FREE WORKSHOPS
with industry professionals
We run at least six workshops a year, often more, inviting a wide range of fantastic guest professionals along to engage and enlighten us in topics including…
• The nuts and bolts of scriptwriting
• Writing for specific genres
• Writing for different media
• Adapting others' stories for stage or screen
• Presenting your work and getting commissioned
• Working as a script editor or a staff writer
Workshops are usually held on Saturdays from 11am to 4pm, and they’re absolutely free for members.
WORKSHOP DIARY 2026
A chat with Naomi Sumner Chan from Leeds Playhouse
Wednesday 17th June
7.30pm to 9pm online
Join us as we chat with Leeds Playhouse Furnace Coordinator Naomi Sumner Chan to hear all about the upcoming opportunities for writers.
If you're not familiar with Furnace, well, Naomi is the font of knowledge who will tell us all about it, along with some exciting writing initiatives such as the Climate Playwriting Prize opportunity, the return of the Kay Mellor Fellowship, an opportunity to hear about an exciting one-off Global Majority writers workshop by New Earth Theatre, and an update on on upcoming shows - notably those with a new-writing element...
The booking window is now open for this event. Please RSVP via the 'events' tab in your member's account
area and a joining link will be emailed through with your confirmation.
Thriller writing with A.A. Dhand
Saturday 20th June
11am to 4pm @ Bingley Little Theatre, Main Street, Bingley, BD16 2LZ
This session will start at 11am with An Audience with A.A. Dhand, a conversation between A.A. and Script Yorkshire's Chair Jonathan Hall. Then, after lunch, A.A. will lead a fascinating workshop helping Script Yorkshire members unpick the intricacies of thriller writing - both as novels and in their adaptation for television.
You'll learn how A.A. constructs his material, including how he develops morally complex characters, and where you can draw inspiration from. The session will also include an analysis of pacing to create dynamic narratives that explore belonging, identity and power in modern Britain.
Dhand is a proud son of Bradford, a Sunday Times best-selling thriller author – the creator of the internationally acclaimed Harry Virdee novels – and an award-winning screenwriter. His Virdee series was adapted for television and was broadcast on the BBC in 2025. He now has other works in television development.
IMPORTANT NOTE: While the 'in conversation' session is open to non-Script Yorkshire members for a fee, the workshop is strictly for Script Yorkshire members and is limited to 20 places.
The booking window is now open for this event. Please book your place via the 'events' tab in your
member's account area.
From short to series: inside the adaptation process with Kamal Kaan
Saturday 17th October
11am to 4pm @ Bingley Little Theatre, Main Street, Bingley, BD16 2LZ
Join Kamal for a practical workshop exploring the journey of adapting his short film Me and the Witch into a television pilot. Using the project as a live case study, the session will break down how to expand characters, build long-form story arcs, develop a compelling series world, and translate the emotional core of a short into episodic storytelling. This workshop is ideal if you're an emerging writer or filmmaker looking to evolve short-form ideas into TV-ready concepts.
Bradford-based Kamal writes for screen, stage and radio. His debut BFI short film as writer and co-exec producer, All The Lights Still Burning, had its world premiere at The London Film Festival in 2023 and screened at BFI FLARE 2024 and The London Indian Film Festival. His Channel 4-funded short film Me and the Witch for which he was writer and associate producer, is currently being developed by Warner Brothers and Wall To Wall.
As script and story consultant, Kamal worked on the double BAFTA-nominated Ali and Ava (2021, written and directed by Clio Barnard), which premiereed at The Cannes Film Festival. He was also script consultant for Channel 4's series Dance School.
Kamal also writes for stage and radio. Credits include: 2-part series Trimerous (2026), 3-part series Batgirls (2024), Bangla Bantams (2022), Father's Land in Mother Tongue (2019) and Breaking up with Bradford (2017).
The booking window for this workshop will open on Saturday 3rd October at 8am via the Events tab in your member account section of the website.
In the pipeline...
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Write your musical: a two-day intensive with Victoria Gimby
WATCH THIS SPACE!
HOW TO BOOK
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Numbers are limited to 20 writers per workshop.
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To attend, you must be a current paid-up member of Script Yorkshire. Join us!
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Tickets are bookable via the events page in your Script Yorkshire account, and the booking window opens on the Saturday two weeks before the workshop date.
