The screen industries weren’t the first to appeal to Sekayi Mauluka but an inspiring TV show and an unexpected opportunity quickly sparked something I her. “Originally I wanted to work in print journalism,” she said. “This changed in my final year at university where I ended up self-producing a documentary for my final project. This was inspired by watching It’s a Sin in which I went on a journey to find out about HIV 40 years on. The hands-on process of shooting, finding contributors, and editing was difficult especially because I did not think I was technically savvy but as I continued on with it I started to love the visual storytelling process! From there I started to look at ways I could get into working on documentaries.”
That was enough for Sekayi to delve further into the world of unscripted television and seek out a career as a researcher in the sector, a role that can vary wildly in its day-today duties, as she explains: “my roles have included casting, scouting locations for shoots, conducting research chats, creating materials to be used on social media, creating content for social media, fact-checking information for broadcast, creating briefs for presenters, and actively participating in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for new tv shows.”
This rage of tasks, relying on the ability to move quickly around locations, soon found Sekayi realising that her opportunities could be widened if she were able to drive. “I had never considered driving as being important in this industry I live in a city where public transport is readily available so it was not really on my burning list of things I had to learn,” she explained. “However, I realised its importance when missed opportunities arose due to my inability to drive. Being able to drive can be a very helpful asset especially when working on location which I enjoy! You're able to move equipment around more and be more flexible with travelling around in remote places.”
This is when she turned to ScreenSkills and apply for a bursary to help cover the costs of driving lessons. ScreenSkills bursaries are supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funds and are cash grants that remove the financial obstacles to progressing in a career across the screen industries. They can be used to cover a wide range of costs, from training courses and equipment to childcare and travel.
Importantly for Sekayi, they also cover driving lessons. She said: “This was recommended to me by someone I was working with who had told me about her positive experience with applying for one. Also by a talent manager who had told me about the bursary so after the two recommendations I felt I could go on to do it myself. The application process was straight forward and a manageable and accessible process.”
Since her successful application, she has even passed on the recommendation to others. “It’s a great way to get some funding to pay for a skill you really want to hone in. The support makes education more possible and opens up opportunities for people who might face financial challenges. It's a great way to invest in yourself, learn more, and have a better chance in the industry.”
While the lessons are ongoing, she can already envision a way that this new skill can benefit her career: “I am hoping the impact it'll have is being able to work more on location and open up job opportunities. It will allow me to seize more opportunities and enable me to apply for more jobs that require driving, contributing significantly to my professional growth and accessibility to diverse opportunities.”
This help offered by a bursary could help ithers in the industry too Sekayi believes. “Bursaries are crucial for making sure everyone can have opportunities.” She explained. “They help people from different backgrounds afford education and training, making the industry more diverse and inclusive. Bursaries support those with financial challenges, creating a more varied group of talented people. This mix of people brings new ideas, boosts creativity, and encourages anyone to get extra support they need.”
After all, she explains, it's this approach – one that helps or can teach others – that appealed to Sekayi to in the first place: “What drew me to unscripted was that I loved documentaries and storytelling through factual programming I knew that was the type of content I wanted to make as it has the ability to teach, inform and also inspire!”
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