Developing Stories for a Changing World: North America Screen Industry Online Professional Program

What if you could develop stories for the film and TV market that thoroughly entertain while representing the climate realities and solutions shaping our world?

Developing Stories for a Changing World is a 6-week online professional program that equips producers, development executives and story consultants to identify and develop market-friendly screen stories that reflect our rapidly changing world. From creative takes on climate impacts to the transition to a regenerative economy that is already underway, stories have the potential to both mirror and move our evolving cultural landscape.

Audiences and creatives alike are increasingly looking for stories that reflect the world we live in and offer compelling visions of the future. Yet many narratives we see on screen still default to familiar tropes of dystopia and disaster, or avoid climate themes entirely with mistaken assumptions. Through expert insights, case studies and peer collaboration, Developing Stories for a Changing World will expand your development toolkit for engaging with climate material accurately and authentically. You’ll learn practical approaches to avoid clichés, navigate sensitive topics and work confidently with these topical themes without compromising entertainment value.

What you’ll get

The course offers a structured, in-depth educational experience - combining expert-led masterclasses, case studies, and peer collaboration to help you turn insight into market advantage.

• Gain climate literacy by learning from experts on the front lines.
• Spot and shape market-ready IP and original ideas that align with the growing audience appetite for these stories.
• Explore opportunities for informed, impactful climate representation across genres that sell: from drama and comedy, to true crime, procedurals, romcoms and more.
• Bust unhelpful myths and tropes: find fresh character and story angles beyond well-worn tropes of dystopia, eco-terrorists and recycling. Experts will also bust cultural myths about solving the climate crisis.
• Leverage soaring talent and writer interest in climate and sustainability.
• Position your projects strategically for buyers and audiences. 
• Lead confidently in a shifting marketplace, developing skills increasingly sought across the industry.
• Join a forward-thinking professional network exploring the next wave of content.

You’ll leave the program with:

• Actionable creative and commercial frameworks you can apply immediately to your slate or development process.
• A network of like-minded peers across North America, and connection to peer networks in the UK and Europe.
• A one-on-one consultation with Climate Spring to apply your learning to a real project or development challenge.
• Eligibility to apply for Climate Spring development funding.

Program overview

Duration: 6 weeks April 9 - May 14, 2026
Format: 2-hour online weekly sessions

Each session includes:

• A Masterclass with leading voices in TV and film scripted development, climate and sustainability, storytelling and entertainment.
• A peer discussion exploring examples and creative approaches to this work with knowledgeable facilitators.
• A wrap-up and reading list to deepen your learning.

Speakers include:

Bob Keefe (Environmental Entrepreneurs) on the transition to a clean energy economy.

Renee Lertzmann on climate psychology, emotions and agency.

Dorothy Fortenberry (EXTRAPOLATIONS), Victor Fresco (UNSTABLE), and Karissa Valencia (SPIRIT RANGERS) on creating and showrunning climate-relevant TV shows.

(more speakers to be announced)

Who should apply

This program is tailored for:

• Producers / creative producers
• Development executives
• Story consultants

Note: This is not a screenwriting program. Climate Spring offers other programs for writers. Sign up to our newsletter or contact us to learn more.

Course fee

• $200 – Freelance professionals
• $350 – Professionals attending through a company or organization

Limited scholarships are available for freelance professionals that would otherwise be financially unable to take the course, and who identify as one or more of the following:

• Global Majority
• LGBTQI+
• Disability
• Educationally or economically disadvantaged

Certification

Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion, recognizing advanced professional development in climate storytelling.

Key Dates

• Applications open: January 20, 2026
• Program runs: April 9 - May 14, 2026

How to Apply

To apply, please fill in this application form. The deadline for applications is March 4, 2026.

About Climate Spring

Climate Spring is a global organisation transforming how the climate crisis is represented in film, television, and popular culture. We champion powerful storytelling that shifts narratives, sparks imagination, and inspires action. 

We support the screen industries with development funding for scripted and unscripted projects; editorial consulting on climate narratives in film and TV projects; training and world-building workshops; writers' development opportunities; and bespoke advice to help projects move from idea to distribution. 

To date, Climate Spring has funded, co-financed, and consulted on more than 70 film and TV projects, spanning genres from crime and thriller to romantic comedy.

Climate Spring is also home to the Climate Fiction Prize - the first literary award of its kind to celebrate novels tackling the climate crisis - and is a campaign partner of Green Rider, an actor-led movement dedicated to making the screen industries greener, cleaner, and fairer.

About SEA

‍The Sustainable Entertainment Alliance is a consortium of leading studios, streamers, and film and television industry stakeholders working collaboratively to inspire a sustainable future, while reducing the industry's environmental impact.

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