Second Annual Sesame Street Writers’ Room Fellowship Now Accepting Applications
Emerging Writers from Underrepresented Racial Backgrounds Will Be Eligible for Development Deals and Mentorship from Sesame Workshop
(New York, NY – Jan 9, 2018) Sesame Workshop today announced that applications are open for the second annual Sesame Street Writers’ Room Fellowship, designed to develop new screenwriting talent, amplify underrepresented voices, and foster diversity in children’s media.
Building on the success of the inaugural program, this year’s Fellowship will take place at Sesame Workshop’s offices in Summer 2018. Potential fellows are invited to submit original scripts for consideration between January 8th and February 4th, 2018; the scripts will once again be evaluated by a panel of Sesame staff and other industry professionals in a series of blind readings and face-to-face interviews. Once seven to ten fellows are chosen, the group will gather weekly for hands-on workshopping and conversations with writers, producers, agents, and executives in eight three-hour sessions. When the program concludes, each fellow will have completed at least one script, and up to two winners will receive development deals from Sesame Workshop. The winning scripts will be performed in a staged reading at an industry networking event.
“Since we first aired in 1969, Sesame Street has been committed to reflecting the rich diversity of our world,” said Brown Johnson, EVP and Creative Director, Sesame Workshop. “As we gear up for our fiftieth anniversary season – when our mission of helping kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder seems more crucial than ever – it’s important that we help all kids see themselves represented both on- and off-screen.”
Last year’s winners, Monique Hall and Keion Jackson, are currently working on scripts for a variety of Sesame Workshop projects that span Sesame Street segments, partner content, original concepts, and episodes of the upcoming show Esme and Roy.
“By helping emerging writers from diverse backgrounds build industry experience and connections, programs like this one have the potential to change the children’s media landscape,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, SVP of Creative Development, Sesame Workshop. “It’s been a pleasure to work with Monique and Keion as they’ve developed scripts for us over the past six months, and I look forward to the energy and perspectives that our new class of fellows will bring to the Workshop this year.”
Aspiring television writers of underrepresented racial backgrounds are invited to submit applications now through February 4th, 2018. For detailed submission information, please visit sesamewritersroom.org
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About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re present in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically-funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit sesameworkshop.org.
Press Contact
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