OKRE Fund

The OKRE Laughing Matters Fellowship is a funded programme to support writer and producer duos in creating original comedy projects that reflect climate and health themes in authentic, fresh and funny ways.

The Fellowship is open to:  

• Writers with agent representation or demonstrable writing credits for TV, film or digital first content (links to IMDB or personal website). 
• Producers with demonstrable experience making comedy. 
• You must apply as a duo (writer + producer). 
• You must be UK based. 

 You must apply as a duo (writer + producer).  

Climate change is an escalating health crisis that will touch the lives of everyone on Earth, while disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities. We are looking for ideas that make these impacts tangible and relatable and help us understand that ways the world is changing around us. You can read more about the health impacts of climate change at the Wellcome Trust’s website here. 

At OKRE we believe that entertainment creates the biggest impact when it has authenticity and expertise at its core. Our work revolves around building collaborative models between entertainment creatives and experts to make truly extraordinary work. This programme has been established to explore a range of new approaches to how climate themes can be embedded in comedy, and how comedy can enrich our understanding of the world. 

We’re building a diverse slate of comedy projects that reflect climate and health themes in a variety of fresh and authentic ways. Projects must benefit from collaboration with experts in areas including (but not limited to): 

• Heat 

• Flooding 

• Climate & mental health 

• Climate & food 

• Climate & infectious disease 

• An original, funny idea 

• Potential to explore climate and health themes in original and unexpected ways 

• A writer and producer duo that can demonstrate creative ambition and commitment  

• A project that would genuinely benefit from working with external expertise  

• Evidence of how collaborating with experts could enhance the project’s impact  

Each duo will receive:  

• A £5000 award to cover time, travel, and collaborator fees  

• Entry into the three-month cohort programme (mix of in-person and online) : 

• Two workshop days, collaborator matchmaking, and direct creative support from OKRE  

• Networking, sharing and collaboration opportunities within the cohort  

You will retain all copyright and other intellectual property rights of your work; we do not and will not claim ownership or rights over any part of it. 

Projects must be original works – we can’t accept applications based on existing IP. 

If you’re thinking about using AI, we ask that you consider what value it adds. We’re looking to understand your unique ideas and perspectives and find that comes through best in your own voice.

No. You don’t need to have someone in place when applying. OKRE will help you find the right collaborator(s) once you’re in the programme, but you must identify what area the expert will help you with –  e.g. “For our project our main character will experience heat stress, so we would want a collaborator to help us with this subject.”

We are using the term ‘collaborators’ in this context to mean subject experts such as academics, or relevant charities who will help you find people with lived experience. Their insights will help you add authenticity and depth to your project. 

The Fellowship runs for three months, starting February 2026. You will need to commit to the full programme. It includes:  

• Two workshop days (dates TBC)  

• Regular online check-ins and creative support 

• Independent collaborative development with your chosen expert(s)  

• An evaluation session at the end of the programme 

10 writer–producer duos will be selected. 

Applications open Monday 17th November 2025 and close Friday 9th January 2026. Full details and forms are available via the application portal below.

Funding decisions are made by a committee made up of the OKRE team and expert external assessors. All committee recommendations are then reviewed by the OKRE Board of Trustees. 

 Should you have any personal relationships with any members of the committee, they will not assess your project to avoid any conflicts of interest. 

The committee will consider the following when reviewing applications:  

• Freshness of the idea 

• Potential to communicate climate and health themes to the identified audience 

• Potential for collaboration with climate and health expertise to shape the project 

• Potential to deliver on the ambition of the project 

Selected applicants will be required to provide information to our due diligence partner for financial checks before funding is awarded. These include: 

• Confirmation of company incorporation 

• ID check on main project/finance lead 

• Confirmation of company bank account 

• Reputational Check  

At the end of the three months, we’ll gather all participants for a roundtable discussion where everyone can share their learnings from the programme, feed back on the process and discuss potential next steps for their projects. 

Possibly. OKRE may explore further development opportunities for projects that show strong potential. 

If you would like us to make adjustments during the application process, please contact us by emailing [email protected] with the subject line ‘Application Process’.     

We will be hosting two online Q&A sessions to answer your questions on Wed 26th Nov, 1pm and Tue 16th Dec, 1pm:

Wed 26th Nov

Tuesday 16th Dec

Please be aware that we cannot comment or advise on the content of your project. Any queries that are sent to us of this sort may not receive a response.  

If you have a specific question that is not covered by the information as provided in the FAQs, please email [email protected]. This inbox will be monitored during office hours, and we ask for your patience as we work through any queries. 

For technical queries with the Zealous platform, please contact a member of the Zealous team via the live chat or at [email protected].