The BBC Comedy Collective, which supports and accelerates the next generation of comedy talent, will be open for applications on Wednesday 8 April ahead of this year’s BBC Comedy Festival in Liverpool.
The “supercharged bursary scheme” offers 10 places each year to mid-level comedy creatives; a mix of writers, writer/performers, producers, directors, and editors who would like to further their careers in scripted comedy.
Previous bursary winners and BBC Comedy Collective delegates have gone on to make BAFTA-winning TV series, land multiple script commissions, secure agents, write and produce radio shows, and gain directing credits.
Each bursary winner will receive up to £10,000 worth of paid shadowing on a BBC Comedy production, along with an allocated production mentor, plus a £5,000 development grant to put towards their own development. They will also have a dedicated point of contact within the BBC comedy commissioning team, and access to the Collective ambassadors.
The BBC Comedy Collective ambassadors are director Christine Gernon, editor Gareth Heal, and producer Ash Atalla, alongside estate representatives including Geoff Schumann and Paul Whitehouse (representing Felix Dexter), Tessa Le Bars and the Galton family (representing the writing partnership of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson), and Lucy Ansbro (representing Caroline Aherne).
The BBC Comedy Collective continues to gain supporters and champions within the industry, constantly increasing the opportunities for the delegates to build strong networks and connections, and working with the support of BBC Writers, post houses (including Fifty Fifty, Suite, Splice, The Farm and Envy), Versa Studios and The TV Foundation, to name a few. Indies that have already supported include Hat Trick, Big Talk, BBC Studios, Birdie Pictures, Nice One, VAL, Tidy Productions and Merman. It also works closely with a range of screen agencies from across the UK who will also continue to collectively support the next generation of comedy talent.
Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the BBC says: “The BBC Comedy Collective is a fantastic way for emerging comedy talent, both on screen and behind the scenes, to get stuck into the heart of the industry. It’s about opening doors and helping the next wave of voices find their place in the comedy community. We’re thrilled to launch the search for this year’s cohort.”
The BBC Comedy Collective is not an entry level opportunity but will be open to anyone who has had at least one previous credit in writing, producing or directing in any genre, across any platform. Applicants will also need to be able to demonstrate a strong passion for and commitment to comedy.
The places for editors in the BBC Comedy Collective will be open to Edit Assistants / Assistant Editors who have struggled to cross over or break into scripted comedy and are looking to make a firm move into the genre. This is a mid-level opportunity, so the ideal candidates will be able to demonstrate a professional commitment to editing (any field / genre) and a passion for narrative comedy. BBC Comedy will actively be encouraging applications from individuals from diverse and underrepresented groups.
Bursary winners will have all expenses, including travel and accommodation, covered to attend a minimum of three BBC comedy events over their year on the scheme. Events next year will include the BBC Comedy Festival, with other events to be announced in due course.
Within the ten places, at least one will be guaranteed for an individual based in Liverpool (host city for the BBC Comedy Festival 2026), one in Northern Ireland, one in Wales and one in Scotland.
More information on the scheme and how to apply will be available via the BBC Commissioning website.
Applications open on Wednesday 8 April and close on Wednesday 6 May. The new BBC Comedy Collective for 2026 Cohort will be announced during the Edinburgh TV Festival in August 2026.
