Applications have opened for a new screen industry training programme offering 48 fully funded places and six paid placements with Lime Pictures.
The Action! Next Take programme has been launched by Liverpool City Council’s Film Office in partnership with Lime Pictures’ L16 Studios Media Academy and Channel 4’s 4Skills.
It will offer training across three areas of television production – post-production, art department and production accountancy – with participants working alongside teams at Liverpool-based Lime Pictures, producer of Channel 4 continuing drama Hollyoaks.
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Six three-day courses will be held across the three disciplines, with 48 places available in total. They are open to people aged 18 and over living in the Liverpool City Region.
One participant from each course will then be selected by tutors for a paid 12-week contract in the relevant department. The six placements, jointly funded by Liverpool Film Office, 4Skills and Lime Pictures, are expected to begin in early 2027.
The programme is also encouraging applications from deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people, with funding available to support access requirements.
It follows the Film Office’s recent launch of Foot in the Door Liverpool with the Andy Taylor Foundation, which will give 12 young people paid training and work placements in film, TV and digital media.
Cllr Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, said: “This partnership with Lime Pictures and Channel 4 shows the strength of Liverpool’s screen sector and the value of our long-standing relationships with major broadcasters and producers.
“Liverpool is a cultural hub with a national and international reputation in film and television, and this programme reinforces our leadership in the sector.
“By focusing on high-quality training and paid placements, it will create real pathways into the industry and support the next generation of creative talent in the city.”
Kevin Blacoe, Channel 4’s Head of Partnerships and Skills, said: “This training programme is a fantastic opportunity for people with a passion for television to take their first step into the industry and gain real, hands-on experience on one of the UK’s most successful and enduring dramas.
“There is no substitute for learning alongside experienced professionals in a fast-paced production environment, and this programme will give participants the chance to build practical skills, confidence and industry connections while contributing to a series watched and loved by audiences across the country.
“4Skills is committed to opening up broadcasting to people from all backgrounds and ensuring talent can thrive wherever they live in the UK. This partnership perfectly reflects that ambition, creating meaningful opportunities for people to learn, develop and access genuine routes into careers in television. We’re proud to be working with Liverpool Film Office, Lime Pictures and L16 Studios to help nurture the next generation of creative talent and strengthen the future of the UK’s screen industries.”
David Williams, Director of L16 Studios, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be delivering courses that will offer real-world insight and experience into working in areas of television production.
“The teams across L16 Studios and Lime Pictures work across a huge range of programming and have a vast amount of knowledge in their respective fields. L16 Studios’ Media Academy has been established to impart as much of this knowledge as we can, to the next generation of media professionals.”
Action! Next Take is funded by Screen Alliance North with support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, with additional support from the LFC Foundation.
Liverpool Film Office said more than 1,600 productions have filmed in the city region since 2019, generating £150m of economic impact and supporting 5,408 full-time equivalent jobs.
Recent productions filmed in the region include House of Guinness, Time, The Responder and This City Is Ours.
Applications for Action! Next Take opened today (August 20), with full details and application forms available through L16 Studios’ Media Academy.
