The Woman in the Wall stars Daryl McCormack and Ruth Wilson
The BBC’s drama commissioning unit has partnered with Simon Maxwell’s Motive Pictures and Northern Ireland Screen to support and nurture the next generation of creators from Northern Ireland.
The aim of the initiative, spearheaded by London-based Motive’s head of development Sophie Bicknell, is to help creatives take the next step from episodic writing to running their own shows.
The partners are seeking experienced writers who have at least two sole writing credits on a professionally produced TV series or feature film longer than 25 minutes, with at least one of those credits being for TV.
Applicants are invited to submit “bold, ambitious and unique” series proposals that speak to contemporary Northern Irish life via their agents.
From the ideas submitted, a number will be commissioned to treatment and script, with the intention of securing a series green light.
Applicants must either be from Northern Ireland or currently live there, and the partners are looking for ideas that represent culture across the island of Ireland that have the potential to be filmed in Northern Ireland.
The move comes after Motive Pictures produced the BBC drama The Woman in the Wall out of Belfast from first-time showrunner Joe Murtagh, with funding and support from Northern Ireland Screen. The three companies are keen to expand on this collaboration, amplify local voices and boost Northern Ireland’s premium TV drama sector.
Maxwell, CEO of Motive Pictures and former head of international drama at Channel 4, set up the company in late 2018 with backing from Endeavor Content in the US.
Maxwell said: “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with the wonderful teams at BBC Commissioning and Northern Ireland Screen to find the next generation of Northern Irish showrunners and build a slate of bold, authored drama that speaks to our collective creative ambition. The on and off-screen talent in Northern Ireland is second to none, and we can’t wait to get back into production and bring that talent to a global audience.”
Nick Lambon, BBC drama commissioning editor for the UK and Northern Ireland, said: “Submitted projects should aim to create and introduce iconic new Northern Irish characters to audiences across the UK and breathe new life into familiar precincts and worlds with a distinctive Northern Irish lens on modern life.”
Richard Williams, CEO of Northern Ireland Screen, said: “Collaborating with Motive Pictures and BBC Drama Commissioning guiding writers to become showrunners not only elevates our storytelling but also creates vital opportunities for local crew to gain experience on ambitious, creatively led productions. By growing this talent pipeline, we’re helping to ensure Northern Ireland remains a world-class hub for high-end TV drama.”