Written by Kianna Best on Jan 8, 2024. Posted in General Interest

Bristol City Council’s Film Services to deliver new skills training programme

Plans have been announced to launch a new skills training programme later this month for creatives looking to break in behind-the-camera roles in the West of England. This follows Bristol City Council’s Film Services securing almost £300,000 (£299,818) from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris. The programme is set to be delivered by The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol UNESCO City of Film and Bristol Film Office.

 

 

“The West of England is fast becoming the Hollywood of the UK,” commented Metro Mayor and leader of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Dan Norris. “Only recently, huge names like Disney+ have checked in to The Bottle Yard Studios’ new state-of-the-art and West of England Mayoral Authority-funded TBY2 facility - that's a massive vote of confidence in our world-leading creative industries. But to keep up the pace, we need to tap into the extraordinary wealth of creative talent we have in the West. That means supporting them with world-class training to create that new home-grown creative generation for the sector.”

 

 

 

“Bristol remains a world-leading hub for film and TV production, with some of the industry’s biggest names choosing our city to produce their shows,” added councillor Craig Cheney, deputy mayor of Bristol with responsibility for City Economy Finance & Performance. “Bristol’s new state-of-the-art film studio, The Bottle Yard’s TBY2 facility, has already played host to some of the UK’s most exciting productions since opening its doors in 2022 supported by £12 million in funding. However, as the sector continues to go from strength to strength, more targeted investment into training and developing the next generation of homegrown production talent is becoming increasingly necessary.”

 

 

 

Funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the programme will be broken into three intake periods across 2024, including an introductory webinar titled Get to Know the Industry, and Industry Induction Day at The Bottle Yard Studios, and a 5 week training scheme. As the UK film industry expects to see an estimated 21,000 new crew forecast by 2025, the upcoming programme will galvanise talent in the West of England to contribute to this. The programme is expected to engage 750 participants, including 45 who will take part in the 5-week intensive training course. Those who complete the course will then be added to a New Entrants Portfolio.

 

 

Laura Aviles, head of film at Bristol City Council comments: “We are delighted to have secured this funding to deliver a programme designed to help local entrants understand and navigate the fast-paced world of production they are not yet familiar with, to support them in identifying the right opportunities and having the confidence to step into industry roles that suit their talents and ambitions.”

 

“Developing a local skills pipeline for scripted crew is a key priority in our Bristol UNESCO City of Film Action Plan,” adds Natalie Moore, Bristol UNESCO City of Film manager. “Opening up opportunities for regional talent from a wide range of backgrounds makes for a more sustainable and resilient industry base. With so many career opportunities that can and should be made available to people living within the region, we want to make access routes into the film and TV industry easier to navigate and provide support to build a more diverse local workforce.”

 

Application will be open to residents of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, as well as South Gloucestershire, aged 17 and above.