ScreenSkills

Meet our new cohort of #LeadersofTomorrow! These 25 future senior leaders, from across the UK, make up the third cohort of the High-end TV Skills Fund’s mid-level inclusion-focused progression programme. The group includes professionals from across all departments and the programme is providing them with comprehensive mentoring, masterclasses and paid on-the-job training. Twenty-four places are supported by the High-end TV Skills Fund with industry contributions from high-end TV productions, with Sky funding an additional place. At the programme’s launch event in January, the cohort spoke about how the programme will support their career progression in high-end TV. London-based Simon Gill, who works in location sound, spoke of the benefit of being part of a group, saying: “The Leaders of Tomorrow programme has already helped in allowing us an opportunity amongst different departments doing different roles to understand each other more and give us the confidence to talk to each other and help us to collaborate more effectively going forwards.” Jyoti Rajput, an aspiring high-end documentary maker in the West Midlands, agreed: “The ability to meet people from all areas in the film and TV industry has been amazing.” For Danielle Richards, an assistant director based in Wales, it’s the opportunity to develop leadership skills and give back to the industry: “I would like to be an inspiration to other aspiring, particularly female, ADs in Wales. As well as my own career progression, I do want to give something back to other people and I think that's what we talked about being a good leader - it's important that we give back as well as receive.” Samantha Patterson, who works in camera in the East of England, also felt the wider importance of the initiative in increasing gender equity in leadership roles in HETV: “What I'd like to get out of it is to actually see myself doing the role that I came in to do and go beyond and feel that there is no glass ceiling anymore and that I can push all the boundaries for other women.” Others commented on the programme’s vital access to resources and the industry, including bursaries, mentors and networks. Lou Macnamara, who works in camera in London, said: “There's so many strands of it that are actually already helping me, I've already accessed the bursary for this year to purchase my steady cam vest… I've also felt confident to approach a mentor who is someone who I've looked up to from afar but haven't made contact with previously and because of the programme and the requirement to have a mentor, I felt confident to reach out and put myself out there.” Watch our film to meet some of the new cohort and hear their ambitions for the programme. Read more about the new cohort of Leaders of Tomorrow and how the programme is supporting them over the next three years: https://lnkd.in/ecc9Vt2u

ScreenSkills - the skills body for the UK screen industries – is collaborating with The Adobe Foundation to fund a series of programmes to provide opportunities in film and TV for people from under-represented communities across the UK. The value of the grant is $250,000. “This collaboration with the Adobe Foundation will help encourage and support people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and communities to follow a career in the creative and screen industries,” commented Laura Mansfield, CEO, ScreenSkills. “A diverse and inclusive workforce, made up of a rich and broad range of views and experiences, can help us all to see the world from multiple perspectives and enables us to learn from, as well as respect and value the contribution of others, challenging our own and other peoples’ potential preconceptions.” The ScreenSkills programmes will be funded through the Adobe Film & TV Fund, which is being extended to the UK for the first time. The Adobe Film & TV Fund was launched in January 2024 to help address the inequity in funding career and training opportunities across the entertainment industry. The funding will enable ScreenSkills to create face-to-face opportunities for over 350 people from communities that have traditionally found it challenging to either consider a career in the screen industries, or to progress their careers. Additionally, ScreenSkills will be able to extend the reach of specific programmes through further digital engagement. The programmes are #FirstBreak for Unscripted Television (Unscripted TV Skills Fund); #DreamBig (Children’s TV Skills Fund); a new #FilmForward pilot programme from the Film Skills Fund specifically to support film professionals who have declared a disability; and a bursary specifically for women from minority ethnic groups to progress their careers. ScreenSkills will also host a Film Skills Fund Inclusion and Diversity Conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the Fund, and in partnership with DISCOVER! Creative Careers, will undertake a roadshow to schools across England. “ScreenSkills and The Adobe Foundation Present ..” will be a podcast series discussing the importance of, and challenges to increasing diversity and inclusion in the screen industries. Stacy Martinet, Adobe’s Vice President of Marketing Strategy and Communications, said: “Diversity in front of and behind the camera is key to unlocking more diverse and inclusive storytelling across TV and film. Bringing our global Film & TV Fund to the UK underscores our commitment to opening doors for underrepresented and marginalised communities around the world and empowering those already in the industry to grow and further their careers.” Read the full story on our website: https://lnkd.in/e8g4b-xB

