TV Drama - The Writers' Festival 2011

By writers for writers
Leeds, July 6th 2011 - July 7th 2011

TV Drama: The Writers' Festival is now full

Bookings are now open for this year’s TV Drama – The Writers’ Festival, which willl be held at Leeds College of Music.

This is a unique opportunity for writers with at least one broadcast credit to mix and mingle with their peers, and to attend workshops, masterclasses and discussion panels involving the top writing, commissioning, producing, and directing talent working in television drama today.

To apply for a place at the festival, please download the application form and e-mail it to us at writersroom.events@bbc.co.uk by 23rd June 2011.

Confirmed speakers at the festival so far are:

Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files)
Jimmy McGovern (Cracker, The Street, Moving On)
Jack Thorne (Skins, Cast-offs, This is England '86)
Paula Milne (Small Island, The Night Watch, Endgame)
Stephen Butchard (Five Daughters, House of Saddam, Vincent)
Danny Brocklehurst (Exile, Shameless, Clocking Off)
Hugo Blick (The Shadow Line, Sensitive Skin, Marion & Geoff)
Toby Whithouse (Being Human, Doctor Who, Hotel Babylon)
Esther Wilson (Accused, The Street, Moving On)
Alice Nutter (Justice, 32 Brinkburn Street, Accused)
Tony Marchant (Garrow's Law, Holding On, The Mark of Cain)
John Yorke (Controller, BBC Drama Production)
Hilary Martin (BBC TV Drama North)
Jane Featherston (Creative Director, Kudos Film and Television)
Ben Stephenson (Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning)
Hilary Salmon (Executive Producer - Silk, Criminal Justice)

To give you a taster of what we've got lined up, here are some of the sessions we'll be running over the two days:

• "Team writing US style"
• "The Curse of the scripwriting guru"
• "Controversy and getting into hot water."
• "Know Your Audience - Writing for the Youth Market" 
• "Is it the writer's responsibility to change the world?" 
• "Meet the Critics"
• "Developing Different Voices - Representing Modern Britain"

Places are limited to writers with a television broadcast credit or commission.

How it works:
The festival begins with registration from midday on Wednesday 6th and finishes on the afternoon of Thursday 7th July at Leeds College of Music.

If you are a writer with a broadcast credit or commission and would like to come along you can apply for a ticket by downloading the application form and emailing it to us at writersroom.events@bbc.co.uk. 

Please title your email TV Drama - The Writers’ Festival.

Price: £40 for both days

Accommodation: not included

Bookings close:  *Deadline extended* Thursday June 23rd - all applications to be in by midnight.

Payment due:  Thursday 30th June by cheque made payable to 'BBC' with reference number and full name on the back.

If you do not have a credit or commission in television as yet but would like to attend you can make an enquiry briefly detailing your writing experience to writersroom.events@bbc.co.uk please title your email Writers’ Festival Query.

If you are an industry professional and would like to come along we may have some spaces. Please download and fill out the application form and email it to us at writersroom.events@bbc.co.uk.  Please put Writers Festival - Industry in the subject line.

Where is the festival being held?
The festival will be taking place at the Leeds College of Music:

Leeds College of Music
3 Quarry Hill
Leeds
LS2 7PD

The college is about 10 minutes walk from Leeds City Station if you are coming by train.

If you are planning to drive to Leeds you will find it at the crossroads of the M62 and the M1. Please bear in mind that there is no parking at the venue, although there is a multistorey car park near by on Harper Street.

More maps and detailed travel information can be found at the Leeds College of Music website

Where can I stay?
The Visit Leeds website has information about hotels, bed and breakfasts and self catering accommodation in the area.