Regionwide effort for major screen-industry skills drive
Universities and North East Screen join forces to give students practical experience, industry insight and direct career routes
Universities across the region have joined forces with North East Screen to launch a major new initiative designed to strengthen pathways into the North East’s fast-growing film, TV and digital production sectors.
North East Screen, working in partnership with the North East Universities Screen Network (NEUSN), recently unveiled Connected Campus@NEUSN, an ambitious programme aimed at bridging the gap between academic study and the realities of working in the screen industries.
The collaboration brings together Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside universities, building on the recently established Connected Campus partnership between North East Screen and The Northern School of Art.
The first major event of the programme, Frame Your Future, took place in Durham at the beginning of this month. Devised by partners across the network and led by North East Screen’s education partnerships manager Catriona McAvoy, it offered students exclusive access to industry professionals through workshops, talks and networking.
Practical sessions included insights into digital content creation from a local influencer working with major brands, an introduction to scripted production led by two regional location managers, and a workshop on pitching unscripted ideas for factual TV.
Gayle Woodruffe, operations director at North East Screen, said: “We’re committed to nurturing a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable screen industry in the region. This collaboration with the North East Universities Screen Network is a powerful step forward to ensuring we have multiple pathways into the industry.
“By directly connecting students with leading industry professionals, North East Screen are not only equipping them with the knowledge and confidence they need to succeed, but also fostering a talent pipeline that will ensure people can have a career in the screen industries and stay in the North East.”
Connected Campus forms part of the BFI Skills Cluster within Screen Alliance North, the partnership of northern screen agencies working to expand skills, inclusivity and sustainable production across the region.
Neil Percival, Chair of NEUSN and co-director of cultural partnerships at Northumbria University, said the initiative demonstrates the power of collective action.
“This partnership is real, tangible evidence of what we can achieve when universities work together with the sector to support the creative industries and build a robust skills pipeline for the future,” he said.
“By pooling our resources and expertise, we’re able to provide opportunities for our students that no single institution could offer alone… With production in the region growing significantly over the past two years, there’s never been a better time to be training for a career in the screen industries here in the North East.”
NEUSN itself was created to boost collaboration between staff and students across the region’s universities, supporting joint research, teaching, employability initiatives and skills development in screen-related disciplines.
More information on Connected Campus opportunities is available at northeastscreen.org/education-partnerships.