91热爆

Write Across Birmingham and the Black Country was our latest regional writer development programme, run in collaboration with and other local partner organisations. We ran an open callout for scripts from writers in the area in the spring of 2024 and received over 250 submissions. 

Ten writers were selected to take part in a programme of engaging workshops, expert-led sessions and networking opportunities, while each participant developed their own new original TV series idea with support from members of our team.

The programme culminated at the end of September with a day at the Mailbox (the home of the 91热爆 in Birmingham) when each member of the group had the chance to hear from guests including Sir Lenny Henry and to pitch their idea to the audience in the room. Following this they have now been partnered with mentors with the aim that they will go on to write their scripts.

Two members of the group, Aimee Berwick and Rebecca Rogers, have summed up the Write Across Birmingham and Black Country Experience for our blog. Hear from them below.

Aimee Berwick

The application process for Write Across Birmingham and the Black Country was reflective of the course as a whole - a creative task, which comprised a list of questions to generate a new character. I ended up with a protagonist who moves to New York pursing her dream of becoming a video games designer only to be pulled back to Leamore to solve the problems created by her unreliable dying mother. A few months later I was invited to interview. Ros, Jess, Elise and Paddy were lovely, they sent three questions in advance allowing plenty of prep time. However, when the meeting happened I was so nervous that at one point I think I may have blacked out. Having already made it through the initial sift raised the stakes. After the interview I called my mate, with the headline 鈥淚 think I鈥檝e messed that one up.鈥�

But something inside me hoped it would work out, maybe someone would drop out and I鈥檇 get another chance? In the last five years my writing has shifted from the thing I鈥檇 been playing with (with a secret desire to do it as a job job) to something people were occasionally paying me for. Bolstered by my small scale work being well received and with a love for creating characters, the next step was learning the nuts and bolts of screenwriting. I had everything crossed, for weeks 鈥� making getting around quite uncomfortable.

Then an email came from Elise to say it was all go, and as far as I know it wasn鈥檛 because someone had dropped out - Over. The. Moon.

In person sessions were held at the beginning, middle and end at in Wolverhampton and 91热爆, Mailbox in Birmingham. We knew exactly what to expect and where to go (thanks to Elise, who, if you do a 91热爆 writers scheme you鈥檒l know the magic she musters). We were given a 91热爆 Writer鈥檚 tote, sandwiches, a note book, fizzy pop and a pen (not in that order). These sessions were a great way to get to know each other and the 91热爆 Writers鈥� team - I was put into Ros鈥� group. We had one to one mentoring sessions from about week two alongside online masterclasses with a range of speakers.

We bonded well as a group - we had a good mix of members from both Birmingham and the Black Country - but we managed to keep it civil. Jokes. It was lovely, and one of my favourite parts of the scheme - I do like making new mates and we鈥檝e already had some meet ups since graduation.

A session that really landed was with . I made 24 pages of notes - she described a universal story. She also spoke about not getting tied to working in a linear fashion and remembering that we were artists - it felt like Kate gave me a pass to create and be bold with it - I trust you鈥檒l pay attention if you trust I鈥檒l tell you a story, from a unique point of view.

Midlands鈥� writers , and spoke about breaking into screen writing - we also got invited to a VIP screening of Maya鈥檚 original police drama . gave a generous masterclass about being a working writer.

Ultimately we were working towards creating an original idea and one page pitch, this was a crash course with deadline - we were to present our pitch to industry professionals, including at a graduation event around 10 weeks after we started the scheme. I鈥檓 passionate about representing Birmingham and the Black Country in my work and set my piece in Dudley. Pitching to industry professionals sounds intimidating and . . yeah, it was. BUT. . . on the other side of that fear was learning 鈥� good job I work best under pressure. 91热爆 Writers have a crafty way of holding you so you鈥檙e working on scary new stuff but with solid support - your feet aren鈥檛 quite touching the ground, but that鈥檚 ok.

