Fremantle's Bafta and Emmy award-winning production company Dancing Ledge Productions (Prisoner 951, The Responder, Big Mood) today announces Aaron Kilercioglu as the latest writer to join its acclaimed Writers in Residence programme, as the company marks ten years of championing the next generation of British television writing talent.
Kilercioglu has been selected as the 2026/27 Writer in Residence, embarking on a twelve month residency that provides a bursary, dedicated workspace, creative development support and unparalleled access to Dancing Ledge's development process.
Born in Vienna to Turkish and Canadian parents, Kilercioglu works across German, Turkish and English. His recent short film, Getaway, starring Shygirl, premiered at SXSW London 2025 and has since screened at BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying festivals. His latest play, The E.U. Killed My Dad, staged at Jermyn Street Theatre, won the Woven Voices Prize and received two OffWestEnd (Offies) nominations. His previous play, For A Palestinian, enjoyed sold-out runs at Camden People's Theatre and Bristol Old Vic.
Kilercioglu’s work has also received the BOLD Playwrights Prize, the Underbelly Untapped Award and the Methuen Drama 'Other' Prize, and has been shortlisted for the Theatre503 International Playwriting Prize and the Etan Ilfeld Prize, as well as longlisted for the prestigious Bruntwood Prize.
Aaron Kilercioglu says: “I am thrilled to be joining Dancing Ledge as this year's Writer in Residence. Dancing Ledge's bold and imaginative storytelling is what I aspire to in my own work and this opportunity is exactly what I need at this moment in my career, shifting from theatre to screen. At a time when a sustainable creative career feels ever more out of reach, it means a great deal to receive the space and support to write. It's a delight to be developing a project with a team that takes new writers seriously. I can't wait to get started.”
Launched in 2016, the programme was created to identify and nurture exceptional new writing talent from across the UK. Each year, literary agents nominate writers who have had at least one script produced for theatre, radio, television or film, but no more than one television or feature film credit. This year the scheme received hundreds of entries.
The successful writer receives a bursary and a dedicated desk at Dancing Ledge's London offices, while gaining first-hand experience of the company's development process through script feedback, development meetings and close collaboration with its creative team. Participants also take part in writers' workshops as part of Dancing Ledge's Screenwriting Mentorship Programme.
Over the past decade, the initiative has established itself as one of the UK's leading talent development schemes, helping emerging writers make the transition into television while removing many of the financial and practical barriers faced by new voices.
Alumni include Lauren Sequeira, Georgia Christou, Dillon Mapletoft, Emma Sidi, Rebecca Manley, Jonathan Neil, Jodie Irvine, Tristan Bernays and Caroline Bartleet, all of whom have gone on to develop projects with leading broadcasters, streamers and production companies across the UK.
Laurence Bowen, CEO of Dancing Ledge Productions, says: "Nurturing creative talent is always at the forefront of the company's work and through our Writer-in-Residence programme we have been able to support the careers of a generation of new writers – and we enjoy having them in the office! It is critical to the future of our industry that we remove financial barriers that would otherwise block talent and continue to promote diversity through these sorts of career initiatives. One of our first writers in residence, Lauen Sequeira, went on to create and write Domino Day for us, and we’re hoping we’ll find a brilliant project to do with Aaron too. He’s an exceptional new talent."
Dancing Ledge has established itself as one of the UK's leading production companies for nurturing emerging talent. Alongside its Writers in Residence programme, the company runs The Dawn Sturgess Bursary, the BBC TV Producer and Director Mentoring Scheme and the ScreenSkills Screenwriting Mentorship Programme.
In January, Dancing Ledge and Fremantle marked the tenth anniversary of their partnership with Kensington Aldridge Academy by expanding their annual careers day into an industry-wide showcase, introducing students to careers across television through leading organisations including RTS, ScreenSkills, Creative Access and Amazon. What began as a mentoring initiative in 2016 has grown into an annual bursary-backed programme that has since expanded internationally through partnerships with schools around the world.
Through mentoring, workshops, work placements and industry partnerships, Dancing Ledge continues to invest in the next generation of British storytellers alongside its award-winning production slate, which includes Prisoner 951, Big Mood, The Responder, Domino Day.
A Decade of Writers in Residence
To mark the tenth anniversary of Dancing Ledge's Writers in Residence programme, former writers reflect on how the scheme has shaped their careers.