LoveLove Films have become the latest production company to contribute to the ScreenSkills #AnimationSkillsFund. The #Bournemouth based company are behind 3D adventure craft series #PopPaperCity – globally distributed by Aardman – and have spoken about how the contribution underscores the importance of fostering new talent and providing them with the necessary training and resources to thrive in the challenging landscape of animated children's television. Georgina Hurcombe, the Creator and Managing Director of Pop Paper City/LoveLove Films, emphasised the pivotal role of ScreenSkills in the industry: “Over the years, our reliance on the vast array of resources provided by ScreenSkills has been substantial, ranging from pandemic support to masterclasses and online training. ScreenSkills has been a cornerstone in the industry, offering invaluable learning resources, support, and career development opportunities. As both a studio and individuals, we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to this organisation. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to ScreenSkills, recognising its indispensable contribution to our collective growth and success.” The team at LoveLove Films have long been aware of the some of the wider work of ScreenSkills, with production staff having participated in numerous ScreenSkills initiatives, including training sessions addressing unconscious bias and promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, among many other courses. By contributing to the Animation Skills Fund, Pop Paper City joins a collective effort to invest in the development of freelancers and talent working at all levels in animation in the UK. This contribution not only supports existing professionals but also paves the way for new entrants into the industry, ensuring the development of animation talent at every career stage. Kieran Argo, ScreenSkills' Animation Production Liaison Executive, said: "The support from LoveLoveFilms and productions like Pop Paper City helps identify skills shortages and deliver training in animation. By contributing to the Animation Skills Fund, LoveLove Films are making a positive impact on the future of the industry." Find out more about the Animation Skills Fund and the investments made to support the UK workforce here: https://lnkd.in/eh_CCnqM

Three productions that contributed to the Film Skills Fund have been selected to play in this year’s Festival de Cannes. The festival, now in its 77th edition, will take over the coastal French town for 10 days and welcome the global industry to its shores from 14 – 25 May. Playing as part of the main competition is Fund contributor #KindsofKindness, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest project, hot on the heels of the Oscar-winning #PoorThings, a fellow Fund contributor. He returns with that film’s lead actress, Emma Stone, who will star alongside Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons and Margaret Qualley. British director Andrea Arnold will also have her latest film, #Bird, playing in the festival’s main competition. The film stars Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski and tells the story of 12-year-old Bailey, who lives with her single dad Bug and brother Hunter in a squat in north Kent. In addition to contributing to the #FilmSkillsFund, the production welcomed seven trainees onto set from ScreenSkills’ landmark new entrant initiative, #FilmTraineeFinder, where those looking to start their screen career journeys are provided with paid production placements alongside tailored training and networking opportunities. #Santosh, director Sandhya Suri’s debut narrative feature, will screen as part of the festival’s Un Certain Regard strand. The Hindi-language film follows the titular character as her inspector is pulled into a new investigation in northern India. By contributing to the Fund each production has enabled investment across the UK and helped support the nation’s screen workforce. We thank each of them for their contribution and wish them the best of luck for their screenings at #Cannes2024.

