Advanced Television

WFTV 2025 Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab kicks off with fresh cohort

October 13, 2025

Women in Film and Television UK (WFTV) has unveiled the 2025 cohort currently taking part in the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab, sponsored by Diageo. Now underway at The Hurst in Shropshire – the former home of playwright John Osborne and base of the Arvon Foundation – this week-long, fully funded programme offers a unique opportunity for 13 emerging female writers to develop a single script to a pitch-ready standard.

The immersive residential lab features workshops, one-on-one tutor sessions, and industry masterclasses, all designed to hone participants’ writing craft, build creative confidence, and equip them for the next step in their screenwriting careers.

This year’s lab is led by celebrated screenwriter Lisa Holdsworth (Fat Friends, Call the Midwife, Waterloo Road) and acclaimed script consultant Marilyn Milgrom (Black Mirror, Suffragette, Kensuke’s Kingdom), offering participants tailored guidance from two of the industry’s most respected figures. Agent Christina Pickworth will also join the programme as this year’s guest speaker to share her professional insight.

The 2025 writers were selected for their originality, creativity, and potential to shape the future of storytelling in film and television. This year’s cohort includes:

  • Afia Nkrumah
  • Avril Evans
  • Clare Baines
  • Georgia Gant
  • Grace Cassidy
  • Hannah Rose Caton
  • Helen Tompson
  • Holly Smith-Williams
  • Jessica Benhamou
  • Kelly Condron
  • Khadija Khan
  • Leaf Wang
  • Thalyn Rhodes

The WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab was established to honour the legacy of the late Kay Mellor OBE, a trailblazing writer, producer, and director who was an advocate for women in the industry. Kay’s commitment to mentoring and nurturing new talent is at the heart of this initiative, ensuring her contribution to the industry continues to inspire future generations of female screenwriters.

The lab offers participants the chance to develop their scripts in a focused, supportive environment, with access to leading industry professionals. By the end of the programme, each writer will not only have advanced their project to a pitch-ready stage, but will have built a peer network, developed confidence in their creative voice, and gained insight and tools to support their next steps, whether seeking representation, pitching to producers, or shaping their next story.

Katie Bailiff, CEO at WFTV UK, said: “WFTV is delighted to continue to honour Kay Mellor’s legacy by championing female writers across our industry. This year’s Screenwriters’ Lab once again brings together new writers for a week full of deeply enriching experiences and opportunities to work with industry experts on their scripts. Kay Mellor’s passion for storytelling and her fierce dedication to supporting women in film and television lives on through this lab. We have been thrilled to see the successes that have been fostered from previous labs and look forward to seeing what this wonderful cohort will bring to the industry.”

Now in its third year, the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab continues to provide a transformative space for talented female screenwriters to develop their voice, refine their projects, and forge new industry connections – all in a serene and creatively charged setting.

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