Find out more about the six trainees who will be taking part in the third iteration of FormatLab, a paid development training programme aimed at creative people based in Scotland.
FormatLab focuses on the development of multi-part and returning formats in entertainment and factual entertainment including reality, talent, game and quiz shows. It will feature training, mentoring and placements for candidates over nine months.
Anjeli Caderamanpulle
Ricochet
After studying Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, Anjeli went on to publish poetry with SPAM, Embassy Gallery, Gutter and The Edwin Morgan Trust. She began her own zine exploring a long-held love for Rom-coms, Meet Cute Zine. She then transitioned into the world of scripted television, working at Pulse Films where she assisted Executive Producers with their slates and supported writers’ rooms. Her passion for reality television – particularly “The Real Housewives” and the Bravo-verse -comes from a fascination with the psychology of real people in high-stakes environments. Anjeli is captivated by how contributors’ authentic personalities and motivations unfold on screen. This interest drives her to focus on format development, where she aims to create character-driven narratives for future reality projects.
Christopher Dudley
Beezr Studios
Having studied Computer Science at the University of Cape Town, Chris very quickly realised he wasn’t meant to create code, but excellent TV. After moving to the UK, Chris was an intern at several film companies before moving to Scotland for a Masters degree at Glasgow Caledonian University. Over the past few years, he has worked on sets, made short films and sketches, and been employed as a carer. He was a part of the John Yorke NFTS course (2024) and has written several films for daytime television. Most importantly, he has spent a lot of time watching amazing television and is extremely excited to be a part of making it with Beezr.
Eilidh McKenzie
STV
Eilidh loves stories. She studied English and Scottish Literature at Glasgow University, writes theatre reviews for Binge Fringe Magazine and spent the summer working in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society’s Artist Development team – helping connect artists to further storytelling opportunities. As a delegate of The Television Foundation’s talent scheme The Network, she spent four days at this year’s Edinburgh Television Festival learning how to develop and pitch unscripted television formats. She fell in love with this form of storytelling and cannot wait to explore it in more depth.
Matthew Cowan
Tuesday’s Child
After graduating with a degree in Broadcast Production a bright-eyed Matthew looked forward to getting his foot in the shiny world of TV. This unfortunately didn’t go quite as planned and he secured a role working in a cinema where he timidly told family “Well, I technically work in the screen industries”. Eventually he landed himself a position as a post-production runner and found his footing in the world of television. When he’s not making (above average) coffees, Matthew spends his time writing sketch comedy and performing improv. His work has been nominated for a RTS Scotland Student Television Award.
Mhari Aitchison
Objective Media Group
Mhari graduated from the University of Dundee with a Masters of Arts in Creative Writing. She’s always been passionate about great storytelling especially in the world of Entertainment. Recently she developed, wrote and performed a show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival titled ‘Bedtime Stories’ incorporating audience participation, musical comedy and short stories. Mhari is excited to bring her love of TV, production and creative skills developed through her previous work in publishing, marketing and PR, and recruitment to the television industry.
Zara Duncan
Bandicoot
Zara always knew she wanted to pursue a career in the arts since acting at a young age. Her love for drama led her to study an undergraduate degree in Theatre and Film and Television studies at the University of Glasgow. Zara then moved to London to pursue a masters in TV Journalism at City University. Zara was keen to gain as much practical experience as possible and interned at ITV’s Lorraine show and This Morning. Zara also gained work experience at Wall to Wall production company and it was here where she discovered her real passion for working in unscripted TV development. With her favourite programme being Strictly Come Dancing and having a huge love for entertainment television, Zara can’t wait to work on new exciting entertainment formats!
