Ulster-Scots Animation and Drama Opportunities

12 December 2025

The Northern Ireland Screen Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund has partnered with BBC NI to launch two new Ulster-Scots language opportunities in animation development and drama.

A networking event for Ulster-Scots writers and the independent production sector will be held in January 2026 to facilitate both opportunities. Further details about the event will be released in the coming weeks.

Call dates:

• Closing date: 5pm on Monday 23rd February 2026
• Decisions to be made before end March 2026.

Animation Development – tariff £5,000

The animated series Five Fables has been an enduring success on BBC NI's Ulster-Scots slate. The mix of historic poetry, top talent, local creativity and the authentic and sympathetic use of Ulster-Scots language resulted in evergreen content, which found a faithful and appreciative audience across the UK.

USBF are keen to hear new ideas in this area and will consider limited development support for stories with scale and ambition. Short submissions with a brief story outline will be considered, but these should also demonstrate cross-generational appeal, and the ability to travel beyond a local audience.

Drama

Scripted Digital shorts (4 x 5' – tariff for series £40,000)

Ulster-Scots literature and grassroots storytelling reveal an enduring fascination with dark tales and the supernatural world. A previous short drama The Legend of Stumpy's Brae showed how a popular poem, based on folk legend could be successfully re-imagined as a gory tale for the small screen.

We are now seeking a Scripted series, featuring 4 x 5' 'horror' shorts, which will feature on the iPlayer as part of its Ulster-Scots collection at Halloween/October 2026. The shorts can feature a single narrative arc or comprise four standalone stories. These ideas should deliver post-watershed content, which will appeal to an audience familiar with the conventions of the genre.

While this creates a unique opportunity to use the Ulster-Scots language in creative and unexpected ways, these films must have broad appeal, particularly for a younger audience who enjoy the horror genre. While we expect this short series to be managed and delivered by a trusted supplier, with a proven track record in low budget drama, the primary intention is to provide an opportunity for talent development from Ulster-Scots communities, both in front of and behind the camera.

Submissions should include evidence of meaningful engagement with the Ulster-Scots sector and demonstrate how the casting process will be managed with authenticity and diversity very much to the forefront. We want to hear about how you propose to create pathways for younger voices, new writers, storytellers and acting talent who will bring genuine validity to these short films.

Contemporary narratives will be particularly welcome, but we will consider stories that may want to reach into the past or explore supernatural themes. They should feel dark and atmospheric, and while they may take inspiration from literary sources, we will expect original scripts that can be realised and delivered within budget.

Each short should feature no more than three characters and two locations. The maximum length of each will be five minutes. Production companies should submit a script, character breakdown and key production details.

Applicants for both calls must engage with Ulster-Scots consultants at each stage of the production, including development, to attain the level of understanding the Ulster-Scots themes and writing require. For more information, please refer to Northern Ireland Screen's Ulster-Scots Consultant Engagement Guidelines here.

If you would like to discuss this opportunity, please email USBF Manager Heidi McAlpin at heidi@northernirelandscreen.co.uk and BBC NI Ulster-Scots Commissioner Fiona Keane at fiona.keane@bbc.co.uk.