Caroline Aherne Bursary for Funny Northern Women now open for submissions

The Caroline Aherne Bursary for Funny Northern Women is now open for submissions!

BBC Comedy Commissioning in partnership with BBC Writersroom and BBC North are delighted to launch a new bursary scheme in the memory of the late Caroline Aherne. Aimed at northern female writers/performers, the Caroline Aherne Bursary for Funny Northern Women will award £5000 to the successful applicant to enable them to fund future development, alongside the guidance of an experienced BBC commissioning editor.

Shane Allen, Controller BBC Comedy Commissioning says: “Last year British comedy was rocked by the deaths of three much loved, funny Northern women – Caroline Aherne, Carla Lane and Victoria Wood.  We are delighted to introduce this new bursary which will follow their legacy and inspire a new generation of female comedy performers in the North.”

What they are looking for: the next generation of character comedians who live, work or were born in the North of England. They want to find, develop and support great Northern comedy talent who have the ability to speak to the whole nation.  If you can invent characters that make us laugh out loud and can tease an audience to come back for more, then they want to hear from you!  They’re looking for writer-performers who reflect modern Britain with voices that have not yet been heard; Northern talent that’s just bursting to get on our screens.

What’s in it for you?

  • A £5,000 bursary from BBC North and BBC Comedy to support development of your work.
  • A mentorship with a BBC Comedy Commissioning to develop a comedy script.
  • Support and access to comedy training sessions with BBC Writersroom.
  • You’ll get to perform at the Salford Sitcom Showcase 2018!

How to apply: You will need to submit a link to filmed content of either 3 minutes of one comedy character; or 5 minutes of multiple characters, along with a brief biography of your work to date.  They are not looking for high production values! The content can be filmed on a mobile phone as they’ll be judging this purely on the strength of the character and quality and humour of the writing and performance. If you have a great idea for an original sitcom or short form idea then they’d also like you to submit a synopsis (2 pages max).  This is however optional.

Before applying, read the full terms and conditions of entry. 

Applications should be made through BBC Writersroom e-submissions system.

Deadline: 9 October 2017 

Source: BBC WritersRoom

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