The screenwriting canon and the industrial hidden curriculum: A case for educational activism

This article identifies a cohort of screenplays and screenwriters recurrent on university screenwriting reading lists – a “screenwriting canon” –dominated by hegemonic identities. We identify some reasons for the perpetuation of this canon and its implications and limitations. We are especially concerned by the “hidden curriculum” within tertiary screenwriting courses and seek to expose the industry biases that shape its content and distribution. We find that the screenwriting canon, as distinct from other modes of creative writing and media practice, is shaped by a specific set of industrial values originating in Hollywood, which are expressed through regimes of access to certain texts and not others. These effectively determine what is allowed to count as “good” screenwriting. We argue that if the reading, analysis, discussion, performance and rewriting of screenplays is to be a useful tool for students then access to a greater diversity of screenplays is sorely needed. As educators, it is our responsibility to interrogate and critique the values of the screen industry rather than reproduce them. We make a case for accessing a wider range of screenplays and for introducing students to industry in a way that emphasises “work-ready” values, such as analysing power relations and ethical representation.