The inaugural event is the brainchild of Scottish author, producer and screenwriter CS (Claire) Duffy, who plans to shine a spotlight on Glasgow’s TV talent while also driving change to help save the crisis-hit Scottish TV industry, which has again been highlighted recently as River City was axed.
The festival is being backed by Scottish TV stalwarts including actors Dawn Steele, Blythe Duff, Colin McCredie, Joe McFadden and Shauna Macdonald, along with presenter Carol Smillie and Still Game and Chewin’ The Fat Director Michael Hines.
A series of events will be held across the city from 29 May to 1 June, putting Glasgow’s talented writers, producers, directors and actors centre stage. The festival will also put the Glasgow public - which is well known in the entertainment world for its direct feedback - at the heart of spotting potential TV hits through an innovative audience feedback app, something that Claire believes is central to the future of the country’s failing TV industry.
Planned events include rehearsed readings - where audiences can watch live performances of TV pilots - along with the TV equivalent of an open-mic night, where actors, writers and directors will perform short pilots of bold, exciting new drama series in front of an audience who will get to decide which ones they’d want to see more of.
Throughout the festival, there will also be a guerilla-style campaign of 1-minute pilot videos - again showcasing the work of both Scotland’s well-known and undiscovered TV talent - which will be shown in pubs across the city.
Festival organiser Claire Duffy, who lives in Glasgow’s Southside, said: “Not many people realise that TV was actually invented in Glasgow, so this is a really exciting and important event for the city, and for the Scottish TV industry more widely. It’s no secret that TV work has dried up in Scotland - and we’ve all heard about the recent catastrophic axing of River City. The opportunities and the budgets simply don’t exist like they used to but what does still absolutely exist is the talent and the appetite for great Scottish stories.
“We want to find solutions to these challenges. We’ll be showcasing the incredibly talented TV writers, actors, directors - both household names and emerging talent - at all of our events, creating new stages and new opportunities for them to showcase the authentic, ambitious TV they want to create. And we’ll be handing over to the audiences at each event to tell us - through our app - the ideas and performances that they’re most excited about.
“Nobody knows great TV better than the people who watch it and I believe audiences should be at the heart of the TV industry going forward, providing feedback and informing decisions. Plus, Glasgow audiences have long been known for their no-nonsense feedback which is exactly what we need!”
Scottish actress Blythe Duff commented: “This is so exciting and I’m very much looking forward to the festival. I know all of the hard work to bring it to the public in this, its first year, will pay off.”
Those who are interested in receiving more information, and getting first access to tickets, should join the festival waitlist at: tinyurl.com/2xnahwju
In addition, any TV industry talent from Glasgow who would like to get involved with the festival can visit the event’s Instagram page @glasgowtellyfest for more details.
Claire added: “The reality is that we need a new approach to TV in Scotland, and talking alone won’t help bring back jobs, creativity and confidence into the industry. That’s why we’re taking action through the Glasgow Telly Fest - to showcase talent, encourage brands to become more involved in TV projects, put audiences at the heart of decision making, and bring back the glory days of Scottish television. We need to innovate, we need to take risks and we need to create opportunities for the immensely talented people that are out there just waiting to shine.”
A full programme of events will be released soon, with details of how tickets can be booked for each event.