ITV Studios relaunches development programme for disabled writers

ITV Studios has announced the return of its Disabled Writers in Development programme, partnering with scripted labels Big Talk Studios, Hartswood Films, Quay Street Productions, and Silverprint Pictures. The initiative is designed to expand the industry talent pool of Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodivergent writers. It is financed by ITV’s £1 million Diversity Development Fund, an investment aimed at fostering new ideas and representative storytelling.

Participating writers will collaborate with editorial teams to progress an original idea from a treatment into a full script. Upon completion, these works will be presented to the ITV Drama Commissioning team. In addition to the writing process, the programme includes bi-monthly masterclasses led by Natasha Dawkins, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator at ITV. these sessions focus on networking and providing a deeper understanding of the commissioning and development cycles.

The programme is open to Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodivergent individuals who possess at least two professional paid writing credits in television, theatre, short film, or radio. The 2026 edition follows a successful 2023 pilot led by Tall Story Pictures, which resulted in three writers gaining representation at top literary agencies and securing positions on major dramas such as The Bay and Waterloo Road.

ITV has reinforced its commitment to inclusion by ring-fencing £80 million of its content budget over the next three years for its Diversity Commissioning Fund. Applications for the current development programme close on Tuesday, May 26. Leaders from the participating labels, including Big Talk Studios CEO Kenton Allen and Quay Street Productions CEO Nicola Shindler, emphasized that the programme aims to deliver structural change and ensure distinctive voices are integrated into mainstream television production.

LC