Fifteen entry-level female television screenwriters from across Australia have been given the opportunity to kick-start their careers working with renowned producer Imogen Banks (Offspring) and screenwriter Alice Bell (Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie) as part of Endemol Shine Australia’s Smart for a Girl: ROAR, the development program which received funding from Gender Matters: Brilliant Careers.

Imogen Banks and Alice Bell launched Smart for a Girl: ROAR to address the lack of new female voices coming into the TV industry. After an incredible 935 applications were received, the number of places on the program was increased from 12 to 15. Working in groups the successful applicants will be guided by Banks and Bell on how an idea is developed into a television series through the processes of a writers’ room.

Nerida Moore, Senior Manager of Development at Screen Australia said: “Gender Matters has afforded these creatives the chance to work with the best in the business, Imogen Banks and Alice Bell, which will be a life-changing opportunity, providing skills and experience that will ultimately enrich the stories we see on our screens. Congratulations to all these fabulous women.”

Imogen Banks said: “There was so much promise inside those 935 applications – it was excruciating limiting ourselves to four projects, so we’ve stretched to five. Gender Matters has unearthed a rich seam of potential and enabled us to tap into it, however lightly. It’s been a hugely rewarding experience already and with our first room running on Monday, we’re about to start the fun part.”