Taiwan YA Content Gets Boost as PTS XS, Third Culture, S11 Launch Drama Lab (EXCLUSIVE)

Taiwan‘s burgeoning youth content sector is getting a major boost as international players join forces to nurture the next generation of Chinese-language storytellers.

Third Culture Content (TCC), the Los Angeles and Seoul-based production company, has partnered with Taiwan’s S11 Partners and PTS XS to launch “All Star,” a Chinese-language incubator program targeting creators of young adult content.

The initiative, officially dubbed “All Star: Teens Drama Development Lab,” kicks off this summer with applications opening June 4. The program represents a strategic play to capture the increasingly valuable Gen Z and Alpha generation markets through authentic local storytelling with global appeal.

In a two-phase structure, 30 selected Taiwanese creators will first participate in industry-led masterclasses before four standout projects advance to a six-month development lab working alongside Hollywood veterans. Select projects could potentially move into international co-production in 2026.

High-caliber Hollywood mentors include Amy Rardin (producer, Marvel’s “Strange Academy” and “Echo”), Jessica O’Toole (“American Girl” series, “Invisible Sister”), and BAFTA winner Debbie Moon (“Wolfblood”). The program also offers an NT$260,000 ($8,600) script development grant per selected project.

“As the YA genre continues to grow globally, it remains relatively nascent in Asia,” said Janice Chua and Sean Dulake, TCC co-founders. “This partnership offers a unique opportunity to explore and innovate within this space, combining the rich cultural nuances of Taiwan with our expertise in creating universally relatable stories.”

The lab builds on established industry relationships, as TCC’s Chua and S11’s Cora Yim previously collaborated on “Emerge,” another Taiwan-based development program that incubated five TV series and six features between 2022 and 2024.

“Adolescence is a powerful threshold – full of questions, change, and possibility,” said Yim. “We’re honored to partner with PTS XS and Third Culture Content on this teen drama development lab, giving young Taiwanese storytellers the tools to shape their own teen drama narratives.”

PTS XS, which launched in 2024 as Taiwan’s first cross-media platform exclusively for viewers aged 3-18, views the collaboration as strategic positioning in the competitive Asian youth content market.

“We are deeply grateful to our partners at Third Culture Content and S11 for their collaboration and expertise,” said Yu Pei Hua of PTS XS. “Their support is instrumental in bringing this vision to life.”