Diverse Talent

Audio Visual Entrepreneurship Development Partnership

Overview

Over the two years 2006 / 2007 the Audio Visual Entrepreneurship Development Partnership (AVE DP) successfully ran 18 projects, involving over 700 people, aimed at developing entrepreneurship and increasing diversity within the TV, Radio, Film and Digital industries.

The projects have centred on innovation, exploring new approaches to supporting individuals from under-represented groups - women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, over 50s and young people from economically disadvantaged areas - in developing the skills, knowledge and experiences they need, whether to get their careers started, re-enter the industry after time out or to develop successful audio visual businesses.

The programme has given talented people from all types of backgrounds the chance to get ahead in the industry, by focusing on their ability rather than relying on their connections.

Who is behind AVE DP?

AVE DP was created by Skillset in partnership with the UK Film Council in 2005. It is funded by Equal - the European Social Fund (ESF) Community initiative that tests and promotes new means of combating discrimination and inequalities in the audio visual industry's workforce.

The initiative is backed by a further 22 organisations, including major broadcasters, trade unions, Regional Screen Agencies, employers and training providers:

BBC
Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU)
Broadcast and Creative Industries Diversity Network (BCIDN)
B3 Media
Channel 4
Cyfle
Film and Television Freelance Training (FT2)
Film London
five
Four Corners Film
Northwest Vision and Media
National Film & Television School (NFTS)
Producers' Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT)
Reid Kerr College
Safe Media
Scottish Screen
Screen East
Screen Yorkshire
South West Screen
University of Bradford
Women in Film & Television
104 Films

AVE DP's work

AVE DP has supported under-represented groups to overcome barriers to employment within the audio visual industry.

Projects under the AVE DP umbrella include:

Compass Point - provided aspiring black and minority ethnic (BME) talent with a programme of skills enhancement and mentoring from established industry figures (National Film & Television School)
Global Stories - gave young people from BME groups the opportunity to create their own short films (Screen Yorkshire)
Move On Up - a speed-meeting initiative for senior industry executives and BME industry professionals (BECTU)
TARDIS - an intense training course on the BBC's network sci-fi's, Doctor Who and Torchwood, with experiences in set decoration, prop making and scenic artistry (Cyfle)
Technical Change - helped women develop their careers in technical roles (Women in Film & Television)
Timeshift - offered job share roles to experienced industry professionals who have caring/childcare responsibilities (Skillset)

Projects were delivered using a combination of mentoring programmes, business skills workshops and supported work placements. For example, Channel 4's Researcher Training Scheme for Disabled People combined regular skills workshops with supported six-month long work placements at independent television production companies.

Success stories so far include over half of the people on the Skillset graduate programme finding permanent work, and starting to establish careers in the film industry.

Further projects include short films made by participants working with Safe Media and 104 Films; radio programmes made by beneficiaries working with Reid Kerr College, and toolkits and plans by individual partners to repeat and extend a number of the schemes.