Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi Named as 2025 Recipient of the Kay Mellor Fellowship

Wakefield-based British-Iranian playwright Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi has been named as the 2025 recipient of the Kay Mellor Fellowship. Jasmin follows Kat Rose-Martin and Kirsty Taylor, both from Bradford, as the third and next writer to receive the fellowship, which was established in 2019 in memory of the late Kay Mellor, a pioneering writer in the world of TV and theatre.

The fellowship, a collaboration between Leeds Playhouse, Rollem Productions, the BBC, and Leeds City Council, serves as a platform to nurture new voices from the North. This joint commitment highlights the organisations' shared dedication to championing emerging talent and amplifying diverse voices in the arts.

Jasmin's debut full-length play, Allah In the Walls, was developed through the Catalyst Programme at North Wall Arts Centre and was shortlisted for the 2022 Bruntwood Prize. In 2021, she wrote The Magic of Wild Heather, created for the National Theatre's Public Acts initiative, which was performed at Cast Theatre in Doncaster. Jasmin has also been involved with several prestigious schemes, including the BBC's Northern Voices, Sheffield Theatres' Bank Cohort, and the Bush Theatre's Emerging Writers Group. In 2023, she participated in the Warner Writers Exchange Scheme, where she wrote her first TV pilot, Joon. Her latest play, The End, was written for the Bush Theatre's Young Company and staged in August 2024.

During her fellowship year, Jasmin will develop stories exploring the meaning home, delving into the thriller genre, and being inspired by her Yorkshire and Iranian heritage, while continuing to hone her unique voice as a playwright for both stage and screen. She joined the two previous fellows and representatives from the organisations for a photocall alongside Ribbons, a public art installation in Playhouse Gardens that honours the many women – both past and present  – who have contributed to the city. Kay Mellor's name is woven into the structure, serving as a lasting tribute to her impact.

Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi said: “I am beyond excited to be awarded the Kay Mellor Fellowship for 2025. Kay was a real staple in my household when I was growing up and I would love to help more people feel seen through my writing in the same way she did. With the support of this Fellowship, I hope to challenge myself and explore how to tell the diverse personal stories I love on a larger scale. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of a legacy that includes previous Fellows Kat Rose-Martin and Kirsty Taylor. I hope to continue in their footsteps and tell stories that make Yorkshire proud.”

Gaynor Mellor, Creative Director of Rollem Productions, said: “What an honour it is to be running the third Kay Mellor fellowship alongside Amy Leach at Leeds Playhouse, Alice Ramsay at the BBC and Leeds City Council. My mum would be so proud that we are carrying on her legacy of handing down the ladder to emerging writers and helping them to develop and craft their talent. We're really excited to be working with Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi, our 2025 fellow, and welcoming her into our Rollem family. Jasmin sent in a fantastic script and is brimming with passion and ideas.”

Jess Loveland, Head of New Writing, BBC Writers and Drama Commissioning, said: “I'm absolutely thrilled to congratulate Jasmin on being selected for the Kay Mellor Fellowship in 2025. This fellowship truly represents Kay's vision for nurturing bold emerging talent and I can't wait to see how Jasmin's voice flourishes throughout the programme.”

Amy Leach, Deputy Artistic Director at Leeds Playhouse, said: “Jasmin brings a fresh and vital perspective to everything she creates. It's brilliant to collaborate with all of the partners to support her development as a writer, and we know her work will resonate deeply with our audiences. The Kay Mellor Fellowship has always been about nurturing talent and opening doors, and we're proud to continue that mission in Kay's memory.”

Kirsty Taylor on the fellowship said: “The fellowship has been an ace year of learning and developing. I've had access to some amazing workshops and masterclasses with people in the industry, and getting individualised feedback, advice and edits as I embark on my tv writing journey has been invaluable. It's been so great to connect with Jasmin and Kat, my fellow fellows! I love their energy and voice, and feel really inspired and encouraged hearing about what they're doing next,. And how good is it to have hype women like them?!”

Kat Rose-Martin said: “I was awarded the Fellowship back in 2020 and it was honestly a lifeline for me at the time. It not only kept me in the industry but also turbo charged my career. There are so many doors that were opened to me: I signed with an incredible agent; have worked for BBC, Channel 5, Channel 4, American production companies and many more. It's honestly such a privilege to be part of Kay's legacy and I'm thrilled to be alongside such powerhouse women. I look forward to carrying the baton alongside them and being a support for each other. We're like Charlie's Angels of the Northern writer/performer multiverse. Except we're not Charlie's, we're Kay's!”

In addition to the Fellowship, Leeds Playhouse launched The Kay Mellor Fund in 2023 to raise money to nurture local writers – something that was always very close to Kay's heart – through its industry-leading Furnace Artist Development programme. This fund supports locally rooted writers through bespoke investment, mentoring and training opportunities.

