Training And Performance Showcase (TAPS) Screening
We’re teaming up with the University of the West of England’s Centre for the Performing Arts for our final meeting of 2004 to present screenings of recordings of script-in-hand performances of extracts from dramas by Ann-Marie McCormack and Tim Massey produced as part of the last two TAPS Full-length Script Development and Showcase programmes.

Ann-Marie’s drama Gas and Air and Tim’s comedy-drama Bacon Sandwich were both developed with Southwest Scriptwriters before being chosen as one of six scripts from more than 400 submissions for each TAPS programme. Tim went on to receive the TAPS Tenth Anniversary Drama Writer of the Year Award for Bacon Sandwich — originally produced by UWE’s Centre for the Performing Arts at the Alma Tavern in May 2001 — at a ceremony at BAFTA in Piccadilly in March.

TAPS is a unique and independent charitable organisation that seeks out, trains and promotes potential television scriptwriters. In its 11-year history the organisation has trained more than 600 writers and showcased 209 of them with many subsequently establishing themselves in the TV industry, working on popular series including EastEnders, Coronation Street, Casualty and The Bill.

As well as Ann-Marie and Tim’s showcase recordings, the screening will feature a short promotional film about TAPS, and Jill James, the organisation’s Executive Director, will be at the meeting to answer your questions about its work.

The screening will start promptly at 8pm in Room A122 in the Assembly Hall at the University of the West of England’s St Matthias Campus, Oldbury Court Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 2JP.