Channel 4 expands its support for under-represented Scripted talent and Indies

Channel 4’s Creative Equity and Scripted Commissioning teams today announced a renewed strategic focus on driving diverse representation across Drama and Comedy content. The plan combines targeted investment with sustained development and networking opportunities, designed to open pathways for both on-and off-screen talent from ethnically diverse backgrounds. 

At the heart of the strategy is the emphasis on building equitable access to the industry ensuring diverse voices are empowered to shape the future of British storytelling. 

Key Elements of the Strategy

• Creative Equity Drama IP Fund – the first of its kind in the UK, enabling ethnically diverse-led indies to option high-value IP for television.
• Black Women in Scripted x Channel 4 Short Film Showcase – featuring films by Black women and non-binary creators, celebrating innovation in scripted storytelling.
• Creative Equity Labs – a series of development platforms to empower creators across the Nations and Regions:
  
  1. Development & Empowerment Lab with LEAP
  2. ESEA Comedy Lab with EAST
  3. Creator Labs with South Asian Creatives

Increasing Investment into Ethnically Diverse-led Indies

The Creative Equity Drama IP Fund, in collaboration with 4Skills and Channel 4 Drama, is the first of its kind in the UK, designed to support ethnically diverse-led indies secure and develop IP. The fund will provide support to option and secure rights to IP (eg. books, plays, web series) for projects that align with Channel 4’s Fast Forward strategy and reflect diverse, authentic voices. It has been developed with input from the Black Indie Group, and in recognition of this, Channel 4 will allocate at least 50% of the fund’s first-year investment to Black-led Indies. Submissions to the Creative Equity Drama IP Fund will open in January 2026. More information is available here: https://www.channel4.com/4producers/commissioning-briefs/creative-equity-drama-ip-fund

This sits alongside the long-running Channel 4 and WPP Media Motion Entertainment Diverse Indies Fund, which over the past four years has commissioned more than 80 hours of television across almost every genre. From landmark projects like the upcoming Mandela series, to youth-skewing hits such as In Love and Toxic, and innovative digital drama like Beth, the fund has consistently opened space for new perspectives on screen, ensuring ethnically diverse-led companies can compete more effectively with established players. 

For 2025, a new brief is live under the Channel 4 and Motion Entertainment Diverse Indies Fund specifically for digital drama and comedy-drama pilots. C4 Digital is looking for distinctive, instantly captivating short-form ideas with the potential to cut through.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 24 October. More information and details of how to apply can be found here: Channel 4 and Motion Entertainment Diverse Indies Fund: Creative Brief 2025.

Building Networks for Sustainable Change

Channel 4 is also investing in spaces where creators can connect, collaborate, and grow their careers:

Black Women in Scripted x Channel 4 Short Film Showcase – Channel 4 are hosting the Black Women in Scripted x Channel 4 Short Film Showcase later this month. The festival will present a curated programme of work by Black women and non-binary filmmakers to engage with groundbreaking stories and celebrate pioneering voices in scripted film. This showcase will include films directed by Nana Duncan, Elizabeth Smith, Tracey Lopes, Dalila McFarlane-Martin, Naomi Soneye-Thomas, Savannah Ayoade-Greaves, Aliyah Harfoot, and Nenda Neururer.

Creative Equity Labs:

Development & Empowerment Lab: Bristol – Building on the success of the inaugural London Lab, Channel 4 will partner again with LEAP to extend the Development & Empowerment Lab’s reach to the Nations and Regions, beginning with Bristol on 29th –30th October. This two-day programme will convene Black writers, directors, and producers working in scripted content for a series of intensive workshops, collaborative exercises, skills development sessions and an evening networking event. To participate, please apply here: Leap x Channel 4 Development & Empowerment Labs Bristol & Wales Edition - Application Form

ESEA Comedy Lab with EAST– In collaboration with the EAST creative network, Channel 4 will deliver a Comedy-focused Development Lab dedicated to supporting British East and Southeast Asian writers. The programme will provide targeted creative support and direct industry access to help participants refine their craft, broaden their professional networks, and open new career pathways. More information to follow on Channel 4 Creative Equity LinkedIn.

Creator Labs with South Asian Creatives – Channel 4 are also launching Creator Labs in partnership with South Asian Creatives. These Labs will focus on mid- to senior-level South Asian scripted talent, offering structured support to advance projects, strengthen professional networks and build visibility within the wider industry. More information to follow on Channel 4 Creative Equity LinkedIn.

A Long-Term Commitment

Together, these measures form a cohesive strategy that positions Channel 4 as a catalyst for lasting change in the creative industries, championing unheard voices and embedding inclusivity at the heart of UK Drama and Comedy.

Ian Katz, Chief Content Officer at Channel 4, said: “Great storytelling thrives on new perspectives and this collaboration between Channel 4’s Creative Equity and Scripted teams, alongside 4Skills, reiterates our unwavering commitment to championing ethnically diverse talent and indies, and nurturing groundbreaking ideas. We believe this will strengthen the wider creative community by empowering talent and helping indies overcome barriers"

Kolton Lee, Chair of the Black Indies Group, added: “The Creative Equity Drama IP Fund is an important collaboration between Channel 4 and BIG.  It is a significant step forwards in addressing the very specific, long-standing barriers that have faced the Black British creative community.”

The initiatives are part of Channel 4’s commitment to ensure we support talent development and creative careers across the UK, while building long-term resilience within the production sector.

LEAP is a platform dedicated to empowering individuals to take leaps of faith through films, workshops and events. The Development and Empowerment Labs, in collaboration with Channel 4, aim to break convention, inviting creators to connect, expand the boundaries of their contribution and strengthen the confidence and networks needed to sustain their career.

EAST is a network of creatives working together to champion East and Southeast Asian voices. This Lab is about backing creatives who have the talent and ambition to create the next wave of original, distinctive comedies. EAST was set up to take ESEA stories and talent away from the margins and into the heart of British television, across drama and comedy.

South Asian Creatives gives South Asian voices a platform they’ve too often been denied. By equipping mid-career talent with the tools, networks, and confidence to tell stories on their own terms, and partnering with Channel 4, they work to ensure that authentic South Asian stories reach audiences across the UK and beyond.

Black Women in Scripted (BWiS) was created in 2020 to spotlight Black women and non-binary creatives who are too often overlooked in film and television. This event is about celebrating their stories and giving their work the platform it deserves, while connecting them directly with industry decision-makers.