Lauren Sequeira – Writer in Residence 2018
Sequeira is the creator and writer of Domino Day, produced by Dancing Ledge Productions, which premiered on BBC Three in the UK and Sundance Now in the US. She has also written for Gangs of London, The Wanted Man and The Dumping Ground, and was part of the BBC Drama Writers' Programme before being selected for BAFTA Breakthrough in 2024.
Lauren Sequeira said: "The residency was invaluable at the start of my career. I learned so much about television development, and the idea we began discussing during my time at Dancing Ledge eventually became Domino Day. Seeing that project come to life made the experience even more special."
Emma Sidi – Writer in Residence 2023
Sidi is an actress, comedian and writer working across television, radio and stage, recently nominated for the Edinburgh TV Awards as Best Comedy Actress. She currently stars in Saturday Night Live UK (Sky/Peacock), has returned for the second series of BBC comedy We Might Regret This, and is known for her role as Jess in Starstruck (BBC Three/HBO Max). Her writing credits include the award-winning short film La Princesa De Woking and Sky Short Last Resort, and she is currently developing original projects with Dancing Ledge.
Emma Sidi said: "The Dancing Ledge Writers in Residence programme has been an absolute career highlight for me. It gave me access and insight into an entire world of television production that is usually not possible for emerging writers. Being part of development meetings and receiving regular feedback from the team was one of the greatest and rarest opportunities I've had as a writer."
Georgia Christou – Writer in Residence 2019
Christou is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter working across television and theatre. Her recent television credits include The Buccaneers (Apple TV+), What It Feels Like for a Girl (BBC/Hera Pictures), Go Away (BBC One), KAOS (Netflix) and Renegade Nell (Disney+/Lookout Point). She is currently developing original projects for the BBC and Sky, alongside adaptations of her acclaimed stage work.
Georgia Christou said: "My residency at Dancing Ledge was a life raft. It felt like being invited into the world of television and told to pull up a chair. They are true champions of writers, and I'm thrilled that the tenth Writer in Residence will receive the same practical, financial and creative support that I did."
Jonathan Neil – Writer in Residence 2025/26
Winner of the Red Planet Prize, Jonathan Neil has developed original projects with Firebird Pictures, Kudos, Red Planet Pictures, Left Bank, Hillbilly and BBC Studios. His television credits include Father Brown (BBC One), while his stage work includes Judy, The Righteous and Twitcher.
Jonathan Neil said: "It is more than just a show of faith and financial investment, but a real lifeline to young writers who are trying to survive. I had spent too long trying to 'get it right', but Dancing Ledge offered me something I didn't know I needed: a chance to rediscover my own voice."
Rebecca Manley – Writer in Residence 2024/25
Manley has over the past year gone on to write on The Rapture for the BBC and Berlin Noir for Apple and in the past has written extensively for young audiences, with commissions from the National Youth Theatre, York Theatre Royal, West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Bush Theatre. She was part of the BBC Drama Writers' Programme and has developed projects with Kudos North, Bad Wolf, Mammoth Screen, VAL, Bonafide and Origin Pictures . Before becoming a writer, she appeared in Shane Meadows' This Is England and Clio Barnard's The Selfish Giant. She is developing a new series with Dancing Ledge Productions.
Rebecca Manley said: "The residency itself is such a gift – it's yours to make of it what you can. They are there to listen, to bounce ideas around with, to offer honest, constructive feedback, to share their extensive knowledge of the industry and to make you feel like a writer."
Dillon Mapletoft – Writer in Residence 2021
Since his residency, Mapletoft went on to create, write and executive producer of the acclaimed Channel 4 comedy Everyone Else Burns, produced by JAX and Universal International Studios, which was nominated for Best Comedy at the Broadcast Awards. He is currently developing an adaptation of his award-winning stage show Fix My Brain with Eleven Film, has written for Avenue 5 (HBO/Sky), and continues to develop original comedy projects for UK and international broadcasters including a new comedy series with Dancing Ledge.
Dillon Mapletoft said: "The residency created a uniquely supportive environment with a genuine sense of community. Dancing Ledge nurtured me from the damp kindling of a half-baked idea through to a fully formed television series. I have no doubt that when I go to my grave, my last words will be: 'Thank you, DLP.'"