Richard Johnston is stepping down as Chair of ScreenSkills at the end of April 2024. Lisa Opie, currently Vice Chair, will assume the role of Interim Chair and Kate Lyndon will be Interim Vice Chair. “It’s been an absolute privilege to chair ScreenSkills over the last seven years, during which time we’ve completely reinvented the organisation and helped thousands of people across the industry. With Laura now in place and doing an amazing job, it feels like the right time for me to hand the baton on and continue supporting from the sidelines,” said Richard Johnston. “I’d like to thank the Board, the five Skills Councils and all the employees and partners of ScreenSkills for their incredible support and hard work over the last few years.” Richard joined the Board of Creative Skillset in June 2016, and as Chair from March 2017, led the transition to ScreenSkills, including the move from public to industry funding, the following year. His tenure was extended for an additional year to oversee the completion of the Skills Task Force Report, A Sustainable Future for Skills on behalf of ScreenSkills and the appointment of Laura Mansfield as ScreenSkills’ Chief Executive. As Chair, Richard has played a significant role in establishing the organisation as the skills body for the screen industries. He was integral to the creation of the Unscripted TV Skills Fund in 2021. To date, the Fund has received income of £5.67 million, and 367 production companies have contributed. He was also instrumental in ScreenSkills’ pivot to digital at the start of the pandemic and the subsequent Covid awareness training e-learning, completed by almost 90,000 people across the industry to date. Additionally, Richard was key to securing BFI-awarded National Lottery funding for the Future Film Skills Programme. that supported over 120,000 beneficiaries including 90,544 new entrants to the sector. “On behalf of ScreenSkills, the board and the team I would like to thank Richard for his leadership over the last 7 years,” commented Lisa Opie, Vice Chair, ScreenSkills. “He has made a huge contribution to the organisation, sharing his expertise, his deep knowledge of the market and his time, whilst providing sound advice. He has been a passionate advocate for ScreenSkills and the work that it does across the sector.” “I would like to thank Richard for his longstanding commitment to ScreenSkills,” Laura Mansfield, CEO, ScreenSkills, added. “His focus on the provision of high quality training and career opportunities for colleagues across the industry is inspiring. In no small way, the work and positive impact of ScreenSkills on supporting the careers of our beneficiaries right across the UK is due to his dedication.” A permanent Chair will be appointed later this year.

In response to the climate crisis, ScreenSkills is partnering with BAFTA WeAreALBERT to launch a new e-learning module on sustainability practices for the screen industries. Introduction to sustainability for the screen industries aims to empower anyone who is currently working, or thinking of working, in the UK screen industries with key information and knowledge to transform the sector. The free, 30-minute module covers: - The commitments already made by the screen industries, including net zero targets and the climate content pledge - The sustainability challenges and opportunities in the screen industries, why we need major transformation and what we must achieve - The key principles of sustainability for the screen industries - The action we can take as individuals within our different roles and departments to support the transformation of the screen industries. Matt Scarff, Managing Director at BAFTA albert says: "BAFTA albert are delighted to have been able to co-create this sustainability module with ScreenSkills. It offers a fantastic entry point for anyone in the screen industries to find out what climate change means, how the industries are already acting, and what the broader solutions are. It is vital that we all understand how we can have a positive impact through our roles so that we can create a sustainable future together." Click here to start the e-learning and make a difference in the industry: https://lnkd.in/eW-skZVK #sustainability #environmentalsustainability #climatecrisis

Congratulations to our Skills Fund contributors for their wins at the 2024 Royal Television Society Awards! At a ceremony hosted by comedian Tom Allen at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, ten productions that contributed to the #HETVSkillsFund received awards across 14 categories. The night’s big winner was BBC drama #TheSixthCommandment, receiving awards for Limited Series, Supporting Actor – Male for Eanna Hardwicke and Writer – Drama for Sarah Phelps. The Leading Actor categories went to performers in two other contributing productions with wins for Tamara Lawrence for her role in #Time, and Kane Robinson for Netflix’s #TopBoy. BBC Comedy #BlackOps picked up wins for its leads, with Hammed Animashaun and Gbemisola Ikumelo collecting the male and female Comedy Performance prizes. Further comedy prizes were awarded to Channel 4’s #BigBoys for Comedy Writing, #Extraordinary for Scripted Comedy and #Juice for Comedy Drama while #ChimpEmpire collected the award for Science & the Natural World. The final series of Sally Wainwright’s police drama #HappyValley was rewarded in the Drama Series category while the Judges’ Award went to ITV drama #MrBatesvsThePostOffice for the incredible audience reaction to the series which provoked the government to take action. A Kind of Spark, a contributor to the #ChildrensSkillsFund won the Children’s Programme award and there were wins across a range of unscripted categories for BBC, Sky, Channel 5 and Netflix contributing broadcasters to the #UnscriptedTVSkillsFund. We wish all winners congratulations and thank each of them for their contributions that go on to help further support and develop the screen workforce across the UK.

