Women in Film and Television UK (WFTV) has named those taking part in the 2025 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 an opportunity for 13 emerging female writers to develop a single script to a pitch-ready standard.
This year’s lab is led by screenwriter Lisa Holdsworth (Fat Friends, Call the Midwife, Waterloo Road) and 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.
The 2025 writers include:
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.
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.
Photo Credit: Mary Wycherley
Pippa Considine
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