Fundraising support and BAFTA hardship fund will go towards the Covid-19 emergency response
The British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) has today announced its support for The Film and TV Charity’s Covid-19 emergency response. BAFTA will use its networks and resources to work with The Film and TV Charity to tackle the impact of Covid-19 on the industry workforce.
BAFTA will support The Film and TV Charity by reaching out to its networks and encouraging donations to the charity’s Covid-19 emergency response, enabling the charity to create further funding rounds. BAFTA will also open-up its existing hardship funds to further bolster the financial support available.
BAFTA's programme of online events and networking will reflect The Film and TV Charity's priority areas, including mental health, financial wellbeing and staying connected and creative, sharing research and resources with BAFTA's audiences.
The Film and TV Charity supports people behind the scenes in the UK’s film, TV and cinema industry, with a range of financial and wellbeing support services. The charity’s Covid-19 response is providing vital support for freelancers and employees in the film and TV industry suffering the economic impacts of the coronavirus who are not eligible for government support.
The Emergency Relief Fund, which closed on 22 April, saw a huge demand for support, far outweighing that currently available in the fund. Developed in partnership with the BFI, the fund has so far raised £3m, however the total aid required to address this need totals £5m.
BAFTA continues to support the industry to stay connected and creatively engaged during this period, helping to maintain professional networks and employability skills. BAFTA will continue to host industry events online which incorporate virtual networking in order to keep vital connections alive and allow new ones to be created.
Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive at BAFTA, said: “We are proud to be working alongside The Film and TV Charity, who have already achieved so much, to provide vital support for our industry. With so many of our talented workforce now unemployed and without income for the foreseeable future, it is so important that we come together to help those in need, with financial as well as mental health support.”
Alex Pumfrey, CEO at The Film and TV Charity, said: “BAFTA’s enthusiastic support of our Covid-19 Emergency response is incredibly valuable to us and will help us to raise awareness of the impact that this crisis is having on the talented people behind the scenes, who have been so vital to our industry’s success story. It’s crucial that we do more to support the financial and emotional wellbeing of our workforce during and beyond this crisis.”
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Notes to editors:
The Emergency Relief Fund forms part of the The Film & TV Charity’s overall emergency response, supporting those in the film and television industries who have seen a significant financial impact due to Covid-19.
The four pillars of the emergency response are financial wellbeing, mental health, community and connections, and purpose and productivity.
The emergency response will support the 93% of freelancers in the industry are no longer working, alongside other employees suffering the economic impacts of the coronavirus. Nearly three-quarters of freelancers in the film and TV industry do not expect to receive government funding.
Applications for the fund opened on 8 April and closed on 22 April. So far The Film & TV Charity has received nearly 1,000 contacts for support, with over 500 applications for short-term financial assistance. This is as many applications as the charity received in 11 months from April 2019 to February 2020. Individuals will be able to apply for amounts from £500 - £2,500.
Substantial donations have been made from Netflix, BBC Studios, BBC Content, the BFI, WarnerMedia and a number of generous individuals, with the fund so far having raised £3.3m.
To find out more about the support available visit www.filmtvcharity.org.uk/covid-19-help-advice
For more information, please contact:
BAFTA Press Office
Sophie Dudhill
E: [email protected] / [email protected]
About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.
BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 216726)
About The Film and TV Charity
The Film and TV Charity works behind the scenes of the film, television and cinema industry in the UK. From research to writing, through casting and production, to editing, sales, distribution and exhibition, the charity supports the lives of everyone involved.
In February 2020 The Film and TV Charity released the results of ground-breaking research into the mental health and wellbeing of people working in the UK’s film and TV industry, which found that nine in 10 workers have experienced a mental health problem. The charity is now convening the Film and TV Taskforce on Mental Health to co-fund and co-create an urgent two-year action plan, the Whole Picture Programme, as part of a 10+ year evidence-based plan.
The charity’s free, confidential, independent Film and TV Support Line provides 24/7 support for everyone working in the industry on issues such as debt, depression and harassment. People can access the service via phone 0800 054 00 00, online chat at www.filmtvcharity.org.uk or by emailing [email protected]
The Film and TV Charity was founded as the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund in 1924 and later became The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. Alex Pumfrey was appointed
CEO in October 2017 and the organisation and embarked on a bold new mission to extend its reach and impact as The Film and TV Charity.
HM Queen Elizabeth II has been Patron of the charity since 1952.
Registered charity no. 1099660.
Guidance on writing about mental health
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