Screen Alliance North has secured a further £2.3m in BFI National Lottery funding, extending its mission to tackle skills shortages and improve access to careers in the screen industry across the North of England for another three years.
The alliance – made up of Liverpool Film Office, North East Screen, Screen Manchester and Screen Yorkshire – forms the BFI Skills Cluster North of England and was originally launched in 2023.
The funding forms part of a wider £11.85m investment announced by the British Film Institute to continue supporting the UK’s screen production workforce through its BFI Skills Clusters programme.
The funding comes at a challenging time for the wider screen sector, with recent industry concerns around freelance instability, shrinking production budgets and barriers to entry highlighted during Prolific North’s recent Focus Week on the future of the Northern screen industries. The series explored the pressures facing freelancers, the need for more sustainable career pathways and the importance of developing regional talent pipelines as the North continues to attract major productions.
According to the alliance, its programmes supported 4,056 participants and 6,112 students across the North in the latest year alone, with more than 30,000 people reached over the past three years.
Since launching in April 2023, the partnership has delivered placements, mentoring, training and apprenticeships designed to address skills gaps and widen access to opportunities across the region’s screen sector.
Caroline Cooper Charles, chief executive of Screen Yorkshire and lead partner for the alliance, said: “Coming together as an Alliance three years ago has really shaped the screen industry across the North. Not only has it allowed us to share knowledge, data and networks, it has strengthened our power to lobby, affect change and improve working practices.
“Our Connected Campus programme now works with over 30 educational institutions across the North helping to bridge the gap between education and industry. Our Connected Skills programmes are opening doors to careers across the production workforce. Shadowing and trainee placements are leading to jobs and continuing professional development for our established crews is ensuring a more inclusive and responsible workplace culture.
“We are proud of the work that has been achieved so far and the impact it is making on the Northern workforce. We are pleased to have been awarded a further 3 years of funding to continue the momentum of the partnership and collaboration with wider industry.”
Recent initiatives from the alliance have included the launch of Into the Lead, a development programme for senior leaders within independent production companies, alongside job-sharing online sessions and industry partnerships with productions including The Dumping Ground, Smoggie Queens, Waterloo Road and This City is Ours.
The organisation has also facilitated trainee placements on productions including House of Guinness, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, A Gentleman in Moscow and Finding Emily.
Other programmes delivered during the past year include Screen Crafts and Digital Skills bootcamps, the Action! training scheme and the expansion of the Connected Campus initiative across Manchester, Liverpool and the North East.
Penny Hall, partnership lead at Screen Alliance North, said: “In Year 3 we have deepened our work on skills development, workforce inclusion and mental health support, responding directly to industry needs and regional opportunities. By aligning training provision, sharing best practice and championing equitable access to careers, we have strengthened pathways into the industry and improved support for the existing workforce.
“The progress made over the past three years shows what can be achieved when northern screen agencies work together strategically. Through building trusted relationships across the sector and establishing effective ways to coordinate our efforts, we have laid strong foundations for long-term regional collaboration.”
Over the next three years, the alliance said it will focus on building a “more sustainable and resilient workforce”, with an emphasis on supporting talent from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, expanding mid-level placements, investing in data and insight, and extending its reach across the North.
