entered must not have been submitted to a previous Alfred Bradley Bursary Award opportunity even if it has been rewritten since. However, scripts previously submitted to the 大象传媒 Writersroom, Script Room or Open Call windows are eligible.
6. You must not be a 大象传媒 employee or any person connected with the Alfred Bradley Bursary Awardor in a financial relationship with them or their close relatives.
7. Proof of residency, age and eligibility may be requested. The 大象传媒’s decision as to the eligibility of individual entrants will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

1. Entrants must submit:

8.1. An original and complete Drama or Comedy/Drama script written for Audio, TV, Stage or Film. Please be mindful that scripts will be assessed on their suitability for Audio Drama. Pure narrative comedy or sitcoms are not eligible.

8.2. Scripts must be at least 30 pages long (text to be double spaced). This number should not include title or character pages. If they do, they will be marked as ineligible and not considered.

8.3. All entries must be written primarily in English. Any part of the entry not written in English must be accompanied by a translation.

1. Scripts should be submitted via ALFREDBRADLEYBURSARYAWARDENTRIES2025@大象传媒.co.uk. In your email please include:

9.1. Full Name

9.2. Age

9.3. Confirmation that you have not had any drama broadcast on radio; and

9.4. That you live in the North of England.

** If you have specific access requirements then please contact Sue.Roberts@bbc.co.uk ahead of the deadline to discuss your application**

1. We recommend that you do not leave it until the day of deadline to submit your script as you will leave yourself no time for troubleshooting.

1. Please note: Once your script has been submitted you cannot submit a newer version. You will need to withdraw your submission completely and then resubmit it in its entirety if you wish to make any amendments ahead of the deadline.
   

The 大象传媒, as data controller, is responsible for handling personal data provided to the 大象传媒, including in any contributions, in accordance with data protection law. The 大象传媒 has a legitimate interest in using the personal data for journalistic, artistic and literary purposes and in the public interest and in using the personal data for the performance of the contract with the 大象传媒. Please see the 大象传媒’s Privacy Policy.

1. The closing date for entries is 12 noon on Monday 21 April 2025, after which it will not be possible to submit your script and late entries will not be accepted under any circumstances.
2. Writers can submit individually or as part of a team of up to 2 people. If entering as a partnership, both writers must meet the entry requirements and proof may be requested. If the winning entry is a joint one, then the Bursary will be shared between the two writers, not awarded per individual.
3. Only one entry per person is permitted including joint entries. Multiple entries will all be marked as ineligible and not considered.
4. All entries must be the original work of the entrant(s) and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The use of generative AI tools to create or develop any part of an entry is not permitted and will lead to disqualification. The 大象传媒 accepts no liability if entrants ignore these rules and entrants agree to fully indemnify the 大象传媒 against any claims by any third party arising from any breach of these rules.
5. Anything developed as part of this scheme must be suitable to be broadcast/published by the 大象传媒 and in accordance with 大象传媒 Editorial Policy Guidelines. A script that is already in development or production with another party will not be eligible.
6. Shortlisted writers must be willing and able to undertake revisions of their script ahead of the final judging process in conjunction with the 大象传媒.
7. Entrants retain the copyright in their original ideas but on being shortlisted, applicants grant to the 大象传媒 an irrevocable, worldwide, royalty free licence to use, edit, adapt, abridge and read out extracts of their entry for any purposes including but not limited to broadcast across any media and as part of the prize giving ceremony as set out below in Stage Four of the process.
8. By applying for the scheme, entrants warrant that they have legal capacity to enter the scheme and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
9. Please remember to retain a copy of your script.

JUDGING PROCESS

1. All entries will be judged on the following criteria:

21.1. The originality of the script;

21.2. The strength of the story and structure;

21.3. The writer’s ability to write believable dialogue;

21.4. The writer’s skill in inhabiting the characters and developing convincing relationships between them; and

21.5. The potential for the script to be transferred into the medium of Audio.

Stage One

1. All eligible entries will be read by a team made up of experienced freelancer script readers as well as members of 大象传媒 Audio teams. They will assess the scripts against the criteria outlined above and select a longlist of up to 20 entries.
2. The 大象传媒 reserves the right not to read the whole script if it is clear that the quality of the writing or subject matter is unsuitable or is in breach of any of these terms and conditions.

