Beyond Brontës: The Mayor’s Screen Diversity Programme

Beyond Brontës: The Mayor’s Screen Diversity Programme

Established in 2019, Beyond Brontës is our highly-successful scheme which aims to address under representation within the screen industries, by breaking down the perceived and actual barriers that can prevent young people from diverse backgrounds starting and establishing careers within the industry.

Successful applicants who have a passion for TV and film are offered a bespoke training package tailored to their interests, to prepare them for a wide range of industry jobs. This training involves industry masterclasses, CV and interview workshops, mentorships, one-to-one support, and detailed careers information. Also, where feasible and practical, this includes internships and work experience placements, and our trainees have enjoyed experiences on All Creatures Great and Small, The Syndicate, Saved and Remade, and Ackley Bridge, and with high-profile production companies such as True North, Wise Owl Films, ButtonDown Productions, and Meridian Line Films.

You can find out more about previous and current cohorts here, check out the Beyond Brontës Podcast, featuring interviews from industry professionals here, and watch our Beyond Brontës Industry Experts playlist from our Get to Know You Day here.

Two participants on the NFTS Leeds Self-Shooter course, facilitated by Beyond Brontës

Hear from our former trainees:

Beyond Brontës is a truly unique scheme that allowed me to tailor my individual development around excellent opportunities, including an industry placement and mentoring to incredible talks from industry professionals, delivered by an incredibly supportive team.

Katrina Pearson, Beyond Brontës graduate, Bradford

Katrina Pearson

Kudzai Chinembiri

Beyond Brontës has been such an incredible experience, it has given me access to opportunities I never knew were out there. Most importantly I’ve gained a community of people I can talk to about my goals and feel understood because we are all in the same place.

Kudzai Chinembiri, Beyond Brontës graduate, Leeds

Beyond Brontës helped me gain much more industry experience. I have had opportunities to work on an exciting new Netflix production as a location marshal, and a post-production intern at True North, both of which I have learnt a great amount of new skills that I will carry with me further into my career. There is also fantastic support offered by industry professionals, who are always happy to help at the regular events. I wish I could do it all again.

Nathan Carter, Beyond Brontës graduate, Castleford

Nathan Carter

Get in touch

  • abigail-website-crop

    Abigail Houseman, Beyond Brontës Senior Coordinator

    Abigail runs our Beyond Brontës programme, established in 2019 to address the lack of diversity in the screen industries workforce. Beyond Brontës supports young people in the Bradford District and Leeds City Region to develop the skills, confidence and connections to enter and succeed in the screen industries.

    You can contact Abigail on 0113 236 8231 or abigail@screenyorkshire.co.uk

  • Natasha Kifwamba

    Natasha Kifwamba, Programme Coordinator

    Natasha works with Jo to deliver Screen Yorkshire's talent development initiative FLEX, designed to support and nurture the region's emerging screen talent. Natasha also works with Abigail to help run our Beyond Brontës programme, established in 2019 to address the lack of diversity in the screen industries workforce.

    You can contact Natasha on 07463 916762 or natasha@screenyorkshire.co.uk

Having a workforce with the right skills is vital to sustaining regional film & TV production levels, which is why developing talent to foster a skilled workforce is a central pillar of Screen Yorkshire’s growth strategy. Screen Yorkshire is working in partnership with the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council to deliver Beyond Brontës with the support of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP).

FAQs

Who can apply for Beyond Brontës?

To be eligible for the Beyond Brontës programme, you must be:
  • Aged between 18-30
  • Live in one of the following districts: Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, or Wakefield
As the programme is designed to help those facing barriers to the industry, we strongly encourage applicants from those who identify with having a protected characteristic that may be under-represented in the industry.

English isn’t my first language, can I still apply/take part?

We do not have any non-English speakers on the team currently. We would suggest that you apply in English to the best of your ability. The course will require lots of interaction, therefore we suggest applicants are confident in how they can meet these requirements and we will do our best to accommodate any specific needs where we can.

I have dependants/am a carer. Will this course still be available for me?

Where we can, Beyond Brontës intends to support, remove obstacles and be flexible for our participants. We will assess support with costs associated to caring responsibilities, based on the individual needs of participants

I’m receiving benefits. Will the programme affect them?

There are various benefits that can be claimed with specific regulations and rules on what might affect your benefit claim. The best way to assess your query, would be to visit your local Department of Work and Pensions or alternatively, contact them. Details for contacting your relevant claim department by telephone, can be found here: https://customerservicecontactnumber.uk/dwp/

Will I be trained in a particular field of the screen industries?

Beyond Brontës will provide various resources to help the selected cohort to gain knowledge, skills and confidence in the industry overall, in addition to supporting individuals’ tailored career interests. Where we can, we will cater to help individuals gain access and insight into their field of interest.

I’m studying at University/have a degree. Does that make me ineligible?

No - the programme intends to help those who wish to enter the screen industries. You can apply for Beyond Brontës whether or not you have a degree, regardless of whether that degree is relevant to the screen industries or not. Unless you already have an established career in the screen industries, as a freelancer or other, you can apply.

How do I know if I am under-represented in the screen industries and eligible for Beyond Brontës?

It is against the law to discriminate against someone with a protected characteristic and there are many individuals with protected characteristics who are under-represented in the screen industries. Some of these protected characteristics are: gender, race/ethnicity, social class, disability, LGBTQ+ identity, religion, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership and location. These protected characteristics can intersect eg. a working-class individual with a disability. There is more information on protected characteristics here: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act/protected-characteristics   Beyond Brontës intention is to redress the issue of under-representation in the screen industries by aiding under-represented individuals with protected characteristics to enter the industry. Therefore, we encourage applicants who identify with having a protected characteristic that may be under-represented in the industry to apply for the programme. If you are unsure if you are under-represented in the screen industries there is further information here: https://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-workforce-diversity-in-uk-screen-sector-evidence-review-2018-03.pdf (see pp. 31-39).