Writing Opportunities
Explore new writing opportunities and events from the BBC and across the industry.
Open Call
Our annual open submission opportunity for all writers aged 18 and over and resident in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
How and When to Send us a Script
Our Open Call is now closed for submissions. The dates of the next Open Call will be announced in autumn 2026. Find out more about the Open Call and what we do (and do not) accept.
More Opportunities from BBC Writers & across the BBC
Script Essentials 2026: Free Webinars From BBC Writers
Online Events: Every Thursday from 13:00 to 14:00 until 25th June
Join our Script Essentials drop in sessions aimed at deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent writers every Thursday lunchtime from 21st May - 25th June
BBC New Comedy Awards 2026
Deadline: 23:59 on Sunday 5th July 2026
The nationwide talent search to find the best new comedy talent.
The Comedy Unit | Noising Up!
Rolling Deadlines
Noising Up is set to return to BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Sounds and needs your topical, satirical and observational sketches!
BBC Upload
Upload is open to submissions all year round, with content showcased every day on BBC radio stations and social and online platforms from writers and content creators across the UK.
Non-BBC Opportunities
Aberystwyth University Scriptwriting Society
Ongoing Meet Ups
The society is holding weekly writing workshops for keen scriptwriters who are based in the Aberystwyth area in Ceredigion, Wales. Non-students are welcome.
Actwrite
Rolling Deadline
Actwrite is seeking London-based screenwriters to join a new project connecting them with trained actors to workshop scripts.
Anthroplay Theatre | Anthrotalks
Multiple Deadlines and themes throughout the year
Anthroplay is looking for poetry, spoken word, monologues, comedy, drag, songs - the lot - for their upcoming Anthrotalks events in 2026.
Barons Court Theatre | The Sunday Fix
Deadline:15th of the month
The Sunday Fix is a scratch night offering feedback on 10 minute extracts of new plays from writers.
The Bay International Film Festival | Screenwriting Club
Monthly Meet Ups
For those who enjoy screenwriting but prefer not to work alone, the monthly Screenwriters Club group in Lancaster offers a space to write alongside others.
Box of Tricks | Open Door
Rolling Submissions
Box of Tricks has a year-round, open door policy to receiving new plays from playwrights in the North of England.
Comedy Gold Diggers
Deadline: 30th June 2026
Comedy Gold Diggers is seeking comedy audio scripts to be performed and recorded in front of a live audience.
Devon and Cornwall Screenwriting Group
Event: The group meets online every month
The group meets to provide reciprocal feedback on completed TV and feature scripts written by group members.
Eastern Angles Theatre Company | New Angles Writers Club
Rolling deadline. Booking required prior to each session
Eastern Angles is looking for East Anglian playwrights to join their New Angles Writers Club, a local writing community to receive support and feedback on a play in development.
Edinburgh Screenwriting Sessions
Bi-weekly meetups
An opportunity to write and socialise with other screenwriters in Scotland.
En Route Theatre Company | Voyages
Deadline: 27th June 2026 11.59pm
En Route Theatre Company is looking for submissions for VOYAGES, a new writing festival taking place at the White Bear Theatre, Kennington, London from 25–28 August 2026.
Finborough Theatre | Open Script Submissions
Rolling submissions
Finborough Theatre welcomes unsolicited scripts at any time of the year.
INK Festival | Autumn 2026 Script Writing Courses
Deadline to apply: Saturday 1st August 2026
INK Festival is offering a free series of adult scriptwriting workshops this autumn.
ITV Academy | Continuing Drama Writers Initiative Continuing Drama
Deadline: Thursday 2nd July 2026
ITV Academy is offering a three-month, full-time paid development opportunity to gain experience within the storytelling worlds of Coronation Street or Emmerdale.
London Comedy Writers
Ongoing Meet Ups
An opportunity for London based comedy writers who want to share their work and receive constructive feedback.
Mainstage Prize for Playwriting
Deadline: 23:00 on 1st August 2026
Mainstage Prize for Playwriting are seeking new horror plays for their new award.
Manchester Screenwriting Meet Up
Ongoing Meet Ups
An opportunity for Manchester based screenwriters who want to develop their craft and learn more about screenwriting.
