The Palsy Podcast - Episode 10 - Liv Woodward

Ciaran is joined on episode 10 of the Palsy Podcast by Liv Woodward. Liv is a writer and producer from Yorkshire, who has been part of the 4Skills Paralympics Training Programme and the WriteWild Scheme run by WildChild. Liv is the founder of Pitchdeck Productions, a production company which aims to amplify underrepresented voices in the industry. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Hello and welcome to the Palsy Podcast with me Q and Victor. I'm a playwright, screenwriter, and podcaster from South Wales. And seeing as March is Celbersy Awareness Month to market, I've decided to interview interesting people who have Cerberpalsy from Wales and beyond every day in March. If you like this episode, please stay tuned for more throughout the month and like and share. Now enjoy this episode of The Palsy Podcast. Hello and welcome to uh episode 10 of Little Palsy Podcast and me, Kieran for Gerald raising awareness for Soy the Smart, which is CP Awareness Month with a different guest every day throughout March. Today I'm joined by my friend Liv Woodward. Hi Liv, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 1:14

Hi Kevin, you're right.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Yeah, good. Thanks for doing this.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

No worries. I play with a lot of that.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

So Liv and I met through a charity called Wild Child, which is a charity that supports uh writers and other creatives from underrepresented uh backgrounds, which I think we're gonna talk a little bit about later in this episode. But I'm gonna kick off a way and normally start with these and ask you what it was like growing up with CP and was there a moment where you felt different or first felt different.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Can I just make a point before I start? Is that I actually did I actually had no idea that it was uh terrible palsy awareness month. So that makes me a terrible guest for this, but happy to be here regardless of that. I mean you know now, don't you? I was like, God, I'm a terrible disabled person. I'm not even aware of my own month.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

No, you've got a settlement. We don't get presents on it then.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

I don't Jesus Christ, why am I here then? I was expecting a cash prize.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

So what was it like growing up?

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Um you know what? It was it was surprisingly it was surprisingly fine. I I actually have been working on this my therapist recently. Um I actually like I don't actually feel like I was brought up not knowing about my disability, but I definitely wasn't brought up as a disabled child, if that makes sense. Like not in a bad way or anything like that, but I definitely wasn't like completely aware of everything, and like I was really sporty, and I just wanted to do everything that kind of uh everyone else at school did. Um either I had a great childhood. I mean I had loads of surgeries uh during that point. Um I had my first major one, I can't remember how old it was, maybe five or six, maybe even a bit younger. That was um tended lengthening on the um on the both of my legs, which because I used to walk on my tiptoes, um and that just brought everything back down. But that was my first kind of major surgery. Um and then after that, I was sort of I think I became more aware of it as I got on older. I think I think the surgery was definitely a big part of that because it was like the thing that um like it took me out of school, it meant I couldn't, I couldn't actually go out out a break in my cast if it was raining, and I was really pissed off about that. I remember being like, why? And then uh, but I think I think above all else it was quite a positive chart to be honest. I don't really remember um experiencing much kind of um adversity when I was younger, but I think it was as I've got older and kind of it's it started to hit me a bit, I think. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

Did you experience much bullying in school or anything like that?

SPEAKER_00 4:12

No, I didn't uh I didn't really get bullied at school. No, our school was always really nice, and we've That's good. I don't actually remember there'd been anyone really getting um any kind of bullying at our school, which is kind of a rarity I know, considering that I grew up in Grimsby and Scunthorpe, you'd think it would be like the like the hot spot. Um but it's funny because I remember my mum saying to me, because I because uh I um I applied to go to grammar school, but I obviously I'm not that clever. Um, so stupid. Um but I remember I think my mum really wanted me to go to grammar school on the basis that my mum was like under the impression it was a nicer school and that I wouldn't get paid. Um and and I ended up going to this massive school that everyone went to, and I was thinking, oh my god, I'm gonna get like smacked up and it's gonna be like horrendous. But it was great.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

No, I had a great school experience and great friends who are like really supportive, and you know, so I think the education system might be slightly different in England than it is in real. So grammar school. Yeah, is that like a selective school?

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Oh yeah, grammar school, yeah. It's um it's like it is it is it is a state school still, but it's a selective school. Yeah, it's like you've got to pass the 11 plus, and if you heard about that, uh to get into it.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

So did you take the 11 plus?

SPEAKER_00 5:29

Yeah, I took two 11 pluses, and I um and I bombed them completely. I I was absolutely terrible. I missed off, I think it was like 20 marks that I missed off. Um, and I remember one of the grammar schools that was like one of the ones that I wasn't really bothered about, uh, that I didn't really want to go to. One of them, because a mum asked um if she could speak to the Senko, and she was like, and she kind of like looked at me and was like, Oh, let's just cross that bridge if and when you get in. Like that is that sort of vibe. And then when I and then uh when I went to the non-selective schools that channeled up in um I actually go into the Senko's, uh, were so good there. Uh we're so good there.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

Did you get a good level of support?

