Channel 4 has launched a fund to help ethnically diverse-led indies secure IP that can be turned into scripted TV.
Opening in January next year, the Creative Equity Drama IP Fund will provide option and secure rights to books, plays, web series and other content that puts diverse, authentic voices centre-stage.
In its first year, at least half of the investment will go to Black-led indies.
Described by C4 as the first of its kind, the fund is a collaboration between 4Sklls and Channel 4 drama and the Black Indie Group and is part of C4’s digital-first Fast Forward strategy.
The fund is part of a wider commitment to amplifying diverse voices that also includes this month’s Black Women in Scripted x Channel 4 Short Film Showcase, a curated programme of work by Black women and non-binary filmmakers.
It will feature work from Nana Duncan, Elizabeth Smith, Tracey Lopes, Dalila McFarlane-Martin, Naomi Soneye-Thomas, Savannah Ayoade-Greaves, Aliyah Harfoot and Nenda Neururer.
C4 is also building on its inaugural Development & Empowerment Lab in London with a series of nations and regions events.
The first of these takes place in Bristol on 29th and 30th October, with Black writers, directors and producers taking part in a series of workshops, skills development sessions and a networking event.
C4 and South Asian Creatives will target mid- to senior-level South Asian scripted talent with a series of Creator Labs in due course.
Diverse Indies Fund
Additionally, C4/WPP Media Motion Entertainment’s Diverse Indies Fund is open for submissions, this time specifically for digital short-form drama and comedy-drama pilots.
To date, the fund has backed more than 80 hours of shows, including Luti Media’s E4 therapy format In Love and Toxic, Dark Pictures’ Channel 4.0 drama Beth and Rogan Productions’ upcoming C4 documentary series Free Nelson Mandela.
The deadline for this year’s submissions is Friday 24 October. For more details, click here.
