The Hothouse
What Is It?
The Hothouse is a series of focussed screen industry initiatives that will encourage new creative alliances and methods of development between writing and performing talent, production companies and broadcasters. The idea is aimed at the genre of comedy and is specifically concerned with projects that can succeed beyond the island of Ireland.
Through greater interaction between our creative communities and increased awareness of prospective audiences The Hothouse seeks to significantly improve the network and international production potential of scripted comedy output from Ireland both North and South.
Why is this initiative necessary?
Historically Ireland, North and South, has provided a wealth of comic talent to the world but by comparison its indigenous production sector, independent and broadcaster, has an inconsequential record of delivering comedy programmes to the UK and International markets. This is particularly true of Northern Ireland’s output.
This would imply that our current method of developing comedy projects with international potential is under performing. Film and Television comedy is a long established genre but as a sector we writers, producers and performers are failing to exploit our full potential, failing to bridge the gap between local productions and UK national programmes and failing to engage with global audiences; Ulan Productions via The Hothouse initiative seeks to redress these failures.
Brief project outline
This is a 3 phase development initiative with the long term aim of creating a viable and self sustaining production centre for comedy programmes on this island. 20 individuals, already working at a UK national or international level, will be invited to participate.
They will be a mixture of international talent who would benefit from the project and whose specific experiences in comedy would enhance our industry and Irish talent, North and South, who would benefit from the development of a production centre for comedy on this island.
The 20 individuals will be a mixture of writers, comedy actors with writing experience, stand up comedians and theatre, film and television industry specialists such as exec producers, directors and script editors. Each participant will bring a potential comedy project, character or theme they wish to explore and the willingness to share and develop this idea alongside facilitating others throughout the programme.
Phase One:
The Hothouse Debate. 3 Days Semi residential. Belfast
An invigorating and challenging 3 days for all 20 participants which will explore the many disciplines of comedy within television, radio and film. They will also examine our industry’s output and discuss new ways of improving our international track record.
The residential will also allow for focussed creative and collaborative work (improvisations / rehearsals) culminating in development pitches informed by the work and ideas shared over the previous days. As part of the project Ulan will assist in the creation of a preliminary plan detailing how the writer/performer teams would structure and deliver on development. A minimum of 6 projects or creative teams will be selected for progression into Phase Two.
Phase Two:
Bespoke Development
Ulan will co-ordinate and provide bespoke development facilities for the chosen projects and teams over an agreed timetable. It is anticipated that cooperation and creative groups, initiated in Phase One, will naturally expand during Phase Two to include individuals and creative alliances beyond the original 20 selected to attend the project in Belfast.
Whether they are sitcoms, satirical documentaries, sketch show characters or web based projects etc each idea and team will receive the resources necessary to give them the best chance of success during Phase Three.
Phase Three:
The Hothouse Result
The relevant participants are invited back to showcase and pitch the fully developed projects to programme commissioners and co production partners.
In addition to the Commissioner input and attendance in Phase Three Ulan will also invite applicable UK based production companies or exec producers whose long term participation would strengthen the slate of ideas, their chances of series commission and their international potential.
Current participants
For the participants, up to Phase 3, The Hothouse is intended as a non-commercial environment where they can freely explore ideas, each other’s disciplines within comedy and learn from the successes and failures of those involved.
Ulan has begun contacting potential writers and performers and to date participants with the following credits have agreed to take part in The Hothouse: Teachers (C4), The Friday Night Project (C4), The 11 O’clock Show (C4), The Frank Skinner Show (ITV), Patrick Kielty Almost Live (BBC1), Monarch of the Glenn (BBC1), Ballykissangel (BBC1), Comic Relief (BBC), Loose Ends (Radio 4), David Baddiel’s Heresy (Radio 4), Silent Witness (BBC1), Wire in the Blood (ITV), Middletown (Feature Film) and Puckoon (Feature Film).
Ulan is delighted to announce that Hanna Slättne the literary manager of celebrated and well respected Belfast based theatre company Tinderbox recently became part of The Hothouse. As someone with years of experience working with new playwrights Hanna and Tinderbox are an invaluable addition to the project.
If you would like further information about The Hothouse please email thehothouse@ulanproductions.com.
