Daneka Etchells (she/they) is a disabled, working class writer from Cumbria, currently on the Royal Court Writer’s Group.

In 2021, Daneka was PlayBox writer-on-attachment with Box of Tricks developing rogue comet(s) remnants of a decommissioned star which was finalist for Lancaster Playwriting Prize, shortlisted for RSC 37 Plays, Traverse Breakthrough, Live Theatre NE Award 2024, DCC Prize; and longlisted for the Bruntwood 2022. Other work includes BED BITCH (ACE funded R&D supported by Sheffield Crucible and HOME, longlisted for Bruntwood 2025 and Live Theatre NE Award 2026); PAGGERING STICK (developed on Paines Plough’s Tour The Writer scheme and rehearsed reading performed at Theatre by the Lake’s CumbriaFest 2025); SAFFIE (Emmerson and Ward).

Daneka has done a million schemes but is yet to have their writing realised into production. 

Nicole Joseph is a Bradford-based Writer and Theatre-Maker, she writes women-led stories interested in the sublime, exploring marginalised characters and places, where often, she genre-bends and the ordinary meets the extraordinary, thematically and atmospherically.

In 2021, her first play, Blessed Spirits, was selected as a Finborough Theatre ETPEP Award Finalist, Women’s Prize for Playwriting shortlist & BBC Alfred Bradley Bursary Award longlist. The Royal Exchange Theatre supported Nicole’s professional development after selecting the play from their anonymous submissions. She completed year-long writing attachments with Tamasha Theatre and the Crucible Theatre where she wrote two new plays, including Butterfly, which was showcased at Tamasha Theatre’s Come Through Festival at Birmingham Hippodrome and Theatro Technis London (2021-22).

As a Theatre-Maker, Nicole directed several short plays for Graeae Theatre’s Crips With Chips new writing showcase presented with Theatre by The Lake and Liverpool Everyman Theatre on their mainstages (2023-24). She was a Dramaturg Mentor on Paines Plough’s Tour The Writer programme in partnership with Bradford Producing Hub and Bradford 2025. She was a Creative Associate on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s First Encounters production of Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night, where she assisted rehearsals in Stratford-Upon-Avon and directed the young ensembles in schools and associate theatres in the northern region of the tour (2024).

Felix Mufti is a Scouse actor, writer, and performer, best known for playing Roman in Sex Education (Netflix, Season 4).

Alongside acting, Felix writes for screen and stage. Their short film Lonelier Than Love, which they also star in, was funded by BFI x Film Hub North. They come from a playwriting background, with two funded productions, Be Gay Do Crime and How to Kill a Rose, staged at venues including Shakespeare North and Unity Theatre.

Felix is currently developing an Arts Council–funded book project, Goths, Mings and Scruffs, alongside a programme of community workshops.

Kamal Kaan is a Bradford based, Bangladeshi-British a working class writer, for screen, stage and radio. He received a scholarship to read Architecture at The University of Cambridge and an MA in TV Fiction at Glasgow Caledonian University. His debut BFI short film as writer and co-exec producer, ALL THE LIGHTS STILL BURNING (2023) (directed by Dominic Leclerc and exec produced by Clio Barnard) had its world premiere at The London Film Festival 2023 and screened at BFI FLARE 2024 and The London Indian Film Festival. His Channel 4 funded short film ME AND THE WITCH (2023) (writer and associate producer) is currently being developed by Warner Brothers and Wall To Wall. He was selected for the prestigious BFI Network@LFF Scheme (2023).

As Script and Story Consultant, Kamal worked on the double BAFTA nominated ALI AND AVA (2021) (written and directed by Clio Barnard), world premiere at The Cannes Film Festival. Script Consultant for DANCE SCHOOL for Channel 4.

Kamal also writes for stage and radio. Credits include: 3-part series BATGIRLS (2024), BANGLA BANTAMS (2022) FATHER’S LAND IN MOTHER TONGUE (2019) and BREAKING UP WITH BRADFORD (2017).

Kamal is developing his debut feature film with the BFI and currently under commission writing an Opera for Bradford Opera Festival and a series with BBC Radio4.