WFTV 2025 Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab kicks off as a fresh cohort of future female screenwriters is revealed

Photo Credit: Mary Wycherley.

WFTV is proud to unveil 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.

Running from Monday 15th to Saturday 20th September, 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.

Sponsored by Diageo

Diageo is delighted to partner with WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriter’s Lab 2025 and give their support to the thirteen extraordinary writers with great stories and unique voices who have been chosen this year for the retreat.  Diageo is committed to supporting emerging writers and talent and with the help of WFTV support giving them the tools and insight to progress in their next step to seek representation or production deals in the TV and film industry.

Diageo is represented by EMG in the UK, where support is given to the wider art department production industry by supplying Diageo brands to add authenticity to scripted moments and help determine characters and sets in UK original TV and film projects.

Diageo is a global leader in premium drinks, with a portfolio of exceptional brands.  From much-loved, established brands, such as Johnnie Walker, Gordons and Guinness to the latest innovations like Tanqueray 0.0.  Other brands include Baileys, Smirnoff and tequila brands including Don Julio and Casamigos.