Jasmin Mandhi-Ghomi

is a British-Iranian writer from Wakefield. Her first full length play ‘Allah In the Walls' was developed on the Catalyst Programme at the North Wall Arts Centre and went on to be shortlisted for the 2022 Bruntwood Prize. In Summer 2021, she developed the play ‘The Magic of Wild Heather' which was written for the National Theatre's Public Acts and performed at Cast Theatre in Doncaster. She has participated in the BBC's Northern Voices Scheme, Sheffield Theatre's Bank Cohort, and the Bush Theatre's Emerging Writers Group. Throughout 2023, she was part of the Warner Writers Exchange Scheme for which she wrote her first TV pilot ‘Joon'. Her latest play ‘The End' was written for the Bush Theatre's Young Company and staged in August 2024.

The Kay Mellor Fund will enable Leeds Playhouse to support the development of playwrights as part of the Furnace artistic development programme. As a UK registered charity, Leeds Playhouse (255460) relies on donations to support artists and communities. Donations to The Kay Mellor Fund will go directly to supporting new writers at Leeds Playhouse.  Donations to the fund can be made via https://leedsplayhouse.org.uk/support-us/as-an-individual/the-kay-mellor-fund or by contacting Leeds Playhouse 0113 2137700.

Born and bred in Leeds, Kay Mellor was a unique talent in the industry, creating some of the most talked about TV and stage shows in the country. A director, actress and executive producer as well as a writer, Kay was perhaps best known for creating groundbreaking drama series such as Band of Gold and The Syndicate.

Kay was always passionate about mentoring emerging talent – she worked closely with new writers to develop their ideas for television and stage through schemes with the BBC and Leeds Playhouse. Rollem came from her desire to tell real stories, to work with local people and to shine a spotlight on creativity. Rollem continues along the trail she blazed to honour her incredible legacy and ensure the next generation of writing talent get their voices heard.

Kay was awarded the BAFTA Dennis Potter Award in 1997 for Outstanding Writing for Television. She was appointed an OBE in the 2009 Birthday Honours, and in 2014 she was awarded the Writers Guild Award for Outstanding Contribution to Writing. She received a Fellowship for significant contribution to television from the Royal Television Society in November 2016.

Gaynor Mellor leads the creative direction of Rollem, supporting writers and their projects throughout the process as well as mentoring new writers through the schemes run by Rollem. She has her own writing projects and continues working on those started by Kay, including the recent successful stage adaptation of The Syndicate which she also Directed and co Produced.

Gaynor has worked side by side with Kay from an early age and has been involved with Rollem since its conception. Aside from developing and helping storyline many of Rollem's projects she has also written episodes of Fat Friends, Playing The Field, The Chase and In The Club as well as working as Script Editor and Script Consultant on these shows and others such as The Syndicate and Girlfriends.

Rollem is a production company with a difference - female-led, genuinely independent and based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Set up in 2000 by BAFTA award-winning writer Kay Mellor OBE to produce her hugely successful ITV drama series FAT FRIENDS, Rollem has gone on to produce a host of hit shows including: THE SYNDICATE, IN THE CLUB, A PASSIONATE WOMAN, GIRLFRIENDS and MY LEFT NUT to name a few.

Rollem champions new writers and creative talent in all its forms and is dedicated to producing TV and Film which is relatable, innovative and original. But above all, Rollem is passionate about producing drama and comedy that audiences across the world love to watch and re-watch.

Leeds Playhouse has been one of the UK's leading producing theatres for more than 50 years. It is an award-winning theatre and a cultural hub, a place where people gather to tell and share stories and engage in world class theatre. Its warm welcome was recently recognised at the UK Theatre Awards, where it was named Most Welcoming Theatre 2022. It makes work which is pioneering and relevant, seeking out the best companies and artists to create inspirational theatre in the heart of Yorkshire.   

Alongside the work on its stages, the Playhouse works creatively with the people, artists and communities of Leeds through its innovative, sector-leading Playhouse Connect programme. Focussing on two key areas – Learning & Skills and Creative Communities – Playhouse Connect engages with thousands of people in the region each year. As part of this work, its Artistic Development programme, Furnace, engages with theatre-makers, providing a creative space to refine their practice at all stages of their careers; it builds, develops and sustains projects to connect with refugee communities, young people and students, older people and people with learning disabilities; it hands over spaces to communities to use in ways they choose, from breakdancing to roller-skating, craft markets to tea parties, enlivening the building whilst fostering deeper relationships; and works in-residence around the city, connecting with people on their doorsteps.

As a registered charity, Leeds Playhouse relies on the support of valued partners to make great things happen. It is grateful for the continued support of Arts Council England, Leeds City Council, The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation and the many charitable trusts, business partners and individuals that continue to support the vital work of the theatre.

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