Screen Yorkshire & SIGN, the Screen Industries Growth Network, have announced the participants for the second edition of their development hub FLEX. A total of 30 writers, directors and producers will take part in this year’s programme.
Following a successful pilot last year, FLEX will continue to build on Yorkshire’s reputation as a place of dynamic, authentic and fluid storytelling by providing space for the UK’s emerging writing, directing and producing talent to form partnerships and create strongly authored narratives.
FLEX claims to “challenge the status quo of on-screen narratives and explores storytelling ahead of the curve.” It offers participants the opportunity to generate ideas and develop stories in an inspiring and agile, platform neutral, space.
Running across seven months, FLEX offers a curated development opportunity which includes workshops, story testing sessions, writers’ rooms, script development support, access to key industry figures and pitching opportunities, with mentoring and support from Screen Yorkshire’s expert team. Creative teams are also offered bursaries to support the development process.
Jo Schofield, senior talent executive at Screen Yorkshire said: “We’re incredibly lucky to have another fantastically talented, and genuinely exciting cohort on FLEX 2. I can’t wait to see how the programme will continue to break new ground in storytelling and challenge boundaries. I’ve every confidence these creatives are going to smash it.”
Harry May-Bedell, a writer who took part in FLEX 1, added: “FLEX has been a much-needed springboard into the industry putting me in front of people that I otherwise might not have been able to meet including broadcasters, production companies and agents. It’s early days but as a direct result of FLEX, I’m in talks regarding development on multiple projects. I’m super grateful to FLEX and the team at Screen Yorkshire for opening up these opportunities to me.”
The successful writers, directors and producers for FLEX 2 were selected through a competitive application process from across the UK, with a specific focus on talent from Yorkshire & the Humber. They are:
Writers: Annie Grace, Conway McDermott, Emily Rose Nabney, Ben Worth, Elena Pavli , Joe Willis, John Hunter, Rosy Deacon, Tom Jordan, Paula Stanic.
Directors: Barbara Lervig, Brett Chapman, Charlene Jones, Charlotte Gwinner, Christian Holtappel, Funkẹ Alafiatayọ, Julian Alexander, Oz Arshad, Rebekah Fortune, Sean Mckenna.
Producers: Alice Lusher, Hannah Tookey, Hollie Bryan, Hugh Mann Adamson, Molly McGregor, Pilar Cartro Benavides, Rob Sperenza, Ruth Sweeney, Steve Lennon, Tala Lee-Turton.