SPEAKER_00 6:11

I mean, I I've always been quite ambulant um in terms of kind of getting around and things like that. Um I didn't need that much, um, to be honest. Uh they managed to put a lift in uh in one of the blocks that only went up one floor. Um it it it went up to the first one, but apparently um like the reason they were able to get the lift is because I was there, because they got the funding for that, because I was there. So I was like, You're welcome. And it wasn't even like a proper lift, it was one of them ones that you get in sports directly that like it's like a Hannah Montana lifter's icon where you press the button the whole way through and we've got to hold the button down, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was always that I had to wait for someone to come and unlock it, and then I was already like 10 minutes late for lessons and stuff, but I won't complain about that.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

We had one of those in uni, and when we were all in it, we used to sing pure imagination from really walk on the chocolate.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

Yeah, I always sang it was best of both worlds, but I had a Montana and she comes in the left and she's like, best, best, best. Like it was like that. It was uh, but it was really fun. Uh but no, I I love school, like my friends were really supportive. I remember when I was in like year like 9, 10, 11 is when I had like major, major surgeries, how I had foot reconstruction. Um, I'm I'm on both my feet, and I had to get them done separately, and then I turned up having to have the last lot of it done all together because I had to have a revision surgery on one of them. Um, and like which meant kind of months at a time I wasn't in lesson, I had to be in a place called the mentoring room, which is something I read a pilot about later on in life. Uh, but but it was ran by these couple of teachers who were just who were great and really supportive, and they would bring me like chocolate and sweets in and stuff, and they'd get me like a pillow and stuff, and they'd wheel me into class and stuff. I remember um it was like exam period in year 11, and it was our French listening exam, and we and they were struggling to get me out of the door because it was like a lip on the door, like to get out of the background, and we were like creasing laughing, like me and the teacher, but we obviously had to had to I'm had to try and stay quiet, and we were like absolutely howling because because we had to stay really quiet, we were like trying to like hold me out in this wheelchair, and it was yeah, it was great. But to answer your question, yeah, school was great. I had a really good sport system at school, and honestly can't complain about school to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 8:32

I'm I'm really glad to hear that. Like, so when when did you start writing and where did that passion for writing come from?

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Um I start I actually meant through the mention room. I think I mean that was the first script I ever wrote, uh, which actually got me onto wild child scheme, which never gets into it. Oh, okay. Um and I think when I left school, I think I missed it a bit because I like I I moved, so I moved back to Scunthorpe, which is where I'm originally from, but I was at school in Grimsby. Um and then I moved and obviously everything was different. And when you're in college, you kind of left to fend for yourself a bit because you're nearing kind of adulthood and kind of I mean I still got a sport, but it's not as much because you're not in in college every day, every hour of every day. I'm kind of in for specific lessons or whatever. Um and then I think I miss school and I miss my mates, and I I think of you writing at that point, especially that script was a way of kind of reminiscing me and my friends at FaceTime when I'm like Kevin would read like our different parts because it's kind of semi-autobiographical as well. The main character is called Live. Um, Live Woods, I mean she's called Live Woods, it's not really like different from MFLs, but I think that was kind of my way of kind of reminiscing on that, and I wanted to write something that was because I always love like kind of sitcoms, like I was like like Victoria Wood. I remember at that point, my granddad kind of intro me to her work, and that was really good. Like Dinner Ladies was a great inspiration behind that, and like the kind of how you can do something and make it really kind of hilarious all in one space, and the mentoring room just kind of seemed like a great place to kick that off because there was kind of we saw people and liking people who would come in for different reasons and like and like how the whole work was in the teachers and stuff, and it was quite unorthodox at times and stuff, and I just thought that's great to write about, and that's what kind of kicked it all off, to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Oh, and when did you come in? Or I I want to do this for career, and how did I forget into going to uni and stuff like that?

SPEAKER_00 10:42

Well, yeah, you know, it's quite funny because I was never gonna go into film and TV, I was always really music oriented. Oh, is it? Um yeah, I was I was in a band for a few years uh with my cousin. Um, and then when I left school, this was actually um an interesting strategy because when I was obviously in year 9, 10, 11, and it meant that I missed a load of school, and I did music GCC at the time. Um, but at the time, because music was like massively underfunded and obviously it is still like across the country, um, our music GCC lessons were for two hours after school on a Wednesday. It wasn't even in like in the timetable period, it was in period seven and eight, which was crazy. It was like sports time. Um, and because obviously I had no dedicated support staff with me and stuff, so I couldn't actually I couldn't actually attend those lessons, which then meant uh that my teacher at the time, who also was a bit of a bitch, um was um I was at parents evening and it was devastating because um it was her going to be like, Oh, I think Liv needs to drop out of this class. And I like and obviously music was the one thing that I was passionate about and wanted to do as a career.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Do you think that was because of your disability?

