Finding the Funny (and the Fight) at "It's Grin Up North"

The Stunning Bradford City Hall. Obviously not to scale. The real one was at least... three times bigger than this

Last Thursday evening, I attended It’s Grin Up North at the stunning Bradford City Hall, rounding off two days at the Creative Cities Convention. This Screen Yorkshire event brought together comedy writers, performers, producers, and commissioners for an evening of industry insight and connection. And honestly? It was exactly what I needed.

A Warm Welcome and Some Well-Timed Wisdom

From the start, the event set a friendly, welcoming tone. Colour-coded name tags encouraged us to talk to someone new during the opening networking session. I ended up chatting with writer-performer-director Harry May-Bedwell, and we spoke about the emotional stamina comedy requires—the hope and resilience it takes to keep going, especially in the face of knockbacks. A very timely conversation, as it turned out.

Honest Origin Stories and Industry Real Talk

The panel discussion that followed was hosted by Jo Schofield from Screen Yorkshire and featured four brilliant creatives: BBC Commissioning Editor Emma Lawson, BAFTA-nominated writer Alex Bruce, stand-up and playwright Seeta Wrightson, and writer-actor Kat Rose-Martin. Their stories were refreshingly honest, funny, and—despite different paths—reassuringly familiar.

Emma Lawson shared how her journey began with a love of TV, though it wasn’t until working on The Green Green Grass that she realised comedy was her creative home. Alex Bruce told a surreal and brilliant story about a time he tried to advise a guitar student using therapy tips from another student. He turned the experience into a script, submitted it to the BBC Writersroom, and launched his career from there.

Seeta Wrightson used her frustration of working in the corporate world and, rather than go to therapy, tried stand-up instead. That decision led her to the BBC New Comedy Award semi-finals and a raft of new opportunities, including a play commission and a place in the Female Pilot Club’s upcoming showcase (which I’m heading to London to see—Seeta made the final five; I made the final twenty. That sting is real, but I’m proud of getting that far, and her success feels genuinely heartening).

Kat Rose-Martin spoke about starting in theatre, writing a kids' play set in a hair salon with Kirsty Smith, and working through every opportunity going—from Northern Voices to the Kay Mellor Fellowship. Her takeaway? Send the emails, do the graft, and don’t be afraid to champion your peers. Her approach to “horizontal networking”—focusing on your fellow writers rather than chasing gatekeepers—really stuck with me.

Rejection, Resilience, and Reasons to Keep Going

The discussion ranged from regional voices to writing process to the value of community. Emma noted that strong, specific backdrops (regional or otherwise) bring authenticity to comedy. Seeta and Kat spoke about the importance of allies—especially for women in comedy—and how essential it is to share knowledge, contacts, and encouragement.

There was a reminder too that the industry moves in cycles. Emma noted that sketch shows, sitcoms, and comedy dramas fall in and out of fashion. The key is to keep building a slate of work you believe in—because even if you miss one wave, another’s always coming. She quoted Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee, who said she was glad it wasn’t her first show because she’d had time to hone her craft. Every platform turned Derry Girls down before regretting it—proof, if we needed it, that commissioners don’t always know what they want until they see it.

The following morning, I found out I hadn’t been accepted onto the BBC Comedy Collective bursary. I’d made it to the final 23 out of 1600 applicants, which I’m proud of—but I won’t lie, the news hit hard. I’ll write more about that another time. For now, I’m holding onto what this event reminded me: if you care deeply about this work, you just keep going. Keep writing. Keep connecting. Keep grafting.

Because sometimes, a grin up north is exactly the kind of encouragement you need.