EastEnders spin-off E20 encourages new writers

Teen-aimed EastEnders spin-off soap opera E20 has been inspiring young writers in partnership with BBC Learning.

The E20 team have undertaken a regional schools tour in order to offer advice and tips to tomorrow’s budding writers.

Sarah Miller, BBC Learning commissioner, says: “The schools tour was a terrific opportunity to deliver powerful face to face workshops, giving students and teachers the opportunity to develop key media production skills and to get behind the scenes of a top BBC drama.”

BBC Drama and BBC Learning joined forces to give E20’s audience the inspiration and skills to create and develop their own stories online. Pupils were encouraged to write short scenes based on given scenarios in line with the PSHE curriculum, then performed, filmed and edited their work with the help of EastEnders and E20 actress Modupe Adeyeye. The pupils’ work was screened, followed by a question and answer session with the BBC team.

The tour visited various cities throughout the UK including Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, Belfast and Glasgow as part of E20’s third series which is currently airing at BBC Online and on BBC Three.