SPEAKER_00 11:57

Oh well, it it it hands down was her her exact words were pretty much like, Oh, you've missed too much, obviously because of your surgery, um, and you can't catch up at this point. And that was kind of I think that was honestly when I look back at the first kind of um like the real memory of it hitting me that I was like oh things aren't always gonna kind of happen the way I want them to, and I'm gonna have to sacrifice stuff. And at that point, music was like the like it was my one thing.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Um I I can see the guitar behind you as as we're filming.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

Yeah, I just got an infra prep just to remind you all. I can do your sing song at the end if you want.

SPEAKER_01 12:39

Do you still play? Because that's something I would love to do, but I just haven't got a lot of. You know what?

SPEAKER_00 12:44

It's funny because um, oh, there's a pick that I just fell off my hand quite. Um just in case you forgot. Uh no, um, it was it's it's quite beneficial because in my left arm I'm weaker. Um but it's actually helped my strength kind of building up.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

Um you gain more dexterity in your fingers.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

Yeah, definitely, because you've got to do two things at once.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

Which yeah, which were like neurologics.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

Yeah, just play about it, it's great.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

Neuroplasticity and stuff like that, training your hands to do different things. That was really that's really impressive.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

I mean, I started learning the piano, and then because I'm not a like a great sight reader, um, I just and and it was kind of boring the lessons to be honest. Um, I much preferred guitar. Um my cousins got into it, and then we started up a little band, which actually got quite alright to be honest. Um and um and then once I started that, but yeah, going back to what I was saying, is that kind of moment of her going, you need to drop out of music, I was in tears. Like it was it was it was actually awful because I was I was really upset because my parents even used to go great for me because I was a great student. I was a property starts at school, and I was good at everything, but but that been the one kind of thing that I was known for. Like I like every year I got the music award. I had because we because if you were sporty, you got a sporty tie, and if you did music, you got like a tie with music on it. Okay, um, and I had a music tie, and I was in all the jazz bands, all the recitals, yeah. And and and I think being told that was like a massive thing for me that I couldn't do it. But then I went on to do at A Level, this is what I was talking about. I went on to do it at A level, and because I got quite high grades of GCSE, um, I was quite a science at the time for some reason. You can do it then, Lou, for you. No, but now I'm now I'm just like look that I'm completely thick now, so it's uh um arts has known my brain. Um uh no, but um what was I saying?

SPEAKER_01 15:01

You're talking about if we maybe move it on a little bit by the time you came to like the end of school and and going to uni or process like how did I get into film and TV?

SPEAKER_00 15:14

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I wasn't gonna do it. I was gonna do um um I was gonna do a science course, and then um and then because I was doing a love of music, it overlapped with us having to be in jazz band and choir on a Thursday. So it meant for timetabling that I couldn't do it. And then the film studies teacher kind of lurked in the background and was like, Oh, do you like English lit? And I was like, Yeah, can I do that as well? It was like, oh well, if you like English lit, I'm English lit, you can do that. Um like you can do film studies because he was he was trying to get people on the course because no one had done it in the past, and I was like, Yeah, I'll give it a go. Um, and then I'm and then I remember the first kind of like the term, I was like, This isn't this isn't a bit of me. We watched um Pan's Labyrinth, which is a great film. Now when I look back at the time, I was like, I want to watch like Toy Story, like something like that. I wasn't in the like I won't like I wasn't a film bro yet, and then it kind of got into making our own stuff and writing scripts in the second term and filming stuff, and I was like, Oh yeah, this is wrong, yeah, yeah. This is sort of a bit of me, yeah. Because music was sort of it was it was it's really hard at A level, and I was like, shit, like yeah, this is why I dropped it at school, because it's really hard.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

Um and then I go going to uni, where did you go? What did you and what was that experience like like moving away from the um yes, oh I was the 2020 class, um oh mate.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Oh I was them ones, yeah, yeah. Um but no, I think at that point, because we'd all been stuck in. Uh I went to to the University of York, I did a bit um I did a brand new degree, um, um like which was business of the creative industries, that's what it's called. It's a very long title, very wanky title.

SPEAKER_03 17:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

Um but it was kind of geared towards if you wanted to go into a career in producing or kind of like the commissioning side of things. Um, and I think they were letting anyone on because there was a guy in my course who like hadn't passed his maths yet or something like that, and he got in. So I think they were kind of letting anyone in. Oh, it kind of helped. Obviously, it was COVID, just no one got the grades they wanted, um, and stuff. But yeah, I I had a great time at uni. It's where I met my kind of my best mate and business associate, Meg. Um it's um it's like we were on the same, um, on the same degree course, in the same apartment, and in the same like college. Um, but it just kind of meant it was fate, really. And then obviously because it was COVID, we got stuck in with the student television, um, uh, which we then went on to run in in our last year. Um and then we just started making stuff together a little. I came, it was like little comedy sketches on YouTube and stuff, which I won't go back and look at.

