About This Program
Craft your story.
Script by script.
Script Labs is HEARTH™'s intensive 8-week cohort program for screenwriters developing feature or TV scripts. Professional feedback, peer workshop, and a structured path to a finished or near-finished draft — for writers who have the story but not the infrastructure to complete it.
Script Labs gives underserved screenwriters the structure, feedback, and peer community to develop their stories from concept to completed draft — through education, not pressure. The goal is artistic growth and creative development.
How It Works
Week by week
1
Applications open June 2026 — promoted through The Glow and social channels
2
CEO selects 12 writers based on concept strength, writing sample, and commitment
3
Cohort notified — onboarding documents, program schedule, and tool access delivered
4
Week 1: Cohort kickoff — in-person Philadelphia for local participants, virtual for national
5
Weeks 2–7: Weekly workshop sessions — craft instruction, peer feedback, professional development
6
Professional script notes delivered to each writer at program midpoint (Week 4)
7
Week 8: Final session — completed or near-completed draft presented to full cohort
8
Post-program survey, alumni records updated, sponsor impact report prepared
// Applications Timeline
Applications open June 2026 · Applications close September 2026 · Program launches February 2027
Eligibility
Who can apply
- →You have an original television pilot in progress — not an idea, not a concept, but actual pages.
- →Your project is your own original work. Specs of existing shows are not eligible. Script Labs is for original voices only.
- →You're writing from an underrepresented background — HEARTH™ prioritizes Black, Latino, LGBTQ+, and working-class writers.
- →You can articulate specifically what you need from a lab — not general feedback, but specific questions about your work.
- →No professional credits required. Your writing sample is the filter, not your résumé.
- →You're ready to give as well as receive — Script Labs is a peer development room. You'll respond to others' work as rigorously as they respond to yours.
Writing sample requirement: Submit up to 10 pages from your current original pilot (PDF). Every application is read by Alscott Worrell, CEO. The evaluation looks at voice, originality, and whether the project is at a stage where structured peer feedback will push it forward.
From application to polished draft
1
Apply — Submit your application and up to 10 pages of your original pilot. Applications are reviewed by the CEO — every writing sample is read in full.
2
Selection — 8 writers are selected based on writing sample strength, project stage, and original pilot eligibility. You'll be notified within two weeks of the application deadline.
3
Kickoff — The full cohort meets for orientation. You'll meet your fellow writers, the facilitator, and establish the feedback protocol that governs every session.
4
Weekly Sessions — Each week, one writer brings pages to the room. The cohort responds using a structured feedback protocol. You'll also receive craft instruction and professional development across the cohort.
5
Script Notes — At the midpoint of the program, a professional script reader delivers written notes on your pilot. This is industry-grade feedback, not internal critique.
6
Final Draft — The program closes with each writer presenting a polished or near-polished draft to the full cohort. You leave with a finished document you can pitch, submit, and shop.
Cohort size: 8 writers · Format: Virtual — national · Duration: Applications close September 2026 — Launches February 2027
"Without a draft, a writer cannot pitch, apply, or submit. Script Labs produces the draft."
— HEARTH™ Script Labs