Skills Accelerator at the Black Country Living Museum
23 July 2026
Join us on Wednesday 29 July at the Black Country Living Museum, from 6pm - 9pm, for a Create Central Roadshow as we launch Phase 2 of the Create Central Skills Accelerator Programme 2026–2029.
You’ll hear from Create Central, Mission Accomplished, local industry professionals and alumni from previous Skills Accelerator programmes. Come along and find out about our upcoming training programmes and career development opportunities. Take part in informal roundtable conversations with our speakers and make new connections.
You’ll hear from…
Bhulla Beghal
A UK-based director and writer working across commercials, documentaries and narrative film. His work centres on people, often tackling complex or sensitive subjects.
Through his production company, BlueBell Films, Bhulla directs films for charities, public sector bodies, education and community organisations, including Alzheimer’s Society, NHS, NSPCC and several UK universities. In 2026, he is the recipient of both the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund for his short documentary Factory Dad and the BFI Early Development Fund for his debut feature film, Small Town Tango. Both projects sit under his authored label, Factory Cat.
He serves on the board of community arts charity Multistory and dementia support organisation DOSTIA CIC, and is a governor at Longwill Primary School for Deaf Children. He is a three-time Royal Television Society award winner, recognised for social impact, and a member of BAFTA Connect and Create Central.
Nikki Clayton
Nikki Clayton is a Birmingham-based hairdresser, barber and vintage hairstyling specialist with more than two decades of experience. Having developed her skills in the UK and abroad, she built an established career spanning salons, barbering, bridal styling and her own retro-inspired hair parlour.
Her longstanding fascination with social history and period style also led her to create authentic vintage looks for museums, heritage events and private clients. Keen to bring this expertise to the screen, Nikki joined the Kudos Knight Peaky Blinders Career Changers Bootcamp. The specialist training helped her understand how her existing creative and technical skills could transfer into a film and television environment, giving her the practical knowledge, confidence and industry insight needed to take the next step.
Since completing the bootcamp, Nikki has worked in hair and makeup on productions including Peaky Blinders and Father Brown, while continuing her established work with clients.
Theresa Duffy
Theresa grew up in Coventry in a family of first and second-generation immigrants who placed a strong emphasis on education. Although she’d always imagined a more creative career, she studied International Politics and Policy with Spanish at the University of Liverpool, driven by a fascination with culture, people and their stories.
While at university, she worked as a TV extra to earn some extra money, but never believed a career in television was realistic without connections or living in London. After graduating, Theresa worked in politics before moving into corporate administration, where she realised she wanted a different path.
Seeing an advert for TV & Film Fusion: MasterChef Edition, she thought, “What have I got to lose?” The programme became a turning point in her career, leading to her current role as a Junior Casting Researcher on MasterChef, where she helps discover contributors from across the UK for one of Britain’s best-loved TV programmes.
Tim Weiss
Tim Weiss is Director of Vocational Skills and eLearning at ScreenSkills. He is responsible for work developing accreditation and certification schemes such as the ScreenSkills Training Passport, building eLearning modules, as well as developing new apprenticeship standards and qualifications to help give the best preparation to those looking to enter the screen industries.
Tim has worked for over 25 years in education and qualifications, previously as the director at the Education and Training Foundation heading up accreditation and professional membership for FE teachers. Prior to this, he worked at Pearson on BTEC qualifications, educational textbooks and online learning. Based in Oxfordshire.
Graham Webb
Graham has over 30 years of multi-sector senior experience and a track record of successful delivery of complex programmes of work. Most recently, he led a major UK set construction company, delivering sets for film, TV, theatre, music and live events.
Graham recently led on the launch of a regional film production services office, Production Central WM, with the West Midlands Growth Company; established to bring more screen production to the West Midlands. Currently Executive Lead for Create Central, creative industries cluster lead body for the West Midlands Combined Authority in support of the agenda of the Mayor of the West Midlands' Growth Plan.
Create Central Skills Accelerator is delivered with the support of the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, and match-funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority.