SPEAKER_01 18:10

But it's like that that embarrassed quality as well.

SPEAKER_00 18:13

But it was like we had one who did like a steps music video. Um I like Ken, it was great actually, because there was someone else in my apartment box that had CP as well. And we had the same surgeon.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Um did that help with like setting to living away from home and being.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

I think weirdly, me and Darcy always joke about it now, but we um I think when we first saw each other, we had that like a bit of a stand-up sort of thing, because she was in a wheelchair and that and we were just kind of like it was like a like a wild west sort of like you were like and then I was like, I've got what you've got, and you can and um but yeah, there's only room for one cripple in this apartment block. It kind of was that, yeah, it kind of was that. Um and then cause because um I think at uni our block was the only ones that had accessible rooms, or something there was two or maybe three across like the whole of the campus, which is really bad and think about it, but um, but yeah, um I was fine once I got settled in. I remember like having the initial like I emailed like, have I definitely got an accessible room and stuff like that, and they're like, Yes, yes, yes. Um but I think that definitely helped us, like having each other, and because she was doing the film um like course, um course where we kind of like we were kind of chatting about that and stuff like that, and um and stuff, but obviously Darcy was in her last year, and I was in my first year, so there was that bit of a I remember we were all outside singing the East Enders theme song really loudly, and she was like, I'm trying to revise, guys. Can you shut the fuck up? Apologies.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Yeah, well I'm telling you, isn't it? Like, I mean, we've got a bit after uni, like you were part of the four skills paralympic training proofing scheme. Yeah, how did that come about? What was that like?

SPEAKER_00 20:10

Well, at uni I never stopped. I was always making stuff, I was always on placement. I did a bit on like Emadale and stuff like that, and obviously, like um like with Wild Child and stuff. Um so I just applied, I remember I was maybe doing my dissertation, I saw this like the four skills thing had pop up, um had popped up on Facebook, and um it was like only open to candidates with a disability. And I remember thinking, if I don't at least get an interview for this scheme, I'm completely fucked.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

There's no point in me even trying to get you've got a take advantage of tokenism when you come across it.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

You really do, and it's honestly like it's a great scheme to get involved with four skills and think bigger, who do it. Edie who runs it is is great, um, and really kind of understands kind of what it's like, and will um like Kevin will always kind of fight your corner where she can in terms of accessibility and getting you those experiences and that um uh I mean those contacts, but that was a great scheme. Test basically what it was, give a bit of context for the scheme. Uh there's I think in IA there was maybe like eight to ten production companies, maybe a bit less, um in including Whisper, who were doing the Paralympics at the time.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

They're a Welsh company, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:36

Yeah, they I think they have an office in Wales, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:39

Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

Um in Cardiff, I think. Um people who worked uh for that company got to work in the Paralympics. Uh but yeah, that was really cool. So I worked at a company called Red Source, which was an unscripted company. Um because also, like I know it was unscripted and and I was already scripted now. But I was also very conscious, obviously, this might be the only job that I could get straight out of unit. Um, and I applied, I I I mean, like I did a bit of research about Red Source, and they had made like Bargain and Brits and the Sun and a few other bits. They were quite a new company still. Um I kind of blacked the application a bit. Well, not blacked it, but that's kind of like just like I'd love to work kids.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

I mean, like, like and just kind of I love Bargain Love and Brits and the Sun. I watch it every day.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

A clever show, my nan loves it, I love Benny Dome, it was it it's great. But then I got I I remember I was on because I I I apply for two companies, which they've now changed, you kind of I'm only apply for one company because they would get people that apply for like all of the companies and just sort of hope for the best, which is just never the way to do it, if that's any advice I can give. Never kind of I think if you're gonna apply to anything that has a mass like applicant, just kind of like own your own sort of thing and kind of like just trying to ha hammer in on doing one really good application. Um, but yeah, I I applied to Red Source. I was on holiday when I got the email being like you've been selected to have an interview. Um, and I was like, oh my god, like this is it. Um and then I had to go to like a pre- um, I think it was a pre-interview Zoom. I will I was on holiday still. Um and um and yet within the month I was heading to Manchester um to interview, and then like I kind of sort of like knew it had gone well because like I like I didn't stop talking during that interview, like I pitched them a show and like they didn't ask me to do that. Like I was like, I'm gonna put my pus into whatever this is, like um and and I think at the time because I was younger, and I was kind of like I probably won't get it because it's such a competitive scheme because they're drilled into us like at the start. This is really competitive. There's about a hundred people on this, like I'm on the Zoom, um, and there was a few candidates I'm interviewing that day, and I was the last one. Um, okay. So I was sort of like it it could either go either way, I can either knock the socks off, or or um, they're gonna be so kind of tired of hearing everyone's spiel, uh, that it's gonna be like crack on, mate. But then I got there, and the guy, the guy who owns company, Tom, uh, was a Scouser. Um, and I just hazarded a guess. I was like, Are you like at the end of the interview? I was like, Oh, are you a Liverpool fan? Because I am as well. And he went, Yeah, are you? And I went, Yeah, mate, do you think it's kind of weird? And he was like, Oh, I've got a bet on Liverpool with him, but it could be Arsenal. And I was like, Oh yeah, I had no idea at the time he was in the lead. I'm just like, oh yeah, I mean it could be us, and then I think that kind of I think it kind of seemed to be.

