I hope my experience shows there is no time limit to honing your skills as a writer, as long as you love what you do.
大象传媒 Writers' Scripted (previously known as Drama Room) is a 1-year writer development scheme for writers identified through our Open Call and other talent searches.
We work with around 12 writers on the Scripted scheme every year, to develop their craft skills and knowledge of the industry. During the first 6 months of the programme, writers receive workshop sessions exploring character, structure, different mediums of storytelling, practical writing exercises as well as industry masterclasses with writers, producers and agents. There are also networking and ad hoc pitching opportunities (often in continuing drama, audio drama and children鈥檚). The writers are paired up with Script Editors for 9 months to develop an original spec' script, which they focus on for the second half of the programme.
The aim of the scheme is to encourage and develop the best in new drama writing and to give these writers the opportunity to build strong connections with producers and help them gain 大象传媒 broadcast commissions.
Latest News
The writers who took part in the Scripted group 22/23 (under its previous name, Drama Room) were announced in October 2023. Find out full details below.
We began working with the 23/24 Scripted group towards the end of 2023. We'll announce their names in January 2025.
The 24/25 Scripted group met for the first time at the 大象传媒's Broadcasting House in London at the end of October 2024. Find out more over on our blog. This group will be announced at the end of their year with us.
Drama Room 2022/2023
We're very pleased to announce the thirteen writers selected to be part of our Drama Room writer development group for 2022/23. They were selected following our Open Call submission window which closed in January 2022.
Across the first six months of the programme, the writers attended targeted training and development, including craft workshops (with practical writing exercises), masterclasses, introductions and networking events. For the latter half of the programme, the focus is on writing, for which they receive the support of a Script Editor for a further six months to develop their original spec' scripts.
We鈥檙e excited to see all the amazing things this talented bunch will go on to do!
The thirteen writers are:
- Amy Arnold
- Adam Bennett-Lea
- Rhiannon Boyle
- Sophia Chetin-Leuner
- Mohamed-Zain Dada
- Samuel Evans
- Alan Flanagan
- Daniel Katanchian
- William Mager
- Tom Mair
- Nk'iru. Njoku
- Michael Lee Richardson
- Lily Seriki
Find out more about the Drama Room writers for 2022/23 on our blog
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My Reflections on being part of the Drama Room group
Amy Arnold is just completing a year as a member of our 2022/23 Drama Room writer development group. We asked her for her reflections on the experience, including any highlights and top tips that she could share.
Drama Room 2021/22
Following the Open Call submission window which closed in January 2021 the following sixteen writers were chose to be part of Drama Room for 2021/22. The group met for the first time in Manchester in October 2021 and will take part in development sessions both online and in person, before spending six months developing their spec' script with the help of a script editor. These are the writers in the group:
- Alex Riddle
- Alvin Yu
- Benedict Lombe
- Brennig Hayden
- Carlo Kureishi
- Emilie Robson
- Faebian Averies
- Fionnuala Kennedy
- Georgia Affonso
- Gillian McCormack
- Houmi Miura
- Nathan Ellis
- Paris Ventour
- Rosanna Suppa
- Sarah Gordon
- Tim Barrow
Find out more about the Drama Room writers for 2021/22 on our blog
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The Latest from Drama Room 2021/22
Georgia Affonso gives us an update on Drama Room 2021/22 (May 2022) -
What was it like to be part of the Drama Room writer development group?
Hear from Beru Tessema on our blog. (Nov 2021) -
An update from a reader
An update from one of the newest members of the script-reading team (March 2021)
Drama Room 2020
Our fifth Drama Room development group was formed following the open submission window which closed in January 2020. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic all of this group's sessions have been carried out online. There are 20 writers in the group.
- Amy Trigg
- Andy Twyman
- Asif Hasan
- Beru Tessema
- Chlo毛 Mi Lin Ewart
- Daniel Rusteau
- Elliott Kerrigan
- Jahvel Hall
- Kelly M Jones
- Kirsty Smith
- Kristian Phillips
- Mandip Singh Dhesi
- Matthew Greenhough
- Matthew McDevitt
- Maud Dromgoole
- Mina Barber
- Sami Ibrahim
- Siofra Dromgoole
- Temi Wilkey
- Yolanda Mercy
Drama Room 2019
Our fourth Drama Room writer development group met for the first time in autumn 2019.
There are 15 writers in the group.
- Dipo Baruwa-Etti
- Emma Dennis-Edwards
- Marcelo Dos Santos
- Yero Timi-Biu
- Nyla Levy
- Kat Woods
- Theo Toksvig-Stewart
- Alex Mathias
- AJ Yi
- Omar Raza
- Shazia Ali
- Lettie Precious
- Lucy Burke
- Anna Mason
- Ayad Andrews
Drama Room 2018
The third annual Drama Room writer development group met for the first time at our TV Writers' Festival in early June 2018.
