Script Essentials 2026: Free Webinars From BBC Writers

Join our Script Essentials drop in sessions aimed at deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent writers every Thursday lunchtime from 21st May - 25th June

Are you a deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent writer wanting to apply for our Open Call and Writers' Access Group opportunities?

Join our Script Essentials drop in sessions every Thursday at 1pm from 21st May - 25th June. Each session will cover a different topic including developing characters, writing a good spec' script and being a working writer with a chance to hear from BBC Writers' alumni and industry professionals. Come away with useful resources and information you need to get you and your script ready for our Open Call and Writers' Access Group submissions windows.

What is Script Essentials?

Script Essentials is a series of free to access drop-in webinars aimed at early career deaf, disabled and neurodivergent writers.
The sessions will run once a week from 21st May - 25th June (links and schedule below).
Each session will run for around 1 hour from 13:00-14:00 and cover one specific topic relating to writing for TV.
Each session will be recorded and available through a link in the schedule below after the session has aired. These recordings will be available until November 1st 2026.
The aim of the sessions is to help writers prepare for our Open Call and Writers Access Group submission windows (Open Call applications open in November 2026 and Writers Access Group in 2027).

Who can join Script Essentials?

The Script Essential drop-in webinars are open to UK-based deaf, disabled and Neurodivergent writers on a self-declaration basis. If you are deaf, disabled, and/or neurodivergent and feel that you would benefit from attending our Script Essentials sessions, please join using the links below for any of the sessions specified which you are interested in.

We do not require people to sign up/register in advance.

Our webinars have a capacity of 500 attendees, so please join promptly on the day and time of the session(s) you wish to attend. If you're unable to join live please wait until after the session has finished and a recording will be made available.

As our Script Essentials sessions are aimed at deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent writers and we have a capacity of 500 attendees, we would kindly ask writers who are not deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent to wait until after the sessions have finished and watch the recordings which will be made available for everyone three hours after broadcast. This is to allow deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent writers the chance to join live in the first instance.

How to join Script Essentials?

Our webinars will be held on Zoom. You will not need the Zoom app and will be able to join through your browser.

We're unable to take registrations in advance, so please use the links in the schedule below to join each session. If a session reaches attendance capacity or you are unable to make it live, you will be able to catch up with every session which will be linked below in the schedule. Please be aware that sessions will only be available to be viewed after the fact for a limited time - until 1st November 2026.

Script Essentials webinars will be held on Zoom with Live Captions and a BSL interpreter.

These webinars are designed to be as accessible as possible - however, if there is a specific accessibility requirement you would like to discuss with our team please Contact Us as far in advance of the session as possible.

Script Essentials Schedule

DATE	TIME	TOPIC + SPEAKERS	JOINING LINK /RECORDING ONCE LIVE
21st May 2026	13:00 - 14:00	Writers Voice and Ideas for Screen Join writer and creator of Reunion (BBC One) William Mager and Gwen Gorst (Warp Films) as they talk about finding your voice as a writer and what makes an idea really work for screen.	Join the session by clicking here
28th May 2026	13:00 - 14:00	Character What makes a great character for TV? Hear from writer Andrew Burrell about how to create compelling and complicated characters that audiences and readers want to follow.	Join the session by clicking here
4th June 2026	13:00 - 14:00	Story and Structure BBC Writers Development Executive Simon Nelson talks through how to crack story and structure for TV and screen writing.	Join the session by clicking here
11th June 2026	13:00 - 14:00	How I Write & The Writing Life What does a day in the life of a writer look like? Get an insight into Nk'iru. Njoku and Benjamin Bee's writing process and how they deal with deadlines and organise their days as neurodivergent writers. Hosted by Writers Access Group alumn Karen Featherstone.	Join the session by clicking here
18th June 2026	13:00 - 14:00	What Makes a Great Spec Script How do you make your script stand out? Hear from two of our BBC Writers reading team who will talk through what they look for when considering a script for one of our programmes and what industry professionals are looking for when they're reading new writing.	Join the session by clicking here
25th June 2026	13:00 - 14:00	Finding a Writing Community Our panel of representatives from Graeae, DANC/Triple C and BFI Network discuss developing your creative network and where to find writing opportunities. This session will be hosted by BBC Writers' Michelle Matherson.	Join the session by clicking here