SPEAKER_01 24:53

Yeah, getting those little connections with people, personal connections, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:57

And that's some of that I'd learned, I think, off Ollie, to be honest, Ollie Lansley. Yeah, because he's he's a talker, isn't he? And he will kind of he will make it personal to everyone. I think that was what um like I'm like he taught me as well as whoever you're speaking to, just try and obviously get on their level and read the room. Um let's let's talk about that then.

SPEAKER_01 25:17

Let's talk about the right world mentor and scheme, which we've both done. You did it the year after me. Yeah, I didn't know it's the same as you, but I just was randomly scrolling through Twitter one day and I came across oh, mentoring scheme for under writers, I'll go for that. Um, but it's the best thing that I've done in terms of my writing career. I don't know how you found it, what was your experience?

SPEAKER_00 25:43

It completely kickstarted my career. I don't think I would have got that channel for drop if it wasn't for that scheme. Because it because um like it really got us a foot in the door, didn't it? It really kind of um it gave us that exposure to get something on the CV because I was in the I got to be or our cohort our cohort got to be in the um in the bad education reboot writers' room.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

Yes, that was really exactly I was quite jealous of the city.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

That was something for the C V, yeah, yeah. It was it was really cool. Like they put us up in a travel lodge near King's Cross, and it felt very glamorous. Um but yeah, that was great. Honestly, like and I think just having the sense of like the community aspect to it as well, um, it was always something that I kind of enjoyed, and then after that, when I got on schemes, like I think that obviously like I mean like that scheme helped me get on Emmerdale on Emadel, which is like it was um like work experience off the back of another Screen Yorkshire scheme that um I was on, and then obviously the Paris scheme. I think I was a bit of a queen of schemes at that point because I'd done I'd done that many, but that scheme was phenomenal in terms of what it taught you.

SPEAKER_01 26:56

Oh, what did you learn and like how did it improve your writing?

SPEAKER_00 27:02

I think it just sort of I think one it helped me to kind of figure out that there's kind of no right and wrong kind of way of doing it. Because I think when you're at school or when you're at college and there's all these lecturers who have who have been there and done that sort of thing, and go, this is how you should write a screenplay, and if it's not got this, this, and this is shit. I think um like I'm not sure in the scheme you get, um I'm like given uh I'm like someone's um like script to read every week, and you've got to write plays, you've got to write film, you gotta write TV, you've got to write shorts. Um it's such a I'm like a crash course in house.

SPEAKER_01 27:44

And it's really intense, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 27:46

Intense, really intense.

SPEAKER_01 27:48

I do know if the deadlines were like this you did it, but we were like, oh, you've got to have a first draft of playing in a week.

SPEAKER_00 27:56

Yeah, they weren't quite as strict with us, I think. They were very much like at the start, they were like, Look, we're not like it's homework, but we're not gonna hold you to it. Like it's up to you to make the best out of this experience, and that's what I think I'm on those sort of schemes. You've really got to like because obviously they're so competitive. I think Ollie was saying to me um after it, there was like over 500 people applied for that scheme that year in my year, something like that. It was it was my and that could be give or take a few, but it was quite competitive that year because we were the second year, because I heard about it through Saran Jones, because I'm a big Saran Jones fan, and she'd post on her thing because she was one of like the supporters of the skate reader.

SPEAKER_01 28:37

Yeah, she was, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:38

And I literally applied with a minute to spare on the deadline because that because I realized that's a recorded video, and I was like, hi on the woodword and I'm gonna do this as this, and I was I was like watching it upload trying to go for like I was like, come on, hurry up, and then it got submitted, and then I should be heard back. But I remember getting them uh that email from Anne Marie about um she'd been selected, and that was one of those kind of pinch moments because I was like, Oh, this is kind of the beginning. I I did feel like the beginning of something.

