Leeds Beckett University screenwriting students visit police training school to bring their work to life

When it comes to writing a show set in the world of police investigation and crime, what better way to capture reality than to draw on experience? That was the thinking behind the recent visit to the police training school at Carr Gate in Wakefield by students from the MA Screenwriting: Feature Film and Continuing Series course at Leeds Beckett University.

‘The Writers Room’ is a module that gives students the opportunity to get a feel of what it’s like to work on a police procedural show – think Line of Duty or Blue Lights. It’s a module led by someone who has been there and done that: lecturer Anita Pandolfo won a BAFTA for her work on the BBC crime drama The Cops.

The idea behind the visit to the police training school was to help the students write series that feel authentic, current and informed by how the police operate in the real world. It also gave them a chance to speak to serving police officers so they could hear their issues, concerns and bring their voices to life in a way that felt true. 

Course Director Laura Taylor feels that the students benefited greatly from the experience, something reflected not only in the quality of their work but also by an increase in enthusiasm for the module. 

Student Sam Greenhill agrees: “We had to plan and write episodes for a series of television, specifically seven episodes of a police procedural set in Leeds. This project required a lot of important details to get right, and what better way to do that then to pay a visit to an actual police academy? It was an incredibly valuable experience, one that felt unique to this course.

“We had the opportunity to ask some of the officers any questions we had about the procedure of policing and there were some anecdotes that were beneficial for helping fuel our story ideas. We got to learn how to collaborate in the screenwriting context by planning and writing series-long storylines and character arcs, and as a lovely bonus we now know more about the ins-and-outs of policing! It’s all been a very interesting experience that I couldn’t get anywhere else and would highly recommend to anyone who is keen in pursuing a career in screenwriting.”

Fellow student Lily Pierce also gained a lot from the experience: “I was able to talk to an officer about the process of policing people with mental illness, something which I was interested in writing about. Through speaking to someone who actually works in the field, I was able to get a sense of the state of policing at the moment as well as a real person's feelings towards the job: this is something that I have taken with me in my own writing, ensuring that my characters are informed by real people. Such an in-depth visit is something I would never have experienced without this course.”

Experienced screenwriter and lecturer Anita Pandolfo knew it would be beneficial for the students: “Does life mirror art or does art mirror life? As a creator for police drama series The Cops, I spent three months on the beat for research purposes. I came across stories which both inspired and moved me. Research adds authenticity to a writer's work, but it also helps to capture what is actually happening on the ground. I wanted to replicate that real world experience for the students by arranging a visit to the police academy. It's clear by their subsequent submissions that the experience and collaboration as a team has enhanced their writing.”

Find out more about the Leeds School of Arts and Northern Film School.