There were 15 writers in the group:
- James Price
- Silas Parry
- Samara Maclaren
- Greer Ellison
- John O鈥橠onovan
- Jesse Schwenk
- Joseph Charlton
- Patrick Cash
- Naomi Sheldon
- Sian Ejiwunmi-le Berre
- Eno Mfon
- Paula Ogun
- Rabiah Hussain
- Isis Davis
- Joshua Azouz
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Meet the Drama Room 2018
Find out more about the 15 writers who were part of the 2018 Drama Room development group on our blog. -
Drama Room: Day One
Story structure with John Yorke, protagonists, antagonists all to the accompaniment of Trump protesters! Find out more on Patrick Cash's blog post. -
Drama Room: Day Two
Eno Mfon was part of our Drama Room writer development group for 2018. She explains more about what happened on their second workshop day, which focussed on Radio Drama. -
Drama Room: Day Three
Jesse Schwenk was part of our Drama Room writer development group for 2018. He looks back at the group's two-day workshop on writing TV Drama and shares loads of useful advice and information he picked up during the days.
Drama Room 2017
Our second Drama Room development group began in June 2017 with the writers meeting for the first time and coming to our . This was followed by an intensive workshop with John Yorke in July on story structure.
These writers were in the group:
- Adura Onashile
- Alan Harris
- Alyn Farrow
- Amy Ng
- Berri George
- Dan Pick
- Daniel Hopewell
- Emma Jowett
- Hayley Wareham
- Henry Darke
- Jimmy Osborne
- Kamal Kaan
- Katherine Soper
- Lisa Keogh
- Lori King
- Oonagh Kearney
- Rachel Smith
- Somalia Seaton
- Stef Smith
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Hayley Wareham blogs about how she found herself part of the Drama Room and the Radio Day - "You can do things in radio that are tricky to pull off in the theatre and expensive on TV." -
Wales Drama Award
Alan Harris and Alyn Farrow were both finalists for the Wales Drama Award in 2014. Watch them introduce their shortlisted plays. -
Amy Ng's first broadcast commission was a powerful monologue for 大象传媒 Music Day 2017 performed by Daniel Mays. Find out more and listen now. -
The Break
Berri George's comedy-drama Tits was part of our second series of The Break, produced in partnership with 大象传媒 Drama for 大象传媒 Three and 大象传媒 iPlayer. Watch now. -
Drama Room 2017 writer Daniel Hopewell blogs about his journey with 大象传媒 Writersroom and shares his advice to writers. -
Kamal Kaan blogs about writing his first 45-minute radio drama and why it's a love-letter to his home town of Bradford. -
Stef Smith is a Scottish playwright whose work has been performed at theatres including The Traverse, The Royal Court, The Tron Theatre and The Citizens Theatre. She recently came on our residential for writers who are interested in working for the 大象传媒 Scotland show River City.
Drama Room 2016
Our first Drama Room development group began in the summer of 2016 and ran for six months.
There were 14 writers on the scheme:
- Ben Weatherill
- Dave Florez
- Gavin Cutter
- Mario Theodorou
- Morna Regan
- Paula Stanic
- Xana Marwick
- Philip Doherty
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Two writers (Chandni Lakhani and Mario Theodorou) from our first Drama Room group have gone on to gain a place in our TV Drama Writers' Programme 2018. This is a separate scheme which offers a placement with 大象传媒 Studios or an independent production company and a script commission. -
The Break
Drama Room 2016 graduate Charlene James wrote an episode of The Break I - our short monologues for 大象传媒 iPlayer & 大象传媒 Three. Find out more and watch now. -
Miriam Battye from our Drama Room 2016 was successful in our recent Class Dismissed sketch writing opportunity, with her sketch commissioned for the C大象传媒 show. -
For the 2017 大象传媒 Music Day 大象传媒 Writersroom produced 6 monologues on the power of music. One of the writers was Russ Dunsmore, part of our 2016 Drama Room group. Listen to his monologue 'Movement' now. -
Drama Room graduate Theresa Ikoko adapted her award-winning stage play Girls for 大象传媒 Radio 4 produced by 大象传媒 Writersroom Development Producer Abigail Gonda. She blogged for us about the process of translating her work into a different medium and how it has affected her writing. -
Writer Janice Hallett on our blog -
Find out more from Drama Room member Chandni Lakhani -
Writersroom Development Producer Abigail Gonda with advice on which writing avenues to explore -
From Anne Edyvean, former Head of 大象传媒 Writersroom