SPEAKER_01 29:07

I felt the same, it's the best thing I've done for my career. Like, I wouldn't have written for Tally without WildChar, but I wouldn't um be able to pitch to these telecompanies without WildChar. They wouldn't have met all these really cool other writers like Alpha, oh man, some other names, Tabilan, Flaunters, Tabit, yeah, I love Tabit. Um these really cool people, and you learn from other people's writing.

SPEAKER_00 29:35

You learn from such a range of ages because I remember I was the youngest there. I was I want to say that I was maybe like 19, 20 when I got on this. So I was like the baby. Um and like I'm like, I mean, there was me and there was Beth Westbrook, who I think was maybe my age now, so maybe 20, 23, maybe a bit older, 24 maybe. Um me and her babies, but obviously Beth had been writing for 30 for years and um and stuff, and I and I really felt like the imposter because I mean like they kind of have everyone on the same level, then that's the good thing about it, is that everyone everyone comes in having their own experiences and having like kind of some experience and like you know, other bits and stuff, but yeah, it was great, and and I I think the most important thing I took on that scheme was like not in like a I'm in like a Debbie Downer way, but it was like uh this is how the industry is.

SPEAKER_01 30:32

Yeah, because I didn't know how it worked before.

SPEAKER_00 30:35

It's like you're not gonna write your script and send it to a producer and they're gonna go, Here's a million quid.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

We're gonna put this on BBC too tomorrow.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

Yeah, we're gonna put this on BBC tomorrow. We're shooting in an hour's time, um, your trailer's ready, um, your BAFTA's on the way. Um and um and sort of like how to pitch as well, and how to pitch yourself and kind of kind of figuring yourself out and like I'm selling yourself as a writer rather than selling an idea.

SPEAKER_01 31:04

I learned a lot from that. That was really important for me.

SPEAKER_00 31:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:09

But also like the the the experience of being able to pitch two people like that's insane.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

That experience is something that you never get. It's like an intense I mean like anyone who like wants an insight into what this game is like. I don't know if it was anything for you, but it was an intense two or three weeks of like two pitches a day to like Sky Comedy, Merman, Tiger Aspect. Um yeah, like it's it's intense, and by the end of it, you know you script off like that, and you sort of go into it like the first one, you're sort of like, I wore a suit to the first one, like were yours in person or were yours. It was on Zoom, it was on Zoom, but I wore a suit to it still just to kind of do it, but uh it was it was extremely sweaty. Um it's new backing though, like having to talk about your idea. Yeah, well, I reckon as well, because you've only got 20 minutes, but it's not like because I mean, like I've been because obviously what I do now, I'm like with work when we're in like a pitch meeting and stuff or like a development meeting, these things can go on for like an hour and a half, and like having having a disability which affects your speech, like with yourself. Oh yeah, because mine stuff comes out when I'm when I'm nervous or when I'm reading, that's when it comes out. Like when I was at school, I could never read anything out, like you know, like in like English when you've got to read out a section of the book or something. I could never do that because I just couldn't it got that bad that I couldn't even say my name in the register. Um because of the nerves. So obviously that was a thing, and then what I found was like the way I could I coped with it or like kind of did it head on was I just kind of addressed it at the start of the pitch meetings and said, Look, I've got a story, I call the Miss Impediment, and sh actually might make an appearance at some point during this meeting. Um I mean, I think me breaking the ice in kind of a comedia way, obviously, because I was I was trying to sell a comedy script, it kind of like gave them a sense of who I was.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

Is your stuff like related to your CP or is it stuff?

SPEAKER_00 33:16

Yeah, they can't figure that one out. They can't figure that one out. Um it apparently it came about after my first surgery, and like I've like I've read up on it since, and sometimes anesthetic can kind of and stuff, but I mean the body's weird and wonderful, isn't it? I think it can but I don't think it's um as such related, but I think it's more of an anxiety-driven thing these days. Um but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:42

Um I wanna talk to you about Pitch Deck. Yeah, so you've founded Pitch Deck Productions. How did you just I I think it's amazing that you founded a company and you're younger than me and you've done so much. I mean, all of you that have been.

SPEAKER_00 33:59

Yeah, I need a s like a nap really. Me and Meg both do because we work all the time. I will blank it since after the um after our networking event. We actually haven't done anything else with it yet. Um I'll probably still there in the future.

SPEAKER_01 34:14

What is pitch that?

SPEAKER_00 34:15

Oh, it's a pitch, yeah. We set it up after uni, me and um and my friend Meg um who we've worked together, we produced stuff together, we did a big documentary at uni, and then after that we always wanted to do some stuff I got some stuff together, like whether it be short films, whatever. Um, but then essentially it's a production company, but then after uni, um, because I did my dissertation on how we can break down the barriers of entry um for emerging screenwriters in the UK. It was a report called The Big Butt. Uh, because obviously everyone gets a butt in pitch meeting sounds like it's the big butt. Um, and then st so I got offered a grant, which is basically like a bit of an underspend on a project, uh, which my project supervisor was doing at the time, and he said, I've got some money left over, would you like it to host uh an event of some kind uh related to the big butt? It can be whatever you want, and I was like, Yeah. Um, and now uh me and Meg, we're not events people, we're producers at heart, and we're not events producers because that's a different kettle of fish. Um uh but then after that we really wanted to look at kind of kind of the findings of the reports and who and and who we could connect with. Like it had to be held in Yorkshire because of the funding.

