50 new bursaries to bridge skills development gap announced by Film London

A £40,000 bursary fund has been announced by Film London in response to the findings from an exhaustive research project to examine independent training provision within the film and television sector in London.
This key research, commissioned by Film London and carried out by the Burns Owens Partnership, examines the independent production training sector in the capital. It highlights the lack of women and black and ethnic minority skilled professionals undertaking high level vocational training within the audiovisual sector in London.
Film London’s Skills Development Bursaries of up to £800 will provide training for up to 50 skilled professionals from black and ethnic minorities in the areas of screenwriting and craft editing and for women in directing. The bursaries will enable professionals who may have experienced barriers to progression within the audiovisual sector to overcome obstacles in their careers by undertaking further training.
Film London’s Skills Development Bursaries, funded by the London Development Agency through Creative London, will fund up to 75% of course fees provided by independent training providers who occupy a unique position between the formal education sector, the community and the industry itself.
The bursaries have been developed following close consultation with Skillset, the sector skills council for the audiovisuals industry. The awards follow Skillset’s Audio Visual Skills Action Plan for London (AVSAP), which highlights many issues particularly widening access and increasing diversity across the audiovisual industry. The bursaries will form part of a wider cross sector skills programme being developed by Creative London.
(GB)