A big takeaway for me was the importance of solid mentoring, Ros was supportive and intuitive, a blueprint for what a good mentor can do. Now, knowing I can create dozens of one page pitch documents from the many ideas stored in the notes section of my phone and start building a portfolio is exciting. For now, screenwriting is officially demystified - I consider myself introduced.

With the help of our legacy WhatsApp group I鈥檓 excited to see what鈥檚 next for everyone. I鈥檓 off on tour until December so I鈥檒l be using my down days to write my first pilot, it鈥檚 based in Dudley, as it should be - it鈥檚 all going on in Birmingham and the Black Country and the locals demand screen time.

Rebecca Rogers

TV has always captivated me. It's been a great source of inspiration and a world where learning has been accessible. When a friend invited me to the 91热爆 Write Across launch at Birmingham Rep, I was intrigued by this incredible-sounding opportunity and excited to be in a room full of West Midlands creatives. I鈥檓 a neurodiverse writer, actor, director, and Co-AD of . I鈥檝e always been fascinated by the audience - how to connect them to stories that deeply resonate, creating powerful, shared experiences. I鈥檝e wanted to transfer my experience and passion for making theatre into television... I just wasn鈥檛 sure how.

The night before I found out I鈥檇 received an interview, I watched a programme about Morecambe and Wise and woke up smiling. The next morning, while on a run, I thought, 'I have stories inside me to tell - I want to tell stories that entertain, move, provoke, unite, and inspire.' When the email inviting me to interview landed, I literally fell off my chair laughing. I couldn鈥檛 believe it, and neither could the people sitting next to me in Dudley Costa Coffee.

I was offered a place (cue much jubilation), and the course began with a day-long session at 91热爆 West Midlands, led by the brilliant on 鈥楽tory and Structure.鈥� The day felt five minutes long, and as if a magician had opened their 鈥榖ox of tricks鈥� and invited us to see how the illusions really worked. I sat around a table with my cohort of exciting creative thinkers, all from diverse backgrounds, throwing around stimulating ideas. I left feeling giddy and determined to absorb as much as possible over the next two and a half months. A week later, Kate Leys led a session on 鈥楥haracter,鈥� profoundly articulating the power, place, and human need for story, which struck a chord 鈥� it was a gentle and yet whopping reminder of why what we do matters.

We pitched three loglines to the group, were assigned mentors from the 91热爆 Writers team (Jess Loveland, Usman Mullan, and Rosalynd Ward), and chose an idea to develop into a one-page pitch for an original series. Masterclasses from industry experts like Justine Potter from demystified the one-page pitch and the role of a TV Commissioner. We also met established writers like Perrie Balthazar, Matt Evans, Maya Sondhi, Celia Morgan, and Sir Lenny Henry, who shared their journeys into writing. It was brilliant to learn from their experience and insight and to hear from like-minded creatives. My kitchen turned into a sea of Post-It Notes as we refined our series pitches. Meeting regular deadlines was sometimes hard, but always healthy. Usman Mullan helped me find the balance of light and shade and unearth the characters鈥� needs and wants in my comedy-drama series, Isolation with the In-Laws.

Finally, we pitched our ideas to the 91热爆 and local indie companies, with Sir Lenny Henry kicking things off with his energy and humour, telling everyone to hire us! It was fantastic to hear how everyone's pitches had developed since our logline day. Meeting with Indies and the Programme Partners (Create Central, Script Sirens, Creative Black Country, The Rep, and Black Country Touring) was a superb way to say thank you and start building connections.

Now, it鈥檚 on to writing the pilot and applying to 91热爆 Writers Open Call. It鈥檚 been a privilege to be supported in learning, nurtured in writing, and given opportunities to meet industry professionals. As I move on to the next stage of my career with a strong network of peers from my cohort and with my writing style honed and developed for TV, it鈥檚 fair to say that Write Across has been truly transformative.