Attention comedy writers – the BBC Comedy Collective Bursary Award is open for submissions. But hurry! The deadline is a week on Friday, 31 January.
There aren’t many competitions or schemes I unequivocally recommend comedy writers investigate – two to be precise. This is one of them.
This will be the third year the BBC have run the scheme and it’s shaping into something of real value.
It was put in place by Jon Petrie very soon after he took over from Shane Allen as Director of Comedy at the BBC.
It is, to quote the website, “a supercharged bursary scheme offering 10 places to emerging writers, producers, directors and editors from across the UK who’d like to develop their careers in scripted comedy.”
What I like about this scheme is that it puts the emphasis very strongly on writers and writing. At the start of the century around 10 per cent of all BBC comedy was writer-performer led, these days the figure is nearer 50 per cent.
There is deliberately no attempt to put an exact figure on the number from each group of creatives, although almost half the awards have gone to writers or writing partnerships in the two years it’s been running.
This is partly because some writing bursaries have existed for a while: the Caroline Aherne and Felix Dexter awards, principally aimed at bringing more women and ethnic minorities into the BBC Comedy department.
An early recipient was Sophie Willan in 2017 when these bursaries were still organised by BBC WritersRoom, which continues to be a fantastic resource for comedy drama writers (Their open call for scripts towards the end of the year is the other scheme I strongly recommend you apply for).
The success of Sophie’s Alma’s Not Normal show is good starting proof that the scheme is doing what it was set up for.
Shane organised another bursary in 2020, the Galton and Simpson award, which was introduced at the height of covid and the emphasis here has been more on helping writers who have struggled with mental health issues.
In addition there’s an understanding that many UK regions have been underrepresented comedy-wise over the years.
From that point of view, being based in London is neither a disadvantage nor an advantage. The Collective is designed to support creatives from across the UK, covering the costs of placements and attendance at key industry events for all recipients, regardless of their location.
The money is important but there’s a whole lot more to it. Benjamin Bee, one of the first winners in 2023, told me the award opened many doors that had seemed permanently closed.
“You’re welcomed into a family,” he said, “they’re like the parents you wished you’d had.”
Ben had left school at 14 without any qualifications and struggled with autoimmune disease.
“My obsession with TV comedy and my socio economic background, being neurodivergent as well as comorbid health conditions were the basis of my application. “
“My script was very personal. I took a serious subject and turned it into a comedy drama. It was all about coming to terms with that while dealing with other family issues.”
Benjamin is based in Newcastle, and London can seem a long way away, much further than the 300 miles or so by road. He is a huge enthusiast for the scheme and for everyone involved.
“I can’t tell you how helpful everyone is. We’re all urging each other on, getting excited about everyone else’s projects. And the BBC team are incredibly supportive.”
You’re on the scheme for a year but unlike other similar schemes it’s not like falling off a cliff face at the end.
“Although it officially ended last May you become an alumni. The family continue to support each other going forward.”
Each bursary winner receives up to £10k worth of paid shadowing on a BBC Comedy production along with an allocated production mentor, plus a £5k development grant to put towards new material or to further support their development.
That £5k is yours to spend as you wish. You can use it to buy time to finish a script or develop a new one. You can go to LA and set up meetings. It’s up to you.
“We all know how difficult it is to get on in the industry,” Ben says, “this way you get to meet more people working in it.”
Not that meetings are everything of course. There’s no substitute for writing. Writing more. Getting better at it. That’s a lifelong aim for all of us.
“Don’t give up – keep writing. You have no control over who is selected for these things. The only thing you have control over is your own writing. It can feel like nothing is happening but if you keep sharing your work things will happen. But it takes time.”
It’s worth applying for this, not least because it’s good to learn how to cope with rejection. That’s something that happens to every writer, at every stage of their career.
“It’s not the end of the world to be rejected,” he says, “I am the king of rejection! I know what it feels like to be rejected – it feels like you will never be selected and it feels fixed! I have been rejected for EVERYTHING – I had pages of rejections on the BBC Writersroom before I was finally selected for something.”
In addition to a short script, the application asks for a 500 word statement. I asked Ben for advice on how to approach this.
“Make your statement honest and truthful. Don’t lie. Read the T&C’s clearly. Think about how to get your way in and why you want to do it. Plus a bit of levity won’t do any harm.”
With all TV companies cutting back on narrative comedy and training budgets slashed across the board, the Comedy Collective is a rare beacon of light in the gloom.
“I’ve ended up with a bunch of people who I adore and we all want each other to succeed,” says Ben. “It’s a creative, kind supportive family. And some of the funniest people I’ve met.”
FULL DETAILS HERE: https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/comedy/comedy-collective-bursary