The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has held the first meeting of its new Youth Board designed to inform policy around the needs of today’s career-starters in the Film, Television and Games industries. The 18-strong Youth Board took part in a discussion around BAFTA’s Learning & Events programme, communications and Awards ceremonies and their relevance for young people in today’s competitive jobs market. The brainchild of BAFTA’s Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Price, the Youth Board will meet three times a year and members will serve a two-year term, feeding their thoughts and suggestions into BAFTA’s Board of Trustees and its Committees.
“We’re very aware that to become a BAFTA member, you have to be well established in your career and that means we have very few young members of the Academy,” says Price. “In order to get real insight into the minds of young people wishing to pursue a career in the creative industries, we need to connect directly with representatives from that group and respond to what they have to say.”
The Youth Board’s members were selected from an open submission process, which was promoted through BAFTA partners including Livity, MediaTrust, Channel 4 and IdeasTap. BAFTA received nearly 300 applications and selected the members based on their commitment to working in film, television and games, their understanding of BAFTA’s role and its potential to support career starters and their ability to bring a fresh perspective to BAFTA and reflect the diversity of the industries it represents.
BAFTA’s Head of Learning and Events, Tim Hunter, says: “It’s the perfect time to be listening to the views of today’s career starters as we continue to develop both our learning initiatives and our BAFTA Guru website (www.bafta.org/guru) to meet their needs. We were overwhelmed by the standard of the submissions, which made the selection process very tough, but it is immensely encouraging for the future of the industries we represent. We’re confident that in our first Youth Board we have a highly talented and engaged group of young people who will shape our strategy for supporting future generations of film, TV and games talent.”
BAFTA’s Youth Board will meet again in April this year, when it will be debating how BAFTA’s Awards ceremonies can increase their appeal among a young audience.
! Members of BAFTA’s new Youth Board are:
Jonathan Ash – _Freelance Producer_
Sam Clements – _Digital Marketing Assistant_
“I’ve worked within film exhibition for a few years now, and whilst BAFTA has always been there in the background as a charity I admire, I never dreamed I’d have a chance to be involved in some way,” says Sam. “I applied to the Youth Board with the aim of helping to make BAFTA not only more relevant to young people who are at the start of their careers within the creative industries, but to champion the great schemes and education programmes the charity runs all year around – which I personally never realised (or utilised) when I was studying film at college and university.”
Faye Ellis – _Digital Learning Programmes Manager_
Neil Emmett – _Animator_
James Goldburn – _Politics & Economics Student, Camera Operator/Editor_
Rebecca Graffy – _Student_
Jacob Harbord – _Masters Student (Visual Anthropology with Ethnographic Film)_
Anna Houghton – _English & Creative Writing Student_
“It was great to feel part of something new and exciting and I have high hopes, as do all the staff and board members, for what the Youth Board can do,” says Anna. “I’m excited to see the ideas it can bring to BAFTA Guru (www.bafta.org/guru), which is a fantastic concept, and am excited to see what a year in BAFTA world has in store.”
Daniel Kaluuya – _Actor/Writer_
Calum King – _Editorial Assistant_
“I love BAFTA, so when I saw the opportunity to apply for the Youth Board and play a part in influencing the charity’s role with young people, I jumped at it,” says Calum. “The other board members had come from all over the country…and are at all sorts of different stages in their careers… I was relieved to discover just how down to earth everyone was, and that I wouldn’t be thrown out of the building for not wearing a suit.”
Rajiv Nathwani – _Assistant Producer, Multiplatform Drama_
Kirsty Nelson – _Local Radio Presenter/Producer_
Luke Powney – _Marketing Intern_
Lewie Procter – _Managing Director of SavyGamer.co.uk, Games Journalist_
Adrian Scanlon – _Freelance Videographer_
Claire Stratton – _Junior Development Researcher_
Sandra Townsend – _Writer_
Tom Webb – _Journalism, Film & Media Student_
For further information, please contact:
Olivia Jarvis
Emfoundation, The Truman Brewery, 91-95 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QN
Phone: 020 7247 4171 / Fax: 020 7247 4170
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.emfoundation.com
About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round Learning & Events programme that offers unique access to some of the world’s most inspiring talent through workshops, masterclasses, lectures and mentoring schemes, connecting with audiences of all ages and backgrounds across the UK, Los Angeles and New York. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. For further information, visit www.bafta.org or www.bafta.org/guru.