Create Central chosen for BFI Skills Cluster
19 April 2023
BFI awards £9.6m over three years to support screen production workforce development and training across the UK
The BFI has announced £9.6m of National Lottery funding over three years to support skills development and training across the UK.
Six BFI Skills Clusters have been awarded a total of £8.1m over three years and will be led by organisations covering the following areas:
Create Central (West Midlands): £1m
Screen Yorkshire (North of England): £2.3m
Film London (London, Hertfordshire, Surrey, and Buckinghamshire): £2.2m
Screen Scotland (Scotland): £1.1m
Northern Ireland Screen (Northern Ireland): £0.9m
Resource Productions (Berkshire): £0.6m
As the sector faces acute skills shortages, National Lottery funding responds directly to recommendations in the BFI Skills Review and two leading priorities revealed through extensive public and industry consultation: to make the sector more accessible and representative; and build a skilled workforce across the UK.
The funding focusses on establishing localised support for skills development and training, with a clear aim to create new opportunities for people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in the sector. It will complement the work of the industry-led response to the BFI Skills Review, through the recently announced Skills Task Force, as well as industry interventions, including from organisations such as ScreenSkills, which are crucial to addressing the skills shortage.
Harriet Finney, Deputy CEO of the BFI, said, “We seek to effect positive change across the screen sector through our National Lottery funding, but also by evidence-led policy – such as the BFI Skills Review – and working closely with industry and government. Evidence gathered and analysis conducted through the Review concluded that radical change is needed to address current skills shortages and to retain and train those already working in the sector. It identified the need for industry investment, and we welcome the industry’s response in committing to the Skills Task Force. However, we believe BFI National Lottery good cause funding also has a vital role to play, particularly in redressing inequality of access to training, work place opportunities, and career-long support.”
Ed Shedd, Chair of Create Central, said “It's fantastic news that we have been successful in our bid to become one of just six UK skills clusters funded to connect talent to employment in the screen sector.
“Our hugely successful industry-first model, pioneered through Create Central's bootcamps, seeks to fill existing gaps, providing real opportunities to diverse local talent. With this support from the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery, and West Midlands Combined Authority, I'm delighted we'll be able to deliver a range of activities over the next three years which will create a skilled local workforce to meet our growing production needs.”
BFI Skills Clusters will enable lead organisations to work collaboratively with local industry, education and training providers, and support the shared ambitions of UK-wide organisations such as ScreenSkills, to develop clearer pathways to long-term employment in film and TV production. Through the Skills Clusters, locally-based partners will identify skills shortages and gaps and coordinate skills and training opportunities for below-the-line production crew in their area. Skills Clusters aim to build local skills bases by helping people across the UK, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, find viable routes into the screen industry and effective career development support.
Partnership working, and leveraging additional local funding and support, will maximise the impact of National Lottery funding. Organisations already committed to support BFI Skills Clusters include the National Film & Television School, working closely with Film London; the Liverpool Film Office, North East Screen, and Screen Manchester partnering with Screen Yorkshire; and the University of Reading and Shinfield Studios working with Resource Productions. Across the three years, the programme expects to pull over £6m direct match funding into skills and training activity across the UK, including from commercial partnerships and local public funding.
Create Central is delighted to have been chosen as one of six UK BFI Skills Clusters, which will aim to build local skills bases by helping people across the West Midlands, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, find viable routes into the screen industry and effective career development support.
We're currently developing our programme of activities to identify skills shortages and gaps and coordinate skills and training opportunities for below-the-line production crew in our region.
We'll be announcing details in the coming months.