MUMBAI: BBC Writersroom in the UK has joined forces with Trans Comedy for The Trans Comedy Award. This is a talent search to encourage writers to promote a positive portrayal of Transgender people in mainstream comedy.

The UK pubcaster says that it has a long-standing commitment to representing the audience it serves both through the diversity of its workforce and in the programmes it broadcasts. The Trans Comedy Award opens up an opportunity for the transgender community and members of the general public to portray transgender characters and the lives and experiences of transgender people in an affirming manner.

This talent search will be looking for original comedy sitcoms, comedy dramas or sketch shows featuring transgender characters and/or themes and written for television. An award of up to a maximum of ?5000 will be shared between the selected writer(s) in order that they may develop a pilot or taster. It is open to any writer as long as the work submitted is not currently in development or under consideration for development and has not previously been produced by any broadcaster or production company.

The Trans Comedy Award will be judged by BBC head of creative resources Ian Critchley, BBC Comedy executive producer Jon Plowman, BBC creative director of new writing Kate Rowland and a comedy writer/actor.

Rowland said, "At the heart of it all is the writer, and at BBC Writersroom it is our passion to find the most exciting writers, voices and stories that might not have been heard and then support them as they work in partnership across the BBC. Finding writers that reach new audiences with the best of BBC Comedy makes the Trans Comedy Award a really exceptional opportunity."

BBC Comedy Commissioning controller Shane Allen said, "BBC Comedy encompasses a hugely diverse range of styles, tastes, forms and voices in its attempt to provide funny output for everyone. The track record of championing pioneering talent and getting behind authors that would otherwise be unheard in more commercial spaces is something that runs deep in our DNA. Get involved, write what you know and add to the ever evolving palate of our output."

Plowman said, "Comedy is all about character and tale telling. It has always seemed to me that both these things are actually far more important than ?jokes?. So a community that already has great characters in it and really great tales to tell should be a ?no brainer? when it comes to us encouraging people to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard! Go to it I say and good luck!"

BBC Writersroom champions new writing talent in film, television, radio, and theatre. They run schemes targeting talent from a range of sources and work in partnerships with theatres, writer?s organisations, screen agencies, and the wider cultural industries. BBC Writersroom helps new writers develop their craft through professional training, the website and in open sessions with the UK?s best writing talent.