‘Develop BC’ Program Renewed – Access Expanded
The PSP is pleased to announce the renewal of Develop BC, a program designed to stimulate the development of IP and create work opportunities for emerging BC-based screenwriters, thanks to funding from Creative BC. Develop BC is open to showrunners who are BC residents and, as a new addition this year, BIPOC-identifying showrunners from outside BC will be eligible to apply.
Increasingly, buyers from conventional television and streaming platforms are looking for a deeper level of development to take place before they commit to a project. The Develop BC program aims to assist with this by paying the fees of two Emerging Writers to work with a Showrunner-EP for a week to further develop a series to demonstrate its viability.
“Thanks to a successful pilot program last year, and the renewal of support from Creative BC, we are able to offer this initiative again,” said Camilla Tibbs, the PSP’s Executive Director. “In 25-26, we will be supporting a total of three projects: two will be from BC showrunners and one will be that of a BIPOC-identifying showrunner from outside BC, allowing us to incorporate better representation and inclusivity in the program ”
In late 2024, the PSP announced the pilot version of this program and supported the development of projects by Sonja Bennett, Ken Craw, Jennica Harper, and Brad Wright in early 2025. “The Develop BC program was hugely helpful to me. It covered the cost of a week-long writing room with two fantastic writers who helped me break my pilot story for a new project,” commented Jennica Harper (Run the Burbs, JANN). Brad Wright (Travelers, Stargate SG-1) said “This is a terrific program. A week was just the right amount of time to develop what I started with into a strong pitch, asking ourselves the tough questions we were likely to get from potential buyers.”
Full program details including the revised eligibility criteria and the application and selection process are available here. An online information session is scheduled for October 6th for prospective applicants (register here), prior to the two-week intake window in early November. The three development rooms will take place between January and May 2026, with in-kind support from Peliplat.