The BBC and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) have formed a partnership to offer 16 to 19 year olds the opportunity to win a new TV Craft bursary.
- BBC Blast and BAFTA offer new scheme to give young people the chance to break into TV production
- BBC Blast and BAFTA join forces to offer £3000 bursary and new award
- New TV Craft bursary announced for 16 to 19 year olds from BBC and BAFTA
12th August 2009, London: The BBC and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) have formed a partnership to offer 16 to 19 year olds the opportunity to win a new TV Craft bursary. The new Screen-Skills initiative will award eight bursaries in total, each with a budget of £3000 and give the recipients the opportunity to work with the BBC or an external production company over a six month period to produce a new piece of work.
Content created by the winners will be screened on BBC 2, at the 2010 Future Film Festival at the BFI and at a special event held at BAFTA in November 2010 to showcase their work to filmmakers, TV production executives and industry professionals. Four out of the eight bursary recipients will be nominated for a ‘Screen-Skills Award’ and the winner will be announced at the British Academy Television Craft Awards in May 2010.
Developed to give talented young people the opportunity to showcase their skills and gain valuable training, the new bursary covers multiple aspects of television production and is looking for applicants in four separate categories; Editor, Scriptwriter, Composer and Director of Photography.
James King, BBC Radio 1 Film Critic and TV presenter said:
“Working within the media industry, it’s often hard to get that first break to show off your work and meet the right people who can help you in your career. I’ve been working with BBC Blast for the past year and this new bursary is an amazing opportunity for young people to get that all important first foot in the door”
Liz Cleaver, Controller of BBC Learning said:
“TV production can be very competitive and gaining credible experience and exposure can make all the difference. BBC Blast provides the platform for young people to showcase their talent and receive the necessary training and skills needed to succeed. BBC Learning is in a unique position to be able to offer initiatives such as Blast and we’re really looking forward to working with the new talent this bursary finds”
John Willis, Chair of BAFTA’s Television Committee, said:
“It’s vitally important that we support the future of British television and we’re pleased to be partnering with BBC Blast to offer this new scheme. ‘Screen-Skills’ will not only showcase new talent, but also offer them the chance to be mentored by an expert in their field, in the form of a previous BAFTA Television Craft Award winner.”
To enter, applicants must be aged between 16 – 19 and upload an original video, no longer than 5 minutes to the BBC Blast website by 5pm September 30th 2009. All original content uploaded will also be screened on BBC 2.
The new TV Craft bursary is the latest scheme offered by BBC Blast this year; other projects include ‘Your Label’ that gives ten young people the opportunity to launch their own fashion line at London Fashion Week, and U Takeover which is giving 22 young people the chance to run BBC Radio 1Xtra for a day.
Further information about BBC Blast and the new Blast BAFTA TV Craft bursary can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/blast.
Notes To Editor
Please contact the following for any further enquires
Dan Maynard
Tel: 020 8008 5294
Mobile: 07912 583654
Email: [email protected]
BBC Blast
BBC Blast is the BBC's creative learning initiative for young people interested in a career in film, fashion, music, dance, writing, art or design. It provides access to industry professionals and mentors, both online and in free events and workshops across the UK, and also offers over 400 media industry work placement opportunities each year.
This year sees a revamp of the BBC Blast on-line services, with fantastic new video resources that inspire, teach and help develop young people’s creative skills. Films on-line feature expert interviews from rappers, designers, TV presenters, all designed to help build users creative confidence.
For more information, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/blast
The BBC is committed to education and BBC Blast is just one of the many unique and varied offerings from BBC Learning. For more information on all other learning programmes offered for Adults, Teachers, Parents and Students, visit www.bbc.co.uk/learning.
BAFTA
BAFTA is the leading independent charity which exists to support, develop and promote the art forms of the moving image, by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public.
Screen-Skills has been developed as part of BAFTA’s Learning and Events programme, which aims to reach diverse public audiences through nationwide events and activities which recognise and celebrate achievement and share knowledge. For a full programme of BAFTA events that are open to the public, please visit www.bafta.org.
For more information about the British Academy Television Craft Awards, visit www.bafta.org/awards/television-craft.
