There is a real challenge to writing for children. They’re a tough crowd that love to laugh so you’d better be funny.
From our creation in 2000 BBC Writersroom has regularly teamed up with development and production teams on the two BBC children's channels (CBeebies and CBBC), BBC Learning and Children in Need to seek out and offer tangible opportunities to the best new writing talent. Children's programmes offer one of the best ways for new writers to gain their first broadcast credits.
Commissioned programmes that have resulted from our work with BBC Children's include Wolfblood, The Worst Year of My Life Again, Spirit Warriors and MI High.
We have run several initiatives for shows including Class Dismissed, Gigglebiz and The Dumping Ground which have given writers the opportunity to submit sketches and get commissioned. Our work with BBC Children's continued more recently with our successful 2020/21 New Voices scheme.
More successes in Children's
BBC Children's successes in 2018
Hear from five writers: Bryce Hart, Joanne Lau, Marissa Lestrade, Seyi Odusanya and Karen Reed.
BBC Scotland Learning - Audio Stories for Young Listeners
BBC Writersroom in Scotland partnered up with BBC Learning Scotland in creating a series of brand new audio stories for young listeners. Hear from the producer and some of the writers involved.
Children in Need
Our team in Wales has worked closely with Children in Need with writer Daf James placed with the Roots Foundation in Swansea and Tim James with GISDA in North Wales. The A Million & Me project, focussing on supporting children’s mental health, partnered with BBC Radio Scotland with two audio pieces from members of our Scottish Voices. Find out more.
Class Dismissed - Sketch Commissions
Class Dismissed is a CBBC sketch series which offered writers the unique opportunity to submit sketches that would be considered for their new series. Five writers were commissioned
The Dumping Ground - Shadow Scheme
Christine Robertson explains how she went from being a member of our Comedy Room writer development group to taking part in The Dumping Ground shadow scheme and gaining her first episode commission.
