HI~Arts announces a unique comedy mentoring project with Paul Sneddon a.k.a. Vladimar MacTavish / Bob Doolally. Comedy writers and performers in the Highlands and Islands given a unique opportunity to develop their art with one of Scotland’s comedy geniuses.

HI~Arts, the arts development agency for the Highlands and Islands, is launching Laughing Matters, a comedy writing mentoring project that will give up to four comedy writers and/or performers the chance to develop their work under the guidance of Scotland’s comedy genius, Paul Sneddon – and the lucky few will also be given the chance to develop their work for performance at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Laughing Matters will enable four aspiring comic writers and/or performers to work in depth in both one-to-one sessions and through the internet with Paul Sneddon. The project is aimed at enabling existing comedy writers to develop their work, and for comedy performers to diversify into written formats.

While it is not possible in the most fundamental terms to teach a writer to be funny, it is possible to develop ideas, language, characters, pacing, delivery and presentation to ensure that the writer’s work hits the spot and finds its market.

And in Paul Sneddon emerging comedy talent could not have a better mentor. Paul brings a wealth of talent and experience to the project both as a performer and as a writer but also as an experienced leader of comedy workshops and no-one knows Scottish comedy and the Scottish media scene better.

HI~Arts’ Writing Development Coordinator, Peter Urpeth, said: “Comedy is a skill utilised in virtually every aspect of writing, whether that be for stage, screen, radio or printed formats but before the laughter can start writers spend a great deal of time and hard work developing sketches, gags, characters and new formats, and that’s a serious and important business. The Highlands and Islands region is bursting with top quality writers and its time that the comedians amongst them had their chance to develop their work. Bringing Paul Sneddon to the project is a major and very exciting opportunity both for the writers and in terms of our aim of making the region a hot-spot for new writing talent.”

Laughing Matters is open to writers and performers living in the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland. Places on the project are very limited. To qualify for the project you must be either a writer developing comedy scripts for stage, radio or TV, writing gags or sitcom, or even comedy fiction, short or long.

Or…you must be a comedy performer with the serious intent of developing as a comedy writer.
Application forms are available from Peter Urpeth on 01851 770287 / 01463 717091 or can be downloaded by clicking here. Closing date for entries is Tuesday 1st March 2005.