WBD Access x Waterloo Road Directors Programme

Following the successful launch of last year’s pilot, Warner Bros. Discovery Access (WBD) UK, the development programme connecting new and emerging talent to WBD brands, have announced the return of the WBD Access x Waterloo Road Directors Programme, designed in collaboration with the BBC, Rope Ladder Fiction and Wall to Wall North, part of Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP), to support and grow the pool of directors in the North of England. The programme will help to support successful candidates hone their skills through workshops and industry led training. 

This year, an expanded cohort of twelve directors will be selected to join a six-session virtual training programme, led by acclaimed directors Jude Weng (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Matlock, Only Murders in the Building, Twisted Metal, Ghosts, Frasier, Finding ‘Ohana) and Jesse Quinones (Waterloo Road, Inside Number 9, Cagefighter, Calloused Hands). Six shortlisted participants will then proceed to a series of in-person workshops from industry experts across the television and production industry. Of the participants who take part in the in-person workshops, a select number may also be invited to shadow directors on hit BBC drama Waterloo Road.  

The location eligibility criteria of the North of England for applicants forms part of an ongoing commitment to develop voices regionally for the creative industry as research continues to show that opportunities across the sector remain unevenly distributed across the country.¹ Applications will open on Friday 10 October following a virtual information sharing session on Thursday 9 October 2025. Applications will close Wednesday 5 November 2025. Applicants can register here.