The Writers' Retreat: Low Wood Bay

For over a decade, The Pitch has been taking creatives to the Lake District, where the scenery, the fresh air and the wide open spaces serve to unlock inspiration. Back in 2013, Simon Berry, manager of the Low Wood Bay Hotel, watched filmmakers pitching live at Pinewood studios. He was inspired by their creativity and made the generous offer for filmmakers to stay at their family-run 4-star hotel and spa.

And I was one of the first filmmakers to benefit! Those initial nerves were quickly replaced by the buzz of connecting with others who, like me, enjoyed crafting and creating stories. My memories of that retreat are of friendships formed quickly, conversations that sparked ideas, and even an impromptu collaboration together where we filmed our own spin-off of the Hunger Games trailer! Even though my pitch (that year!) was ultimately unsuccessful, the experience and input from the retreat accelerated my own filmmaking journey, and led to many collaborations with the filmmakers I’d met there. 

A pattern of collaboration 

Our year was no exception. The Pitch’s two most recent shorts, The Acres and Kitty, both involved strong collaborations encouraged by the experience of the Pitch’s development process, and the Low Wood Bay retreat. The Acres’ writer Grace Okyere-Fosu, was selected for the Drama award, and asked fellow-applicant Alice Johannessen to direct. And Lizzie Hart, recipient of the Comedy award for Kitty, joined forces with James Newman to direct together. 

This feels especially relevant to the theme question of this year’s commission: What does it mean to be human in the age of AI? Increasingly digital technology and AI offer us dopamine-driven distraction, whilst often feeding segregation and isolation. But surrounded by stunning scenery, instead of mind-numbing screenery, and with the opportunity for human connection IRL, it's no surprise that magic things happen! Conversation, curiosity, challenge and encouragement aren’t distractions from the writing process - they can be what moves it forward. 

This year 

For this year’s commission, Ben Berry (who has now taken the helm of the luxury hotels) has invited us to go deeper with our commissioned writers and to stay for longer. We will now be with our hosts from Sunday 14th March until Thursday 18th March 2027, offering more creative space for our writers to begin their task of bringing fresh ideas to life. We will have input from our consultants Justine Hart and Karol Griffiths, the option to watch and discuss films in the evening, space and time to chew over new ideas (not to mention the outstanding catering), all whilst living on the banks of Lake Windermere.

Over to you! 

If our commission theme question sparks a story for you, why not consider submitting an application? The Pitch is open to writers at any stage in their career, with oodles of experience... or next to none! Your idea could be the beginning of a paid writing commission, a residential development experience, and conversations that help you take your story to the next level. 

Explore this year’s Commission further.