TONY DOYLE BURSARY DEADLINE IS FAST APPROACHING

THE January 31 deadline for this year’s Tony Doyle Bursary, run by BBC Northern Ireland is fast approaching.
Now in its second year, the bursary is open to writers who have a story to tell and can bring it to life for television.
Robert Cooper, BBC Northern Ireland’s head of drama said: ""Writers are the life blood of television drama. - the single most important element of the creative process. We are constantly on the look out for writers of exceptional talent who will invigorate the medium, who will startle and move our audiences. We made some great finds in last year's bursary and are looking forward to this year's!"
Last year’s winner of the prestigious £2000 television writer’s award for his idea ‘Voyage Of The Antelope,’ Bill Murphy, who currently has a radio play in development with BBC Northern Ireland, said: "Apart from the great encouragement that any award for your work gives you, the Tony Doyle Bursary gave me particular incentive to think more in terms of television drama.
"Since winning the Bursary I keep in regular contact with the BBC NI Drama department who have been extremely helpful in not only pointing out the realities of writing for television but also encouraging me to think about the great possibilities for drama that the medium of television can offer. I very much look forward to hopefully seeing my work on the small screen some day."
The aim of the Tony Doyle Bursary is to encourage Irish writing for television - the medium in which Tony excelled - and to forge creative links between broadcasters and writers in Ireland. The inaugural competition received 142 entries from Ireland, the UK and as far away as Boston, Germany and France.
The judging panel for entries will include Sally Doyle, producers Robert Cooper, Alan Moloney, Peter Norris and actors Lorcan Cranitch, Liam Cunningham and Tina Kellegher, all of whom knew and worked with Tony Doyle.
One of the bursary’s innovative initiatives is the residential seminar where the six finalists receive expert tuition on writing for television from top scriptwriters and producers like Kieran Prendiville (Care, Ballykissangel), Lizzie Mickery (Messiah, The Icehouse), Peter Norris (Between The Lines, Uncle Silas) and BBC Northern Ireland’s Head Of Drama Robert Cooper (Messiah, Murphy’s Law, Ballykissangel)
All submissions should be submitted by January 31, 2002. The winners and runners-up will be announced in May 2002. (SP)