THE BRITISH Film Institute (BFI) has awarded £600,000 to a Berkshire ‘Skills Cluster’ to help train emerging film and TV production crew and make the industry more accessible.
Shinfield Studios, the University of Reading and Slough-based Resource Productions CIC make up the collective, which led to their successful bid for funding.
The backing will cover the next three years and is part of a wider industry initiative to support skills training and development across the UK as film and TV production faces an acute skills shortage.
The scheme aims to create new opportunities for those making their first forays into the workforce, such as talent from underrepresented backgrounds, individuals upskilling and over 50s jobseekers returning to work.
Dominique Unsworth MBE, CEO of Resource Productions CIC said: “After more than two decades organically diversifying the talent supply chain from our not-for-profit in Slough, we are really excited to bring this skills investment into Berkshire.
“It will enable us to drive forward the great work of our partners across education, training, industry and government.
“We’ve all been talking about screen sector skills gaps for so long, now we actually have some resource to enable real action.”
Berkshire has recently come to the fore of the industry, thanks to developments such as Shinfield Studios. The state-of-the-art facility is set to become the fourth largest of its kind in the UK.
With part of the site already open, it has begun to attract some of the world’s most famous on-screen productions.
Resource Productions will lead the Berkshire cluster, with all groups working closely together to help identify skills shortages and coordinate training opportunities for production crew in the local area.
The aim is to build a larger local skills base and help people find viable routes into the screen industry, while also providing effective career development support.
The cluster is part of a wider investment programme by the BFI, which will see a total of £9.6 million in National Lottery funding over three years, although it is unique in that it is focused around a single county.
BAFTA and Oscar award winner Gareth Ellis-Unwin is CEO of Bedlam Film Productions, which is supporting the Berkshire Skills Cluster. He said: “The screen industries are booming in the UK, but to stay fresh and continue to thrive we must nurture new talent and open up the industry.
“As the local infrastructure such as the new studios come on stream, the “people part” is the next critical step. Skilled film crew are the beating heart of the screen industries, and one reason why the UK is a destination of choice for the US studios and streamers.
“We have an opportunity to compete on both a national and international level here in Berkshire.
“Living locally, I know that Berkshire is already blessed with some incredible resources as a centre for film and TV production, but we need to make best use of our most important asset – our local workforce – whoever and wherever they are.
“I believe this new skills cluster will be a big boost to that goal.”
Skills Clusters investments aim to strike a balance between building on existing production infrastructure to provide new development opportunities in established areas of filmmaking and TV production activity, and also helping to grow local crew bases in emerging areas.
Dr Shweta Ghosh is a lecturer in screen practices and industries at the University of Reading. Her work involves researching on-screen representation and access to film production.
She said: “Diversity in the film industry is crucial for promoting new perspectives from underrepresented groups. It’s not just about social justice, it’s also about expanding the creative boundaries of filmmaking.
“We can create a more authentic representation of the world on-screen and develop inclusive and accessible filmmaking practices by making film production more diverse.”
Nick Smith, joint managing director at Shinfield Studios, added: “When we were looking for a location to build Shinfield Studios we knew that Berkshire had so much to offer. Not least its proximity to London, but the area also has a strong local infrastructure to help meet the needs of producers. This includes access to local production talent.
“The goal is to build on this to help address the wider skills shortage in film production and offer a pathway for local people to a career in this industry.
“With Shinfield Studios less than 12 months away from being fully operational, there will be even more opportunity for employment in this rewarding sector.”
