Today, BAFTA announces the 2022 UK and US cohorts of its flagship Scholarship Programme and the Prince William BAFTA Bursary Fund, offering over £240,000 in funding to almost 60 talented individuals. Made possible by the generous support of BAFTA’s network of donors and partners, both initiatives are central to the arts charity’s mission to nurture and support the future voices of the films, games and TV industry from all backgrounds to achieve their potential.

The initiatives offer financial assistance to people starting their careers in the in film, games and television industries. Applications will reopen in early 2023.

Spanning education, to grants for specialist equipment, to support with living costs whilst on location, BAFTA’s scholarships and bursaries offer support that might otherwise lock aspiring creatives out of a creative career or act as a progression barrier. The initiatives are complemented by BAFTA online events and resources, as well as one-to-one mentoring from BAFTA award winners, nominees and members.

Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, said: “Our bursary and scholarship programmes are a brilliant example of how BAFTA is uniquely placed to harness industry, BAFTA members and our valued network of partners to support and nurture creative talent across the film, games and TV sectors.  These initiatives will support 59 talented people with financial assistance for their studies, provide mentorship and project funding. We are so grateful to our generous donors for providing these financial pathways to young people, for whom access to learning and opportunity might otherwise be denied.”

The full list of scholarship recipients and recipient quotes can be found here (for UK) and here (for US). The UK cohorts for 2022 include:

  • Bunmi Osadolor, from Collier Row, awarded the BAFTA Rosemarie Nathanson Scholarship to support a BA in Acting at East 15 Acting School.
  • Iain Henderson, from Warwickshire, awarded the BAFTA Reuben Scholarship in support of an MSc in Music and Sound for Film and Games at the University of Hertfordshire.
  • Jess Morris, from Pontypridd, South Wales, awarded a BAFTA Tinopolis Scholarship to support an MA in Post Production for Film and TV at Solent University, Southampton.
  • Ndrika Anyika, awarded the BAFTA Prince William Scholarship to support an MA in Cinematography at the National Film and Television School.
  • Sarah Louise Madden, from Rhondda Cynon Taff, awarded the Prince William Scholarship to support an MA in Screenwriting at the National Film and Television School.
  • Jaime Williams, awarded the BAFTA Prince William Scholarship to support a BA in Games Design and Production.
  • Nada Bedair, awarded the BBC America Diversity Scholarship to support an MFA in Graduate Film at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
  •  East Elliott, awarded the Pigott/BAFTA Scholarship to support a degree in Technology and Applied Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
  • Humaira Iqbal, awarded the Pigott/BAFTA Scholarship to support an MFA in the Rita & Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing at New York University.
  • Miriam Velazquez, awarded The John F. Grist Documentary Scholarship to support an MFA in Cinema Arts at Brooklyn College
  • Samuel Quiñones, awarded The DLT Entertainment Scholarship to support an MFA in Film Post-Production at Brooklyn College.

BAFTA’s Scholarship Programme offers financial assistance towards undergraduate and postgraduate course fees, as well as contributions towards living expenses. 11 places have been awarded to US recipients to study at institutions across the country, from New York to California, whilst 14 UK scholarships have been offered to aspiring students from Pontypridd to Wigan.

The Prince William BAFTA Bursaries offer smaller flexible grants to help those in entry-level positions access job opportunities. Following the success of the bursary scheme pilot in 2021, which was generously supported by multi-award-winning director Paul Greengrass, the funding for this year has significantly increased. This has enabled BAFTA to almost double the help it offers new entrants to the industry. From sound engineers to special FX designers, up to £2,000 each has been made available to 34 recipients towards costs including training courses, equipment and software, relocation assistance, and contributions towards living expenses whilst working or doing work experience.

The UK initiatives are generously supported by the Reuben Foundation which continues to support three BAFTA Reuben Scholars in film, games and television. Tinopolis, owners of production companies including Sunset+ Vine, Firecracker and Mentorn, are supporting a Welsh BAFTA Tinopolis Scholar for a fourth year and the Rosemarie Nathanson Charitable Trust is supporting its first Scholar in 2022. For the tenth year Warner Bros. Discovery is supporting two Prince William Scholars in film and television. BAFTA’s President HRH The Prince of Wales, Prince William, has showed his ongoing support by giving his name to three scholarships, and visiting BAFTA earlier this year to meet Prince William Scholars and career development bursary recipients.  

The Prince William BAFTA Bursary Fund is generously supported by a large group of philanthropists and the Thompson Family Charitable Trust. The US Scholarship Programme is administered as part of BAFTA North America’s charitable activity. BAFTA North America scholarships are supported by a network of patrons and organisations including BBC America, philanthropist Mark Pigott KBE, The Jeff Hunter Charitable Trust, DLT Entertainment, King Features Animation, The Taffner Family Charitable Trust, and Caroline Grist and Charles Tremayne.

BAFTA’s scholarship and bursaries programmes forms part of the arts charity’s year-round learning and new talent activity to support the creatives of tomorrow. BAFTA develops and elevates thousands of people each year to build their careers in film, games and television, through its long-standing and celebrated programmes including BAFTA Breakthrough, Young Games Designers and the GSA BAFTA Student Awards, among others. From children and students to rising stars and new practitioners, levelling the playing field for all is at the heart of BAFTA’s mission.

ENDS