At ScreenSkills, our Animation, Children’s TV, Film, High-end TV and Unscripted TV Skills Funds all work closely with industry across the UK to deliver training, resources, and opportunities to crew in the nations and regions. We’re taking a closer look at some of the investments made in the nations and the training put in place to help develop the area’s workforce. This month we’re focusing on ScreenSkills support and industry-funded activity in Northern Ireland.
View from Mairead Kelly, Training Liaison Manager Northern Ireland, ScreenSkills
It looks like 2026 will be a busy year for the screen industries in Northern Ireland which is great. Last year was really difficult for a lot of high-end TV freelancers, with fewer series than normal shooting here but I’m delighted to say 2026 will be jam packed with productions. We have some really exciting new series shooting in Northern Ireland as well as much loved productions like Blue Lights and Line of Duty returning. We also have Lisa McGee’s hotly anticipated follow-up to Derry Girls, How to Get to Heaven From Belfast, released on Netflix which is really exciting.
The unscripted sector in Northern Ireland is also recovering well after a really tough few years across the whole of the UK. It’s brilliant to see new returnable series being commissioned from Northern Ireland-based indies, providing fantastic training grounds for freelancers to develop new skills and step up into more senior roles.
A key focus of ScreenSkills is to make sure freelancers are supported in career progression. That could be through our Make a Move programme which helps freelancers step up into new roles in HETV, film, unscripted, animation and children’s TV. We will also be supporting mid-career progression through specific placements like the Unscripted TV Skills Fund-supported step up to producer/director and HETV step up to 1st assistant director placements.
I’m also excited to see our new Trainee Finder cohort securing placements on productions in Northern Ireland across children’s TV, film and HETV. These are alongside our fantastic animation trainees based in Northern Ireland who will continue with their programme-supported placements this year.
Finally, I’m keen to build on existing partnerships and develop new ones this year. ScreenSkills Film and HETV Skills Funds have partnered with Northern Ireland Screen to fund qualifications for Grips in Northern Ireland. I’m looking forward to continuing to partner with organisations in Northern Ireland to deliver bespoke training and programmes to meet Northern Ireland specific skills needs.
High-end TV Skills Fund
A new 1st assistant director training programme offered experienced 2nd or 3rd ADs the chance to step up through an immersive course of online sessions, in-person training and guided one-to-one coaching sessions. At the end of the training, the Fund sourced 17-week placements for candidates on productions across the nation, allowing candidates to put their training into practice.
Assistant Director Sheena Kelly secured a placement on series two of Channel 5 drama Ellis. She said: “This process has given me the opportunity to learn without any pressure of it all being on me. To ask questions along the way and be involved in meetings and conversations which I would not have been involved in before in the prep process. I had the opportunity to run my own splinter/ drone units with support from the 1st and production and to put some learning into practice. The fact that you get supported financially means I don’t have the financial stress of going oh my God I’m going to learn how to do it but how am I going to pay my rent for the next few months? The programme has given me more confidence and knowledge to leave this job and start first-ing at smaller levels and I look forward to the journey in my progression as a 1st AD with ongoing support from the team at ScreenSkills and the colleagues from Ellis.”
Sheena is now part of the fifth Leaders of Tomorrow cohort, a three-year programme tailored to support the career progression of those identified by industry peers as ready to take the next step in their careers.
Standing alongside LOT, Make a Move is another initiative developed by the Fund to aid career progression, offering vital job shadowing and on-the-set learning to candidates across departments.
Through the programme, Jon Bier joined the production of how to get to Heaven from Belfast and was able to get a taste of life at a more senior level. “Make a Move allowed me to step into the hot seat of a high-end TV show. I was brought on as a Shadow Director with the understanding that any 2nd Unit directing would fall to me. It was an invaluable experience and one that has redefined how I approach my work.”
He spoke about the importance of programmes like these and share the impact that they can have “Being able to step up and feel supported is the key here. Sometimes the next big step can feel daunting so undertaking initiatives like Make a Move offer a sort of dress rehearsal in your career trajectory. And it benefits all parties, on the one hand the individual gains confidence moving towards their desired role and the production is supported as it facilitates the move.”
Belfast local Chris Woodcock was also supported by the Fund. He received a mid-career bursary to help his career as a production sound mixer. He explained how the cash grant helped him purchase equipment and how it will further help his career: “2025 Was a difficult year as I didn't manage to get much work and the monitor on my cart started to develop a fault. I saw an advert for the bursary and thought it might help me replace and upgrade my monitor system. I was able to buy a new system that allows me to show 4 separate camera feeds which is something I have require a few times on other jobs.
“The Bursary allowed me to replace a vital piece of equipment and now worry about the financial impact of not having much work in 2025. My next job is a big HETV job with four cameras and the bursary has allowed me to approach the job knowing I have the equipment to allow me to work to the best of my ability.”
