ScreenSkills Select, the course endorsement scheme run by ScreenSkills, has changed the date and format of its Congress this year. This is due to the industrial action taking place across many sectors on 1 February, and through the month. It is once again the flagship opportunity for educators to hear the latest intelligence and insight from screen industry experts.
The new date will be 8 February 2023, and the Congress will now be online with filmed recordings of all of the sessions. Plans are also being made for a live Q&A with a range of the speakers.
The event will retain a programme of acclaimed industry-leading speakers with keynote speaker the award-winning creative producer of the BBC’s The Responder, Barrington Paul Robinson. The event will focus on the specific skills and behaviours needed by industry and students to support a smooth transition from education into long-lasting screen careers.
The theme for this year’s Congress, which brings educators and screen industry experts together, is Empowering UK screen’s next generation: what students and industry really need.
University, college or vocational educators teaching on courses in film, TV, games, animation and VFX will find out more how to support their students in developing the professional skills, experiences and behaviours that are most sought after by industry employers, and which are sometimes seen by the industry as missing in graduates. The key therefore is ensuring graduates from colleges and universities have the technical AND professional skills the industry now needs
Sessions will include:
- Case Study - Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Embedding technology and innovation
- Professional skills for students
- Improving inclusion, representation and access
- Broadening students' thinking and opportunities
In addition to the keynote speaker and host, other speakers booked so far include:
- Sian Price, Creative Director, Yeti TV (Sian has been the showrunner on a range of series’ including Coast and Time Team)
- He Sun, VFX Supervisor, Milk Visual Effects (Oscar winning visual effects TV and film agency)
- Natalie Amber, Access and Focus Group Lead, Triple C (Bafta award-winning community interest company promoting the role of disabled people in the arts and media)
- Kish Hirani, Chief Technology Officer, Kiss Publishing and Chair, BAME in Games (BiG)
- Jodi Nelson-Tabor, Business Development & Training Manager, Final Pixel (global creative studio)
- Adam Bourke-Waite, Studio Design Lead, Rebellion North (world-leading games developer with key titles including Sniper Elite and Evil Genius)
- Bianca Gavin, Head of Production for Scripted, Pulse Films (award-winning studio working across scripted, non-fiction, commercials and music videos)
- Ruth Hayman, Chief Operating Officer, Sunset + Vine (national sports production company)
- Aaron Matthews, Head of Sustainable Production, All3Media (world leading independent production and distribution group)
- Stu Richards, Chief Executive and comedy writer/director, Rockerdale Studios (comedy TV production company producing programmes such as BBC3's Jerk, Comedy Central's Bobby & Harriet Get Married, and Channel 4's Mission: Accessible)
- Monika Chowdhary Kuczynski, VFX Production Freelancer (Monika has worked on leading productions including Avenue 5, The Lion King and Solo: A Star Wars Story)
- Chika Anisiobi, Production Finance Manager, Netflix (Chika oversees documentary series, unscripted and comedy productions)
Tim Weiss, Director of Vocational Skills at ScreenSkills, said: “A fundamental part of ScreenSkills Select’s commitment to the UK screen industries is ensuring students are as best prepared as they can be to begin their careers. Educators play a crucial role in supporting this through developing the professional skills, experiences, and behaviours that industry needs from graduates when they enter their first roles.
“The Congress’ programme reflects the broad and diverse range of voices from across the industries and will support educators with both practical insights and information, alongside the opportunity to explore the latest industry intelligence. This supports educators with their own professional development and provides an opportunity for them to network with fellow practitioners and industry colleagues.
“Due to the industrial action taking place on the original date, we felt that it was vital educators still have the opportunity to hear the latest intelligence and insight from experts across the screen industry. So whilst we have changed the format and date, educators will still be able to enjoy the great content our speakers will bring.”
Find out more
Book your place at this year's Congress