Climate Spring launches development fund for unscripted, factual entertainment
Climate Spring aims to reach mainstream audiences with new formats
London-based climate-focused screen industry organisation Climate Spring has launched a development fund for global unscripted TV and factual entertainment.
The fund will provide finance opportunities for production companies and creatives with innovative concepts for unscripted TV shows that “entertain and update the conversation on climate change.”
By “incentivising the creation of compelling and commercially viable shows,” Climate Spring aims to reach mainstream audiences with new formats that are able to “engage viewers in climate solutions rather than scare or make them feel guilty,” according to the organisation.
The fund will focus on supporting unscripted formats related to the transition away from polluting fossil fuels, ranging from shows on home renovation, nature friendly farming and cooking shows, to competitive formats, noisy pop-docs, ambitious factual entertainment productions and more. It is looking to develop shows in the English-language market globally as well as for European audiences.
Meanwhile, Climate Spring has hired David Leach as head of unscripted. Leach’s role will be to spearhead the development fund and build partnerships in the unscripted production sector. The exec was previously head of development at Boom TV and a development producer and exec at indies including Multistory, True North and Icon Films.
Lucy Stone, founder and director of Climate Spring, said: “Mainstream television has a really powerful role to play in normalising, demystifying and engaging people in solutions for the climate crisis. Climate solutions are all there ready to be adopted, but most people do not know this. There is a lot of fear and misinformation on the climate crisis and we know that people are really worried about it. But as a society we are also dealing with the increased cost of living and all the other pressures of life.
“We believe that making people feel guilty on top of anxiety won’t help us in tackling this crisis. With this new unscripted development fund we will harness the power of TV to accelerate the creation of content that shows us new social norms, normalises climate solutions and makes low carbon the default. This is about more than showing individual actions; it’s about creating new cultural norms.”
