Screen Northants Academy creates pathways into industry by removing the socio-economic and geographical barriers to industry. We know there are incredibly talented people who, through no fault of their own, do not have the opportunities to both enter the industry and prove they are capable. Our Academy bridges that gap. Through consultation with schools and colleges, we identify young people who deserve the opportunity to prove themselves and use the entire process of production as the platform for them to develop, learn skills and network with the professionals who they will one day work with.
The film and TV industry is not inherently classist, racist, sexist or ableist and yet these demographics are currently underrepresented. This would suggest that there are barriers of entry to industry which make it much harder to access for people from these groups.
The academy exists to remove those barriers to industry, create a level playing field and develop an equality of workforce, based solely on competence and work ethic. The 3 main barriers are Socio-economic, Geographic and Exposure. Socio-Economic - The entry level pay (sometimes no pay at all) makes it impossible for those from less affluent backgrounds to get their foot on the ladder and establish themselves. Geographical - Most film and tv is made in just a few concentrated areas around the country. If you don’t live in those areas, it is very difficult to break into industry. Particularly if this is coupled with the socio-economic barrier. Exposure (You cant be what you cant see). Young people are not being exposed to people who look and sound like they do in the industry. They are not seeing themselves reflected back and therefore do not believe that they belong and are able to participate. They are also not being exposed to the breadth of roles within the industry, often roles with skillset requirements that suit their interests. The Academy believes that talent should have the opportunity to be identified, developed and nurtured no matter the background of the young person.
Screen Northants has been running for 7 years and was developed with help from a BBC Children in Need grant. The Academy is a 7-year programme which provides educational pathways and industry experience for 14–21-year-olds who are in education in Northamptonshire and from underrepresented demographics. How it works is simple. We identify young people through direct consultation with schools. From 14-16 we provide work experience on 2 films (one per year). We then guide them to an appropriate Further Education course and from 16-18 they gain experience on 2 more films. By this point we hope they will have a clear idea of which department they want to work in and we then guide them to an appropriate Higher Education course. Throughout the HE course, they will gain additional experience on 3 more films, but now focused specifically on the department they want to work in. At 21 they leave University with a degree, 7 feature films on their CV and a decent network of professionals to chase for work. This means they will have gained extensive experience and training, as well as have proved themselves to HODs, all while living at home.
The Academy is completely free to the young people we work with. The creative industry is full of people who come from backgrounds where they were financially supported while pursuing their dreams.
We are trying to raise additional funds to support our young people with the same opportunities. Travel, accommodation and even food costs can make these opportunities impossible and we dont think this is fair.
At Screen Northants, we're working hard to create a self-sustaining model where our Academy is funded by the work we do. We're not quite there yet, and that's why we urgently need your support to continue empowering the young people we work with. Any financial contribution you can make will help us make a significant impact in the lives of these aspiring film industry professionals.
Thank you
