CBBC: New Stories for the Next Generation

Do you have stories to tell that we've never seen before?

Can you create characters the audience will fall in love with?

We want to find the next generation of CBBC writers with fresh perspectives, original voices, and the ability to create unforgettable characters.

This opportunity is open to any writer who wants to write Children's drama for the 6-12 age range. We are looking for 30-minute original TV scripts of unmissable and infectious storytelling, offering fresh cultural perspectives, tales combining authenticity with hope and joy, stories from a child's point of view, characters that will engage and surprise the audience, scripts that are powerful, emotional, and contemporary, shows that will work for the CBBC audience and channel but can dare to take risks.

They might be action-adventures, comedy-dramas, modern takes on age-old morality, tales shot through with fantasy, magic and wonder, real stories with substance and edge, animated ideas or a combination of animation and live-action - but they must be new stories that will get under the skin of a new generation, the kind of stories they will still talk about in years to come.

Process

A shortlist of 15-20 writers will be invited to a masterclass in July 2009. The final 8-10 shortlisted writers will then be selected and spend an intensive residential week developing their work, improving their craft and pitching to CBBC in September/October 2009. The final shortlist will receive CBBC mentoring from the development team and a £300 bursary.

Deadline: 5pm, Wednesday 1 July 2009

Shortlist notified: Friday 10 July 2009
Masterclass: Tuesday 28 July 2009
Final selection: Writers notified Friday 4 September 2009
Residential: 28 September - 2 October 2009

Selection

The selection panel will include Anne Gilchrist (Controller, CBBC), Steven Andrew (Head of CBBC Drama, Acquisitions, and Animation), Kate Rowland (BBC Creative Director, New Writing),

To Enter

Make sure you read the Rules of Entry below. To enter, you must complete an online application form. Once you have completed the form and it has been emailed back to you, print out a copy of the email and make sure you include it with your script when sending it to:

CBBC New Writers
BBC writersroom
Grafton House
379-381 Euston Road
London NW1 3AU

Information & Links

• Check the FAQ
• Come along and put your questions to the CBBC Head of Drama
• Explore the CBBC commissioning guidelines
• Visit the CBBC website
• Read examples of scripts written for children
• Complete an online application form and send us your script!

Rules of Entry

You must read and comply with the following rules:

1. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 as at 1st July 2009 who is a resident of the United Kingdom (including the Channel Isles and the Isle of Man). Entrants must not be employees of the BBC or anyone connected with the competition or their close relatives.
2. No entrant may submit more than one script.
3. Entrants should write a television script suitable for children. Scripts must be legibly typed and formatted and must be no more than thirty A4 pages and thirty minutes in length.
4. It is a condition of entry that entrants warrant that their work contains no defamatory matter, also that it does not breach any third party rights or contain any quotation from copyright material without appropriate permission having been obtained. Entries must not be obscene or in any way unsuitable for broadcast on a channel aimed at children aged between 6 and 12.
5. The script must be the entrants' original work. Professional and produced writers are eligible to enter. The script must not have been previously produced for broadcast.
6. Co-written scripts may be entered and writing teams of up to a maximum of two persons will be considered. If selected for the masterclass, both writers would be invited; if selected for the residential, both writers would be invited and receive a bursary.
7. The play must be written primarily in English.
8. The Selection Panel's decision will be final and no further correspondence will be entered into. The BBC will not offer specific feedback to writers of scripts not shortlisted. The BBC does not accept any responsibility for late, delayed, damaged, ineligible, fraudulent or lost entries. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. The right is reserved for the whole script not to be read if it is clear that the quality of writing or subject matter is unsuitable or in breach of these rules.
9. The selection panel will select a shortlist of up to 20 writers who will be expected to attend a one day masterclass in London (travel will be arranged from outside London, and accommodation will be considered if required). Up to 10 of those writers will then be selected to attend an intensive residential week in Kent. They will also each receive mentoring where appropriate and a bursary of £300. Travel, accommodation and meals will be provided but no other expenses will be paid. All dates and venues supplied for the masterclass and residential week may be subject to change.
10. The BBC regrets it is unable to acknowledge receipt of scripts or return entries so remember to keep a copy. If you wish your script to be returned, please enclose an SAE.
11. Entrants will retain copyright in their entries but agree to allow the BBC to publish or broadcast the play on TV, Radio, Online or in any media it thinks fit subject to being commissioned on its usual contractual terms.
12. The 'prizes' must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred or transferred.
13. The BBC reserves the right to withhold prizes, alter the closing date, amend the rules or to cancel the competition in whole or in part if they consider it necessary or if the standard of entries so justifies.
14. All entries must be accompanied by the application form obtainable online at www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom and must be posted to CBBC New Writers, BBC Writersroom, Grafton House, 379-381 Euston Road, London NW1 3AU so that they are received no later than 5pm on Wednesday 1st July 2009.The deadline for receiving entries for the competition is final. No entries received after the given date will be considered. The BBC can accept no responsibility for any postal delays. Proof of posting is not proof of receipt.
15. The names of the short listed entrants will be posted on the Writersroom website by end July 2009. Following the final Selection Panel meeting, the names of the selected residential writers will be posted on the website by end September 2009.
16. Winners agree to take part in any post-competition publicity as required.
17. The BBC reserves the right to exclude any entry from the competition at any time and in its absolute discretion if the BBC has reason to believe that an entrant has breached these rules.
18. Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition.
19. The BBC will only ever use personal details for the purposes of this competition, and will not publish them or provide them to anyone without permission. You can read more about the BBC Privacy Policy at www.bbc.co.uk/privacy.
20. The BBC Code of Conduct for competitions can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/competitioncode.
21. These rules are governed by the law of England and Wales.