Now in its second year, the character development programme Scratch Me delivered by the BFI NETWORK talent team at Film Hub North is back with an innovative new partnership with production company Fulwell 73 to find and nurture Northern voices. Five fresh, bold and unique writers and writer-performers will be supported in this 5 month programme to develop a nuanced and complex character through the creation of a 3 minute teaser and pitch deck. Fulwell 73, from their newly established base in Sunderland, will support the development of the teasers and have the first option to take them onto their slate for further development.

Scratch Me is all about characters. Exciting, original, can’t-look-away characters. Over the course of a 5-month programme of workshops, mentoring sessions and writing challenges, lab participants will develop a fully-formed character who has the potential to lead to a TV series, feature film or radio show. At the end of the programme, our writers will collaborate with a team of emerging filmmakers to create a short scratch monologue film which will be presented to industry executives at a special showcase event. You’ll leave Scratch Me with a powerful new addition to your creative portfolio and the confidence to develop your film and TV skills further.

Scratch Me runs from July 2022 - November 2022. Here is the indicative schedule. Applications are open now and close at 12pm (noon) on Monday, 23 May. More information on how to apply is below. We’re also hosting drop in sessions in April for creatives who want to find out more about Scratch Me and if it’s right for them. Sign up now.

Alongside the filmmaking lab, Scratch Me has partnered up with Northern Film + Media to deliver a public programme of online sessions featuring top industry talent discussing the process of character development and the craft of film and TV.

We want to see more northern characters, voices, and stories on screen, so we are opening this call to any level of experience and across any genre. As long as you are over 18, live in the North of England (see below) and have a creative track record you can apply.

We want to see characters that are unique and unexpected, that are flawed but we can’ t take our eyes off them. The characters can live within any genre but they should be rooted in or have a connection to the North. We don’t want clichés or tropes; we are looking for fresh perspectives and new voices. You may be a seasoned screenwriter or straight out of school, you might come from stand-up, be a novelist, a Tik Tokker or a playwright - just show us evidence of your creativity and drive to develop this character.

All applicants must be:

Based in the North (Cheshire, County Durham, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Northumberland, North and North East Lincolnshire, Tees Valley, Tyne and Wear, Yorkshire and the Humber).

Applications are open now and close at 12pm (noon) on Monday, 23 May. To apply to Scratch Me, complete the online form linked below. The application form gives you a chance to tell us about yourself, your creative background and the character you'd like to develop through the lab. 

If you'd like to prepare offline before completing the online form, we've put together a downloadable list of the questions asked for reference.

Scratch Me is a Film Hub North and BFI Network project delivered in partnership with Fulwell 73 and Northern Film + Media.