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If the workshop is full, you can add yourself to the waiting list and you'll get an email if someone drops out.
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If you book a ticket and discover you can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket as soon as you possibly can via your account so another writer will have the chance to come along.
PAST WORKSHOPS
2026
24 January: The craft of scene writing with Cheryl Martin
21st & 22nd February: Write your musical: a two-day creative intensive with Victoria Gimby
21 March: Historical and biographical writing with Irene Lofthouse
2025
25 January: How to kill your darlings with Lisa Holdsworth
22 March: Writing ghost stories with Adam Z Robinson
17 May: Writing for radio with Marion Nancarrow
19 June: Writing for games with Will Jones
13 September: Writing a Short Film with Liam White
18 October: Meet the Commissioner with Julia McKenzie
2024
23 March: How does telly work? with Lisa Holdsworth
18 May: How to write a gripping monologue with Cheryl Martin
11 June: Writing for radio with Jonathan Hall
25 June: Writing for radio with Marion Nancarrow
9 July: Writing for radio with Jonathan Hall
16 July: Producing your own work with Dick Bonham
10 Sep: Opportunities at The Playhouse with Amy Leach/Rio Matchett
1 Oct: The script doctor is online with Jonathan Hall
5 Oct: The writers' room experience with Ian Kershaw
2023
10 January: The Proactive Writer with Jonathan Hall
11 February: Devising theatre with Actors with Lucy Campbell
18 April: Writing for radio with Oliver Emanuel
20 May: Writing & pitching a TV drama series with Jade Jones
17 June: Podcasting for scriptwriters with Pods Up North
14 October: Producing your own work with Gordon Meredith
2022
26 January: Reconnecting With Our Creativity with Script Yorkshire's workshop team
26 March: Writing Film Scripts with Julian Woodford
23 April: How To Put On Your Own Play with Dick Bonham
12 November: Writing a theatre play with Tom Wells
2021
11 & 18 January: How to Catch Ideas with James Moran
15 & 22 February: Shoot Your Script with a Smartphone with Wayne Sables
22 April: Unlock Your Creativity with Emma Adams
22 May: Sitcom writing with Bennett Arron
15 July: The First Ten Pages with Tom Needham
2020
8 February: Has it Got Legs? with Ola Animashawun
29 February: Writing for Video Games with Steve Ince
14 July: Writing for Radio Part 1 with Oliver Emanuel
18 August: Writing for Radio Part 2 with Oliver Emanuel
8 September: Writing for Radio Part 3 with Oliver Emanuel
7 November: How to Start a Podcast with Pods Up North
2018
27 January: Creative Kickstart with Ola Animashawun
10 February: Horror Writing Workshop with James Moran
17 February: Scriptwriting Essentials 1 with Lisa Holdsworth and Alison Hume
17 March: Scriptwriting Essentials 2 with Lisa Holdsworth and Alison Hume
28 April: Thriller Writing with David Allinson
26 May: Plays That Kick Ass with Ola Animashawun
16 June: How to Write for Radio Drama Q&A – Chris Reason, Gary Brown, Kamal Kaan, Everal Walsh
15 September: Using Historical Research in Story-driven Drama with Ciaran Bermingham
3 November: Writing Radio-ready Drama with Stefan Escreet
2017
18 March: Writing for Film with Jimmy Richards
27 May: Script Editing Workshop with Alison Hume
8 July: Adaptation Workshop with Martin Jameson
23 September: Writing for TV with Ian Kershaw and Debbie Oates
11 November: Writing Comedy Workshop with Toby Hadoke
16 January: Creative Workout with Emma Adams
13 February: Producing New Writing with John Tomlinson
7 May: Writing for Radio Drama with Chris Reason
16 July: How to Get Ideas from Absolutely Anywhere with Dan Bye
10 September: Ways to Use Autobiographical Material in Creating Drama with Matt Miller
5 November: Creating Drama from Original Sources with Vanessa Rosenthal
26 November: AGM/Writing and Producing TV Q&A/Christmas social
WORKSHOP ETHOS
It’s very important that our workshops are events at which people feel safe and included and can share their work without prejudice, regardless of their age, race or gender.
We ask that our members always show respect to each other in a mutually constructive and supportive way.