SPEAKER_01 35:40

Yeah, which was annoying for me, but I understand.

SPEAKER_00 35:43

Which was annoying for you. I'll get to that, but I was gonna say, yeah, you came along and spoke at the event with Tabby and Chloe as well, who um I could as a well-child alum, uh, which was great, we had a great day. And I mean we set up this networking event that was as accessible and as inclusive and as interactive as it possibly could be. Because what I found in networking events is that they weren't accessible, it was always an afterthought. Like, no one had had thought, like, oh, the lifts aren't working this venue, and people who are neurodiverse aren't gonna cope in this really tiny room with all these producers who don't want to speak to them, and also chairs so often that rain events have stood up.

SPEAKER_01 36:26

So I was so glad that you had to.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

Oh well, we made everyone sit down, didn't we? We were like, you have to sit down with us because that was the thing with me. It's like because I I can send the pun aided as long as I'm like near something or leaning in near something. Because it doesn't like, especially if you're holding a drink and like producers and agents don't really get that, and they just want you to like stand in the middle of a room with like nothing there. And I'm I've an I mean I've always been kind of wobbling about, like, oh yeah, can we go over here a little bit? And then like that. But then now I've kind of learned to just say, right, I'm gonna sit down so you come with me or whatever. Um, but I mean that was a big thing for me because I've been to these horrendous networking events that just I'm like again, like I said, aren't accessible. And we had this like I'm like section of the day in which it was called speed networking, and it was two to a table, um, and and everyone got to sit down and kind of go round everyone, and you had kind of what was it like two or three minutes with each person.

SPEAKER_03 37:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:23

Um, and um I I I mean you got to know them, but there was no kind of hierarchy there. It was no like, oh I'm this person, you and like you can't speak to me until you've got X like X amount of credit, so you've got this, this, and this. It was, you know, everyone we kind of wanted to eliminate that element of hierarchy because it's scary. It is terrifying, no matter whether you've been a producer for six years or whether you've been like and like come out like come out whether you started out, it's it's terrifying, but just to do it in a more of like an informal setting. Relax. Yeah, it was really good. But you did uh I'm a talk, we did a I'm like some talks throughout the day with um like new writing north and subnorthern writers, and then obviously you guys, we did we had a Screen Yorkshire session, uh, which had like a like an idea generator, and you got to kind of generate some ideas and have like a brainstorming session.

SPEAKER_01 38:19

It was really fun, especially just a bit more enjoyable, and that we can they should be fun, they should be enjoyable. I had a great time, it was worth it was worth the eight-hour journey. With the eight-hour round, you know what?

SPEAKER_00 38:32

I can't thank you enough for doing that because not many people would have done that, and the fact that you were like, Yeah, we'll drive all the way down. I was like, you really don't have to.

SPEAKER_01 38:40

I was like me and Ruiz had a lot.

SPEAKER_00 38:45

I think I've I think again that's a testament to the power that those schemes like wild child hold is that you create these kind of friendships and relationships, working ones or kind of informal friendships, are gonna last a lifetime. And then when I messaged like Tabby and you, for example, and Flo, it was like it's like immediately they were like, and you guys were like, Yeah, of course we'll come down.

SPEAKER_01 39:08

Yeah, it's like we we haven't had a proper verbal conversation for over a year, actually.

SPEAKER_03 39:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:15

And yet we've jumped on the assume, and it's like we were together yesterday.

SPEAKER_00 39:19

Like you formed really well, because you've gone through the same, it's it's almost it's not trauma bonding because it isn't it isn't a traumatic experience, but I think when you're all going through something together, it's like that, isn't it? Because you're all experiencing the same stuff and everything like that, and it was yeah, it was really cool.

SPEAKER_01 39:37

What's the future of all pitch check?

SPEAKER_00 39:40

We don't know on it, like honestly, that's the question at the minute. We don't know. We want to do um I I suppose maybe the other day, we want to do another big book, which I'm i just don't know when because obviously, like it was it was the thing with the first one, is that we got it handed to us pretty much on a plate. The money was just handed to us, it was said, here you go. And now, if we wanted to to do another one, we kind of know how much it would cost, and it probably cost a bit more. Um, because we did do it kind of scraping the ball, like no one on our team got paid for that work. We had a team of student volunteers, like, no one on our team got paid. Um, and and yeah, but obviously we want to do that again because that because um I think everyone should be paid for any amount of work they do, um, especially in the arts. Um so it's a process of kind of sitting down and writing those grant applications, which obviously, as you know, is like playwright and stuff, grant applications and like things like arts council very hard to come by.