The #HETVat10 roadshow concluded this week with its final event in #Manchester, celebrating a decade of high-end TV production in the North West of England. Since the Fund launched ten years ago, it has collected over £40 million in contributions, from more than 1200 productions, that has been invested back into workforce development across the whole of the UK. Over the last ten years, the Fund has actively supported many productions in the North West, including #ItsaSin, #ColdFeet, #PeakyBlinders, #Brassic, #TheBay, #COBRA, #TheCrown, #WaterlooRoad, #Entitled, #Floodlights, #FoolMeOnce, #FunnyWoman, #Ghosted, #InsideNumber9 and #ToxicTown. Thanking the region’s production companies, broadcasters, streamers and supporters, Barry Ryan, the Chair of the High-end TV Skills Council told guests: “There’s a host of local indies, all playing their part collectively to ensure the North West continues to go from strength to strength as a leading production centre and working hand in hand with the #HETVSkillsFund to support the workforce.” The strengths of the production industry in the North West and how the HETV Fund has supported skills over the last 10 years were explored in a panel discussion, chaired by Kate Larking, Head of Production at Duck Soup Films. Joining Kate were industry professionals from the region, with many years of combined experience who have used the Fund to support their production teams or to develop their own careers. Line producer Ursula Haworth, together with Andy Morgan, Executive Producer at Clapperboard Studios, Barrington Robinson, Creative Producer at REDBAG PICTURES LTD and Heather Crompton, a camera operator graduating from the HETV #LeadersofTomorrow programme later, this year spoke about how they started their careers in the North West and the changes they have seen over the last decade. “It’s a very different culture now to 20 or 30 years ago,” explains Ursula Haworth. “In TV you were only as good as your last job and people remembered what you did wrong. That’s how the HETV Skills Fund is changing the landscape and we’re living in a very different culture.” “It’s changing perspectives,” adds Heather Crompton. “The leadership and management courses on the Leaders of Tomorrow programme have helped me learn about myself, but they have also made a difference to how we treat each other.” Andy Morgan, an alumni of the HETV co-producer programme, recommends: “If you think you have 50% of the skills needed to do a job, think about the gap, what skills are missing and what the Fund can offer to fill that.” Watch the video to find out how the High-end TV Skills Fund has invested in the workforce in the North of England: https://lnkd.in/eDCmEm3b Photographer credit: © ScreenSkills / Chris Payne

ScreenSkills is partnering with the #TVAccessProject (TAP) to exclusively host training resources for disability inclusion in the UK screen industries. Named the 5As – Anticipate, Ask, Assess, Adjust, Advocate – the guidelines aim to ensure the full and equal inclusion of Deaf, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent talent. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/dqhWXjRX

The #UnscriptedTVSkillsFund’s free HR Toolkit provides employers across the screen industries with a range of resources for the entire employee lifecycle - from attraction, recruitment and onboarding to retention, development and offboarding. The toolkit was created in direct response to requests from the unscripted TV community, who wanted a set of resources to strengthen and standardise HR practices and enable more inclusive recruitment practices, especially for companies that don’t have an in-house HR team. Glasgow-based Raise the Roof Productions has been using the toolkit to complement their existing HR and recruitment practices. The production company commented: “For the last 6 years, we have really focused on the employment cycle and how we can make the experience for our employees and freelancers fairer, more transparent and overall, a better experience. Implementing a robust recruitment process, in-depth onboarding, including links to policies and procedures, training, and end of contract feedback/exit reviews, were the starting point. We believe that the ScreenSkills HR toolkit complements our approach and we hope that it will be taken up across the industry to professionalise the way we work with employees and freelancers. We would encourage all companies, particularly those without HR support internally, to utilise the kit to reap the benefits that HR can offer to all organisations and to bring in the best talent, most creative talent to their organisation – and keep them coming back.” The toolkit was developed in collaboration with film and TV specialist HR consultant Lisa Balderson (Assoc. CIPD) and contains guidelines, downloadable templates and links to supporting information and resources to support companies looking to implement more formal recruitment processes and best practice. The key elements are: • The right tools for recruitment - A step-by-step guide from defining a job description (with templates and examples) to making a job offer • Onboarding - Providing the new starter with the best possible experience including pre-employment checks and company policies on specifics such as holiday entitlement and sick pay • Employee lifecycle and offboarding - Includes an employee feedback template to provide feedback; guidance on giving and receiving feedback and handling difficult conversations • Resources and templates - One-to-one HR training sessions and modules from the Unscripted TV Skills Fund; job description creation templates and useful links. Access the online Toolkit at https://lnkd.in/eQNAZHtR