MOTIVE PICTURES, BBC DRAMA COMMISSIONING AND NORTHERN IRELAND SCREEN COLLABORATE TO FIND NEXT GENERATION OF SHOWRUNNERS
Date Posted: July 11, 2025
Motive Pictures has partnered with BBC Drama Commissioning and Northern Ireland Screen to support and nurture the next generation of creators from Northern Ireland. The aim of the initiative is to help creatives take the next step from episodic writing to running their own shows.
Motive Pictures produced the critically acclaimed, award-winning BBC drama The Woman in the Wall out of Belfast from first time showrunner Joe Murtagh, with funding and support from Northern Ireland Screen, and the three companies are keen to expand on this collaboration. The ambition is to amplify local voices, and to help boost Northern Ireland’s premium TV drama sector.
This opportunity is for experienced writers who have at least two sole writing credits on a professionally produced TV series or feature film (at least one of those credits must be for TV) minimum of 25 minutes in length.
Applicants are invited to submit bold, ambitious and unique series proposals that speak to contemporary Northern Irish life (via their agents). From the ideas submitted, a number will be commissioned to treatment and script, with the intention of securing a greenlight to series.
Simon Maxwell, CEO of Motive Pictures commented:
“Following the success of our award-winning show The Woman in the Wall, we are delighted to be continuing our partnership with the wonderful teams at BBC Commissioning and NI Screen to find the next generation of Northern Irish showrunners and build a slate of bold, authored drama that speaks to our collective creative ambition. The on and off-screen talent in Northern Ireland is second to none, and we can’t wait to get back into production and bring that talent to a global audience.”
Nick Lambon, BBC Drama Commissioning Editor, UK and Northern Ireland commented: “We’re really excited to be a part of this initiative to find more contemporary Northern Irish stories and champion local voices. Submitted projects should aim to create and introduce iconic new Northern Irish characters to audiences across the UK and breathe new life into familiar precincts and worlds with a distinctive Northern Irish lens on modern life. Our longstanding partnership with NI Screen and the talented team at Motive are the perfect partners for us to develop these exciting original ideas.”
Richard Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Ireland Screen commented:
“As the TV Drama sector in Northern Ireland continues to go from strength to strength we’re delighted to launch this initiative as part of our ongoing commitment to develop the local talent base at every level of screen production. Collaborating with Motive Pictures and BBC Drama Commissioning guiding writers to become showrunners not only elevates our storytelling but also creates vital opportunities for local crew to gain experience on ambitious, creatively led productions. By growing this talent pipeline, we’re helping to ensure Northern Ireland remains a world-class hub for high-end TV drama.”
The intention is to authentically represent Northern Ireland on screen, so applicants must either be from Northern Ireland or currently live there. Ideally, we want ideas that represent culture across the island of Ireland, which have the potential to film in Northern Ireland.
The initiative is being spearheaded by Motive’s Head of Development, Sophie Bicknell, and is expected to launch this summer.
More information will be sent out to agents shortly – in the meantime please direct questions to [email protected]
