Google and The Black List are behind a new fellowship opportunity for TV writers producing exceptional and authentic stories about the Black experience.
The Black List x YouTube Originals Black Voices Creator Fellowship will provide financial grants and creative support to four television writers, with each fellow receiving $40,000 in financial support. That grant will go towards producing a proof of concept and developing a pitch.
“It’s no small thing for writers to have access to substantial financial resources to further realize their artistic ambitions without sacrificing their ownership of that work in order to get them,” said Black List founder Franklin Leonard. “We’re overjoyed that we’re partnered with YouTube Originals to provide exactly that to four writers who are telling these sorts of stories. I can’t wait to see what comes of it.”
Four fellows will be chosen for a short list of up to 15 writers selected by the Black List. Their work will be shared with YouTube Originals who will then select the four recipients in February 2023. Those selected for the inaugural fellowship class will also receive creative support as they develop their proofs of concept for a TV pitch, being paired up for six months with a showrunner mentor.
Writers can learn more about the Black List and Google partnership and submit their work through Dec. 15 on blklst.com.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Black List on a program that seeks to identify and nurture the next wave of creatives from underrepresented communities,” DeMira Pierre, Creative Executive, Impact & Racial Justice, YouTube Originals. “As part of Google’s commitment to help build a world where everyone can belong, our team looks forward to providing these talented artists with equitable access to resources that can serve as a key to unlocking a world of opportunity.”
The Black List and Google’s joint fellowship opportunity was brokered by UTA’s brand consulting division UTA Entertainment & Culture Marketing, which represents Google.
The Black Voices Creator Fellowship comes on the heels of a different Black List partnership with CBS Studios and the NAACP‘s joint production venture. Writers with feature films, pilots, plays or theatrical musicals hosted on the Black List website can submit their work focused on authentic Black stories through Nov. 16, after which one identified writer will be offered a WGA-minimum script deal.
Source: Hollywood
