Channel4's 4Skills Opens New Writers Scheme

Channel 4's nationwide training and development programme, 4Skills, has opened a New Writers Scheme.

The New Writers Scheme offers writers an opportunity to harness their skills with months of expert industry training and mentoring. The project, which has been rolled out across the UK following the successful pilot last year in the south west of England, aims to identify and nurture underrepresented writing talent outside of London with a focus on diverse, regional and authentic voices who have a passion for television drama.

This year's new writers scheme aims to work with around four to eight writers located in Bristol, Glasgow and Leeds, making up 20 participants in total. The aspiring writers will benefit from eight months of expert industry training and mentoring, alongside introductions to scripted indies and feedback from Channel 4.

Channel 4’s Drama Commissioning Editor, Gwawr Lloyd said: "The pilot programme was a triumph and it’s fantastic to extend this scheme to the wider Nations and Regions by offering places in Leeds and Glasgow as well as Bristol.
"I thoroughly enjoyed working with the last cohort of writers and I’m excited to get to know the new creatives on this year’s scheme. It’s an incredible opportunity for the channel to work with fresh talent from different regions. Often narratives told on screen reflect the writer’s own personal experiences and it’s important to hear from a variety of voices, especially from underrepresented groups, to inspire interesting and authentic story ideas."

www.channel4.com