A £250,000 package of entry-level training for people from underrepresented backgrounds to break into TV and film is to be launched in the West of England next month.
All Set West is funded through the BFI National Lottery Places Fund: Skillas and Training and is overseen by Bristol City Council’s Film Services, which consists of The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol UNESCO City of Film and the Bristol Film Office.
The package targets scripted output and will comprise an events and resources hub, two rounds of a free five-week training scheme, placements on productions at the Bottle Yard and on location in the region, and a targeted outreach programme.
Valued at £245,425, All Set West Training will focus on confidence-building, set etiquette and work-readiness, communication skills and teamwork, wellbeing and resilience, as well as digital and financial literacy and how to find work as a freelancer.
It is open to residents of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
All Set West builds on a pilot training scheme delivered at The Bottle Yard last year, with 32 of the 47 trainees who took part going on to secured paid work in film and TV.
Scripted film and TV production at The Bottle Yard and on location in Bristol generated £30M towards the regional economy last year.
Notable productions shot in the region include Disney+’s Rivals [main picture], BBC1’s Wolf Hall: the Mirror and the Light and The Outlaws, and Paramount+ series The Crow Girl.
Bristol City Council head of film Laura Aviles described All Set West as a “bespoke package of inventions that create a pathway into entry-level positions specifically suited to the film and high-end TV drama we regularly host.”
She added: “We are committed to ensuring more local people benefit from employment created by productions filming in the region using freelance crew.
“As well as increasing local awareness about career options behind the camera, the training element crucially prepares participants for the fast-paced, tough reality of this type of work and accompanies them on their first steps, ensuring stronger retention rates.
“Production companies will benefit by being able to engage with a more diverse and inclusive local workforce, that is prepped and ready to progress.”