Stage Two

1. Longlisted scripts will then be second read by members of the 大象传媒 and a shortlist will be selected by the 大象传媒 Audio North team.
2. The shortlisted writers will be contacted by a member of the 大象传媒 by the end of May 2025. If a selected entrant cannot be reached after reasonable attempts have been made, the 大象传媒 reserves the right to offer a place on the shortlist to the next best entry.

Stage Three

1. The shortlisted writers will each be assigned to a Producer in the Audio Drama teams who will work with them to prepare their scripts for Audio ahead of the final judging process. Development meetings are likely to be held online over video conferencing software. If travel is required, reasonable expenses for the purpose of development meetings will be arranged and booked via our systems and in accordance with 大象传媒 Expenses Policy but no other costs or expenses will be paid by the 大象传媒.

Stage Four

1. The shortlisted writers will submit a revised draft of their script to the 大象传媒 Audio Drama North team by early September 2025. The judging panel will read and discuss the scripts.
2. The panel of judges will consist of senior 大象传媒 staff, members of the Bradley family and invited industry professionals.
3. There will be a prize giving ceremony at the Contains Strong Language Festival between 18 - 21 September 2025 (subject to change). This will include the performance of script in hand extracts from the shortlisted plays before announcing the winner.

The Prize

1. Following the judging, one writer will be selected as the winner and awarded a £5,000 payment bursary in addition to receiving a 12 month development mentorship with an Audio Drama Producer and the opportunity to develop their script for broadcast as an Audio Drama on 大象传媒 Radio 4 on standard 大象传媒 terms (as agreed with the Writer’s Guild, Society Of Authors and Personal Managers Association). A runner’s up prize of up to £1,000 may be awarded at the judges’ discretion.

General

1. The award must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred or transferred.
2. The names of the shortlisted entrants and any entrant whose entry is broadcast or used online will be made public. Entrants must agree to take part in any post-scheme publicity if required.
3. The 大象传媒’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
4. The 大象传媒 reserves the right to disqualify any entry which breaches any of these terms and conditions.
5. The 大象传媒 reserves the right to disqualify entries that are inconsistent with the 大象传媒 Editorial Policy Guidelines or which may bring the 大象传媒 into disrepute, including any entries which profit from criminal activity.
6. The Alfred Bradley Award team may undertake social media checks of entrants to the awards. Entrants warrant they have not acted or omitted to act in a manner that will bring the 大象传媒 into disrepute. Where it deems appropriate, the 大象传媒 may require shortlisted entrants to undertake DBS checks, specifics of which will be agreed between the 大象传媒 and the entrant if required. Information discovered or that may have been disclosed by the entrants themselves will inform the decision as to the selection of the finalists. Disqualification will not be automatic but the decision is in the sole discretion of the 大象传媒. Information will be shared with the 大象传媒’s editorial policy advisor and be handled in the strictest confidence and as with all personal data, in accordance with the 大象传媒’s Privacy Notice
7. The 大象传媒, its sub-contractors, subsidiaries, agencies and/or any other organisation associated with this award cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any technical failure or malfunction, nor for any other problem with any server, internet access, system or otherwise which may result in any entry being lost or not properly registered or recorded. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.
8. The 大象传媒 reserves the right to (i) amend these terms and conditions at any stage, including changing or substituting the selection process and the development opportunities, (ii) cancel or alter the scheme at any stage, including members of the judging panel, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside its control, (iii) not make an award if entries do not meet the required standard. In this event, a notice will be posted on the following website:

/programmes/p058nfry

1. If the submitted script has been through a development process with an agent, training scheme etc. then this must be declared on the submission.
2. These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

* North of England as defined by The Boundary Committee for England

North East

Durham

Hartlepool

Middlesbrough

Northumberland

Redcar and Cleveland

Stockton-on-Tees

Tyne and Wear

North West

Cheshire

Cumbria

Gr. Manchester

Lancashire

Merseyside

Yorkshire and Humber

East Riding of Yorkshire

Kingston upon Hull

North East Lincolnshire

N Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

West Yorkshire