Quick summary
- The Writers Lab, a screenwriting program backed by Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep, will run in Australia for the first time.
- It takes place on the Gold Coast from 30 April to 4 May 2027, according to Variety Australia.
- Twelve female and nonbinary writers over 40 from Australia and New Zealand will be chosen.
- Applications open on 11 November and close on 11 December 2026.
The Nicole Kidman Writers Lab is coming home. The screenwriting program, which Kidman and Streep both support, will hold its first Australian and New Zealand intensive on the Gold Coast in April 2027, Variety Australia reports. It is open to female and nonbinary writers aged over 40.
What the Writers Lab offers
The Writers Lab was created to push back against ageism and gender bias in the entertainment industry. The Australian edition is a five-day intensive running from 30 April to 4 May 2027. Twelve writers from across the region will take part.
The program includes one-on-one mentoring, group workshops and time to develop feature film and television scripts. Variety lists several confirmed mentors: Rita Hsiao, whose credits include “Mulan” and “Toy Story 2”, Liz Doran of “My Brilliant Career” and “Please Like Me”, and Briar Grace-Smith, known for “Cousins” and “The Strength of Water”.
The lab was founded by Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon and has operated for 12 years. Earlier programs were held in the United States, Canada, the UK and Europe, so the Gold Coast event is its first in the region.
Why Kidman and Streep are involved
Streep is described as a longtime supporter. She said the lab offers “practical tools and spirited encouragement” for screenwriters whose perspective has been “consistently undervalued in the marketplace”.
Kidman focused on mentorship. “A lot of times there’s not the opportunity for women, especially as they get older, to be mentored. And that’s what the Writers Lab does,” she said, adding: “The more women’s stories we see, the more women are empowered.”
Her comments sit alongside a long record of backing women’s stories on screen. For more on her recent projects, see our Nicole Kidman archive.
The numbers behind the push
Variety points to Screen Australia’s 2024-25 “Gender Matters” report. It found women held 33% of writing roles and 32% of directing roles across feature dramas that entered production in 2023-24.
Funded projects fared better. In Screen Australia-supported feature dramas in 2024-25, women, nonbinary and gender-diverse creatives held 45% of writing roles and 36% of directing roles.
Across the Tasman, a 2021 NZ On Air report found women made up 48.8% of writers and 42.7% of directors on publicly funded screen projects. That suggests closer parity in writing, though directing still lags.
Who is running it locally
Kaiden and Wilon will lead the inaugural program with Australian programming director Brooke Hemphill, who took part in the international lab in 2023. Backers include the Screenrights Cultural Fund, Minderoo Pictures, Screen Queensland, the WeirAnderson Foundation and the South Australian Film Corporation. Community partners include AFTRS, WIFT New Zealand and Screen Vixens.
What happens next
Applications open on 11 November and close on 11 December 2026. Applicants must submit a 20-page sample from a feature film or television pilot script to compete for one of the 12 places. Full details are on the Variety Australia report and the lab’s application page.
If you follow industry news, our Celebrities and Movies sections track more of Kidman’s work.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply to the Writers Lab in Australia?
Female and nonbinary writers over 40 from Australia and New Zealand. Each must submit a 20-page sample from a feature film or television pilot script.
When and where is the Writers Lab?
It runs from 30 April to 4 May 2027 on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
When do applications close?
Applications open on 11 November 2026 and close on 11 December 2026.
How many writers will be selected?
Twelve writers will take part in the five-day program.
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