Film Skills Fund
Earlier this year, the Film and HETV Skills Funds partnered with Northern Ireland Screen to co-fund new Grip training through the Level 2 Diploma in Professional Competence for Grips.
The support was directly responded to industry feedback and aims to develop more qualified grips working across film and high-end television across the nation.
2026 will see the release of the Welsh production, The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands, a gothic horror starring Alexander Skarsgård. The Quiddity Films production based themselves in the country and contributed to the Film Skills Fund. In addition, they offered placements to aspiring new entrants through the Trainee Finder programme.
Cameron Jenkins was one of those on the programme, receiving a placement as AD trainee during production. He said “Without programmes like Trainee Finder it's incredibly difficult to get that initial foot in the door of this industry. Additionally, I think it's incredibly important for the industry to be constantly evolving and letting the younger generations get the experience they need. It's vital for programmes like trainee finder to exist, in order to open the gate for the next generation of ADs, producers, camera crew, art designers, make-up artists, etc, etc...”
He believes the placement – and the connections made on the production – have helped him secure more work, building a pathway to a new career in the industry. He explained: “I no doubt believe that it gave me a hand in securing a role on a short film, as a 3rd AD in December of 2025, and also in helping the current 3rd AD on Blue Lights, hire me, in confidence that I'll be a good individual for the role. So, comparing my CV to this time last year, I'm going to have six months of set experience under my belt, come June 2026, in comparison to roughly four days of experience, beforehand. Undoubtedly, being apart of ScreenSkills has definitely given me a step-up within the NI film and TV industry. I am confident that my contacts that I made will come in handy, in the months and years down the line.”
The film’s producer, Filiz-Theres Erel, spoke about how the production is supported by its connection, and contribution to, the Film Skills Fund. She said: “Working with ScreenSkills gives productions access to a pool of vetted trainees who have already completed training and are ready to step onto a professional set. In a fast-paced production environment, this allows teams to integrate trainees efficiently while ensuring they gain meaningful, hands-on experience.”
The production also provided career progression through the Make a Move initiative, allowing Zoe Gevers to step up from payroll supervisor to accounts assistant. For producer Filiz-Theres Erel, this initiative is just as important for the production as it is the candidate. “The Make a Move programme is equally valuable, giving productions the incentive to promote highly capable crew into roles they are more than ready for, strengthening skills development and progression across the industry.”
Animation Skills Fund
The animation Make a Move programme enabled Belfast local Adam Loughbridge to secure a position with animation company, Jam Media Northern Ireland. He stepped up to an animation asset lead role through the initiative, developing his skills and building on his experience of working as a CG Generalist and compositor. He said: “When the opportunity presented itself to work on fully CG animated production I was excited to give it a go and challenge myself with a different kind of production than what I was used to.
“Make a Move gave me the opportunity to move into a lead role in my team, giving me the opportunity to grow and develop my skills as a lead asset artist. It’s great as it gives artists opportunities to progress their careers in ways that may otherwise have not been available to them.”
Unscripted TV Skills Fund
In 2025, the Unscripted TV Skills Fund supported a kit care programme in Belfast, run by training provider The Pipeline.
Producer Susie Loane was one of those on the course. She said: “I hadn’t specified on camera before, I’ve always been in production so I wanted to improve my confidence with camera. The course was really helpful and gave me the time to ask lots of questions I never could before. The trainer has been amazing, he’s taught us so many things I didn’t know before. Like building the equipment up. It’s a really safe space to ask questions. You get to see a range of camera equipment as well as lighting and sound. It’s been so beneficial and I feel a lot more confident than I did before.
Fellow attendees agreed. Camera assistant Luciana Gomes said: “The workshop was really useful, helping me understand a new area but also to be more assertive with the things I’m doing so I can bring that confidence to my work. This is why I’m here!” while Daniel Shields, who works in live broadcast said: “I feel more educated around higher end cameras and what’s expected of me on a shoot day. I know now how to set up and I feel confident in my skills. The trainers were really good.”
A Belfast camera bootcamp, delivered by Eye Film, gave participants the opportunity to delve deeper into how different cameras work and how you can work alongside them to get the best results.
Kate Finn, creative director at HopSkip Studios, joined the bootcamp, telling us: “I applied to the unscripted TV camera bootcamp to help give me better knowledge of the cameras I work with as a producer and director. I thought understanding the equipment and settings on the camera better would allow me to collaborate more effectively with the camera operators I work with. The course was great, really informative, practical and useful information. The tutors were really friendly and knowledgeable and gave us some brilliant tips and advice. I definitely feel more empowered and informed and look forward to putting my new skills and knowledge into practice on my next shoot.”