SPEAKER_01 40:38

Do Arts Council England offers support to disabled artists to write applications because arts council will still. You know what?

SPEAKER_00 40:48

It's not something that I've particularly looked into. Like, this is the thing, like, I'm quite naive to like you know, like whenever we have a conversation, you always go, Oh, you're lower to this because you get funded for this. And when I was on the Channel 4 scheme, they were like, Oh, you know, you get reduced council tax if you say you're disabled.

SPEAKER_01 41:02

Yeah, you've got to take advantage of this stuff.

SPEAKER_00 41:07

I was trying to get a free Metro link card the other day, but because my Pip uh certificate was registered to it, an old address, they were like, um, we can't give you it because it's not a Manchester address. And I was like, Well, like, obviously, because it was years ago, yeah, and I am definitely not gonna ring up Pip and try and get Don't touch that if you're still getting your Pip. I am not gonna I'm I'm not gonna ring the alarm bells. I've only told them that I've moved addresses and they are fine with that.

SPEAKER_01 41:39

So I mean, I can confirm that Lib does have cerebral pools at and and epilepsy now, actually.

SPEAKER_00 41:48

I've got another thing to come.

SPEAKER_01 41:49

Congratulations! Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 41:51

I've got another tip on the box.

SPEAKER_01 41:54

This has been really fun to catch up, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:58

We should have we should have a more like informal catch-up at some point. Definitely can perform more.

SPEAKER_01 42:03

Last question then, what is one thing that you wish people knew about CP?

SPEAKER_00 42:11

I think that not everyone has the same experience, and like and like it's such a vast and varied condition, yeah, and that it affects people in in very different ways. Like, it's like there's like there's always this thing like I have a conversation with people being like, oh, but you don't look disabled, and I'm like, okay, well, let me just get back in my wheelchair and my hospital gown.

SPEAKER_01 42:34

Like, no, it's it isn't it isn't it it it isn't like that with everyone, and it looks different on different days as well.

SPEAKER_00 42:45

100% this is the thing, it's like going back to the pip thing as well, you've really got you kind of gotta sell it as it as if it's your worst day, because if I have a bad day, it means I'm I aren't getting out of bed for two days because I'm in agony, you know. But I think I've think just if everyone um I think with it's getting rid of this kind of generalization, people with CP. Because everyone has different experiences and listening to people with CP as well, like and don't assume like with it with any disability, I think. Please don't assume. I mean I mean I mean often people's hearts are in the right places, but I think just asking the questions, it's not offensive, it's not you it might be uncomfortable on them to ask the questions, but we would rather be, or especially on my point of view, I would rather be asked about adjustments that are needed or my kind of needs, and rather than just try and assume and yes, because it's often wrong.

SPEAKER_01 43:38

I completely agree and talking to us rather than the person with us.

SPEAKER_00 43:43

Like, yeah, and like stop it with like desk research, just like ask us, do you know what I mean? Like um I'm like chat GPT and things, just like ask us questions. Um yeah, like asking what we need because we're because you know you know, like all of us are a lovely bunch, probably not. WhatsApp chat.

SPEAKER_01 44:01

I think everyone with CP knows each other, which is what I have gotten together.

SPEAKER_00 44:07

It's similar to lesbians because there is like a CP web and we call it the lesbian web. It is, it is like, it is like the equivalent of that.

SPEAKER_01 44:16

You can say that, but I can't.

SPEAKER_00 44:19

As a lesbian, that's another thing as well. So I'm gay, I'm so northern. So that's just and I'm a woman.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

Your biggest disability is being northern.

SPEAKER_00 44:28

It's my accent, yeah. It really is.

SPEAKER_01 44:32

Liv, this has been an absolute pleasure. Thank you. Well, you're congratulating me now. I've got to get to the rest of the month without missing a day.

SPEAKER_00 44:44

Well, you know what? I'll check back in at the end of the month and then I can be your last guest and just give you a clap for the end of it.

SPEAKER_01 44:50

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 44:51

Or you can edit this in at the end.

SPEAKER_01 44:55

Uh that's just about it for this episode of the Pulse Podcast. Thank you so much to Liv Woodward for joining me. It's been so much to have a catch up, mate. Um tomorrow, I'm going to be joined by David Smith, who is a Paralympic bocher champion. Um, so we're gonna be talking about butcher. If you don't know what bocha is, tune in tomorrow where you find out from David what it is in his career as a butcher player. But for now, it's bye for me and goodbye for Living. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Palsy Podcast with me, Kean Fitzgerald. I want to thank my guests for joining me, and I hope that you'll stay tuned to the next episode and more throughout March. Thank you.