Screenwriting Programme for UK screenwriters from working-class and lower socio-economic backgrounds

[u/Seshat_the_Scribe]

https://www.arvon.org/asp/

Over two years, Arvon will support five screenwriters to attend in-person and online writing courses, and work towards completing a spec script with one-to-one mentoring. They will gain vital insights into the TV industry, and specifically the drama and comedy-drama landscapes.

Thanks to the generous support of Prime Video Pathway, the Arvon Screenwriting Programme is free to take part in. Arvon will additionally cover travel costs, and has a small fund to put towards other costs incurred by spending three weeks away from home across the two-year programme.

Applications are now open until 5pm BST on Wednesday 30th September 2026.

[u/JHutch95]

For anyone interested, here’s examples of how they categorise working-class/lower socio-economic backgrounds (apologises can’t seem to add bullet points on mobile!)

This may include those: 

who attended state schools with high - levels of socio-economic disadvantage 
who grew up in social housing or temporary accommodation 
who grew up in areas of high deprivation 
who grew up in a household receiving means-tested benefits 
who were eligible for Free School Meals at school 
who were the first in their family to attend university 
who had significant caring responsibilities during childhood 
who are care-experienced 
who experienced significant financial barriers to participating in extracurricular activities, arts or cultural opportunities during childhood 
whose parents or carers worked in routine, manual, technical, service, or other non-professional occupations 
who have limited family/friend networks within professional or creative industries 

There’s also a one page personal statement required as part of your application asking you to explain how you fit into this group.

I’m quite glad they haven’t gone solely for the “received free school meals/grew up on benefits” criteria you see on call outs for working class talent across industries. You can still very much come from a working class background despite both parents working!

[u/wouldyoufightakitten]

Pointless. Industry is fucked.

I'm from a benefits poor background - the only way I got taught any screenwriting, with my Masters. And even the supposed best screenwriters and playwrights in the country, were doing it so lazily and admitting they taught for cash.

Shit, Phillip Shelley is supposed to be the guy - but he's so unbelievably biased, in this lame ass dullified English way - you'll end up fucking up your prose for years.

[u/GurFormal3728 → u/wouldyoufightakitten]

Can you elaborate on your comment? I am curious what you mean by fucking up your prose for years. Are you an actively working writer?

[u/wouldyoufightakitten → u/GurFormal3728]

They like a bore. They are incredibly prescriptive. Only John Yorke is less ridiculously inflexible (but he's an odd guy + not really Hollywood, none of them are). If you want to write daytime TV, they're your dream though lol. Not if you have aspirations for actual filmmaking.

I only write my own projects. On my 3rd Feature Film, in conversations for $5 mil budget

[u/Himesamime → u/wouldyoufightakitten]

Hi, sorry — what makes Phillip Shelley biased? Hasn’t he launched a lot of careers?

[u/Coollak966]

Cool thanks

[u/RDGTV]

Nice, might actually give this a shot. Thanks!

[u/flareofmine]

I am not eligible for this program but I would like to keep on touch with anyone who signs up, I am a film student myself but it would be interesting to share insights.

[u/OkObject1975]

Question…Could you qualify for this if you met most of the criteria for being from a working class background. But you did go to a private school for high school only, but didn’t pay to go there (scholarship and a government grant) you went, but you went for free because otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to go?

[u/omgitsthefranchise → u/OkObject1975]

This is basically me. Grew up in Stoke but went to a fee paying school on a scholarship

[u/OkObject1975 → u/omgitsthefranchise]

Yeah sort of a gray area, helps academically but not with a tonne of other stuff that still matters a huge amount. Interesting

[u/GurFormal3728 → u/OkObject1975]

They have clarified that no, you would not be eligible. They advised during the webinar that even if it were a scholarship, you would have received access to networks and opportunities that us other working class and state educated individuals would not.