Each year, Script Lab supports emerging writing talent from across the North of England, providing the time, guidance, and creative space to turn early concepts into compelling short film scripts.

This year’s writers come from an exciting range of creative disciplines, including theatre, comedy, programming, and more, bringing a wealth of different perspectives to the programme. We’re delighted to welcome the 2026 cohort and can’t wait to see their films take shape.

Adam is a writer, performer, and comedian from Blackburn. Predominately writing for theatre and TV, they have been part of the BBC Writers Access Group, and have developed work with Hat Trick Productions, FilmNation, Graeae Theatre Company, and more. Adam is excited to be working with Film Hub North to bring their own style of character driven, disabled-led, working class Northern stories to the world of shorts.

Alison Scurfield is a writer from North Yorkshire, now based in Newcastle upon Tyne. To date, she has mostly written for stage and has had work produced by Live Theatre, Alphabetti Theatre, JustOut Theatre and PeachPlant Productions. She is a recipient of Arts Council England DYCP funding. 

Having previously written comedy dramas, Alison's writing has taken a departure of late, as she is interested in exploring gender-based healthcare and the female body through a horror lens.

Edie Barnabas is a filmmaker and programmer from the North of England whose work explores experimental approaches to cinema. She founded the Leeds-based DIY film night Slime Presents (supported by Film Hub North) and has programmed for Sheffield DocFest, Bolton International Film Festival, and Go Short.

Her films take a dreamlike approach to narrative, exploring body politics, esoteric themes, and queer experience. She has collaborated with other practitioners as well as institutions like Historic England and the National Science and Media Museum. Her first short film Lacking the Boggart screened before Enys Men by Mark Jenkin, and subsequent work has exhibited at film festivals and cultural institutions across the UK.

Larry Shobajo is a Manchester-based writer developing original film and television projects. His work explores character, identity and belonging through grounded genre storytelling, often blending suspense, mystery and science fiction with a Northern perspective.

Alongside his writing, Larry works in television production and has contributed to productions including Coronation Street (ITV) and Harlan Coben’s Run Away (Netflix). He has developed work through the Channel 4 Global Majority Writing Programme, and is currently developing Out of the Ordinary, an original sci-fi mystery drama exploring friendship, adolescence and fractured reality.

Matty is a Whitley Bay-based writer/director with a background in improv comedy and the stockroom at Primark. 

Brought up on Morecambe and Wise and Vic and Bob on VHS TV recordings from his parents’ collection, Matty now makes genre films about reluctant heroes trying to fix a problem and destroying themselves in the process.

His short, psychological horror GILDA premiered at Fright Fest London 2025 and has since received an honourable mention at Oxford Shorts, been nominated for best horror at TVIFF, and won the Craig Conway award at Terror on Tyne. Horror comedy short Gripper, written by Matty is about to start its festival run.

Nadia is a British-Arab creative producer, director and writer based in Sheffield. She is passionate about creating spaces where people can connect through stories, particularly those from underrepresented communities. Her work is political, rooted in care, curiosity and playfulness.

Olivia is a screenwriter from Wigan in the North West of England and a graduate of the NFTS Screenwriting MA. She writes character-driven stories about morally grey people living on the edge of society, often focusing on women who are one bad day away from burning the world down. Her work is shaped by class, familial dynamics, mortality, and the quiet tensions that exist within everyday relationships.

Roisin is a multidisciplinary artist and performer from Newcastle Upon Tyne, working across comedy, poetry, theatre and cabaret. A graduate of East 15 Acting School, they’ve created three solo shows (Medusa, Teenage Kicks and Be More, Do Better But Don’t Change), and in 2025 were commissioned by ARC, Stockton to create a genre defying show Not Yours about recovery from trauma; a commission from No More Nowt to create Sweet, Salty, Spicy, Sour a show about food and working class culture; and from the WWT to write a poem about transformation for their national Dragonfly festival. Her 5-star reviewed work blends theatre, stand-up, spoken word and cabaret, with multiple successful Edinburgh Fringe runs and tours and countless roaring standing ovations. Roisin's work is autobiographical, rooted in rage, joy and the absurdity of life.

They’ve worked extensively in participatory and community arts, including as a director, youth theatre facilitator and embedded artist. In P.R.U's, hospital schools, SEN schools, community centres, disused shop units and youth clubs. As a former Crisis Worker in a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, they bring a trauma-informed lens to both their creative and educational work.

Also active in the cabaret and burlesque scene, they perform, host, direct and run inclusive projects like The Self Love Club or The Not Yours Beginners Troupe, celebrating body diversity and accessibility in live performance - and giving everybody, in every body, the opportunity to take their first steps into performing and perform on stage alongside professional performers. Roisin's community practice is always integrated in her work.

Sarah is a Liverpool-based writer and senior script editor, originally from the West Midlands. She has written for Hollyoaks and has a background in production, having worked as a second assistant director before moving into editorial. She has an MA in Screenwriting from Liverpool John Moores University. 

In 2024, Sarah was selected to take part in the BBC Studios/Talentworks Writers Studio and was tasked with writing three drafts of an episode of Casualty. Her debut comedy pilot Boomerang reached the semi-finals of the 2025 Female Pilot Club Comedy Initiative and the 2026 Raindance Script Competition. It was also recently featured in the 3-Page Challenge at the BBC Comedy Festival.

Twamsen Dana’an is a Manchester‑based multidisciplinary filmmaker whose work explores migration, family, resilience and the emotional truths found in everyday life. Originally from Nigeria, he brings a cross‑cultural perspective shaped by lived experience, community and memory. He works across directing, cinematography and documentary, with a growing interest in character‑driven fiction. 

Twamsen is currently developing a new project for Script Lab, drawing on themes of belonging, identity and personal transformation. Alongside filmmaking he mentors emerging creatives and documents cultural events across the North West. He is committed to telling stories with clarity, empathy and intention.