Boost for online creators

Channel 4 is seeking makers of short-form comedy to be published on its social media channels – as it also doubles the budget for its Comedy Blaps strand.

In a new initiative called Sparks, the broadcaster is seeking to engage four people who can each deliver 30 videos over the year reflecting the interests and experiences of young audiences.

Meanwhile, it is also investing more heavily in the Blaps series of comedy shorts from emerging talents, which has latterly led to broadcast commissions for Stath Lets Flats, Lee & Dean and Gameface – all of which return for second series later this year.

Head of comedy Fiona McDermott said: ‘Sparks, and the bolstering of our Blaps proposition, is a really important part of our ongoing comedy strategy here at Channel 4 and we hope it’ll be a brilliant runway for new talent, on and off screen. 

‘We’re genuinely excited to see what comic talent emerges and cannot wait to see how our growing digital audience respond to them.’

The full brief for the Sparks scheme – which has an April 12 deadline for submissions – is  here: 

The two initiatives are part of Channel 4’s ‘comedy sandpit’ strategy, which will invest £1million in nurturing new talent

Published: 15 Mar 2019