Messy Writers | Monthly London Meet-Ups
Monthly Meet Ups
An opportunity for London based screenwriters who want to share opportunities and meet potential collaborators.
Muslim International Film Festival | Script Pitch Live
Deadline to apply: Friday 19th June at 11.59pm
Script Pitch Live is a live pitching showcase spotlighting emerging Muslim screenwriters and original feature film projects as part of the Muslim International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026.
New Earth Writers UK Academy Plus
Deadline: 10am on Tuesday 30th June 2026
New Earth Writers’ UK Academy Plus is a British East and South East Asian (BESEA) writers' programme dedicated to the development of a full length play.
New Writing North | Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards 2026
Deadline: 12 noon on Friday 26th June 2026
An opportunity for aspiring TV writers based in the North of England to submit to receive a cash bursary, mentoring with an industry professional and the opportunity get work with a top independent production company.
Papatango | Playwrights’ Studio
Papatango have announced a brand-new, completely free offer for playwrights which includes digital workshops, open-access funding, one-to-one advice, in-person events, and representation on a searchable industry database.
Pentabus Theatre | Jerwood Writer in Residence 2027
Deadline: 10.00am on Monday 29th June 2026
Pentabus are looking for an emerging theatre artist to become their third Jerwood Writer in Residence.
A Play, a Pie and a Pint
Two yearly submission windows for Emerging and Established Playwrights
A Play, a Pie and a Pint run two yearly open submission windows – two opportunities for them to read new work by writers aged 18+ who are Scottish or Scotland-based.
Playwrights' Studio Scotland | National Script Reading Service
Rolling Submissions
Playwrights' Studio Scotland's free script reading service provides an opportunity for Scotland's writers to receive valuable script feedback from theatre professionals.
Royal Court Theatre | Script Submissions
Rolling Submissions
The Royal Court is dedicated to finding the most exciting new plays, underpinned by the history of their open submissions policy.
Script Club Cardiff
Monthly meet-ups
Script Club Cardiff holds monthly informal meetups for local scriptwriters.
Script East Midlands
Monthly meet-ups, booking required
A writer-led support network for scriptwriters, based in the East Midlands.
Stolen Moments | Writer Call Out
Rolling submissions
A call out for short plays from Welsh and Wales-based writers for a new theatre platform.
Summerseat Players | New Writing Festival 2027
Deadline: 3rd August 2026
Summerseat Players, a volunteer-led theatre company based at Theatre Royal Ramsbottom have launched submissions for their inaugural New Writing Festival, taking place in July 2027.
TYPE! - Micro plays
Rolling submissions
TYPE! is a new bookmark magazine looking for short/micro plays or screenplays (2-5 minutes in length) to feature in the next edition.
Womxn Who Make Funny Films
Ongoing Meet Ups
Womxn Who Make Funny Films organise networking events, writing groups and showcases for women identifying comedy filmmakers.
Yorkshire Screenwriters | Monthly Script Feedback
Monthly Meetings
Yorkshire Screenwriters is a community-based organisation supporting screenwriters in the region by offering Monthly Script Feedback on the first Wednesday of each month, either online or in person in central Leeds.
Help: Do you have an Opportunity that you would like us to include on this page?
Do you have an Opportunity that you would like us to include on this page?
Please visit our Opportunities Listing Requests page for full details of the information we require and how to get in touch.
Our remit is scriptwriting so in general we can't promote opportunities or events from organisations outside the BBC which are for novel writing, short stories, poetry etc.
We can only promote opportunities and events which are free for writers to enter or attend and don't ask for payment from writers at any stage.
Info: BBC Comedy
BBC Comedy
BBC Comedy writer, writer/performer, director, producer and editor development is looked after by BBC Comedy Commissioning, which brings together all comedy outreach that is happening across the BBC under one strategy.
The separate Caroline Aherne Bursary, Felix Dexter Bursary and Galton & Simpson Bursary for writers have been brought together with two new bursaries for directors and producers into the BBC Comedy Collective, a supercharged bursary scheme offering 10 places each year to up-and-coming writers, producers and directors who’d like to develop their careers in scripted comedy.
Find out more about the BBC Comedy Collective leaders and alumni
Interested in breaking into Comedy?
Visit the BBC Comedy Commissioning website to find out about more opportunities
