£1.1m for professional development of freelancers
The Skillset TV Freelance Fund has invested over £1 million this year in development programmes for freelance TV professionals and new starters.
Paul Abbott's Voicebox Studio in the North West has received a grant to help new writers develop scripts for commissioned TV dramas, providing an incredible opportunity for talent in the North of England.
The Boxed scheme builds on Paul Abbott's long standing personal commitment to the training and development of new voices in writing in Greater Manchester and the North West.
The Fund has confirmed support for 70 schemes around the UK aimed at TV professionals, in particular multi-platform content creation and development projects to be run in London and the North of England.
Among the supported schemes are Frank Boyd's Creative Labs which have already proved enormously successful. And 01 Zero One and Media Sauce will join up to deliver a One Media Unconference, a knowledge-sharing Open Space event for TV professionals.
The Fund is also supporting a wide range of writing courses in both drama and factual, as well as multi-skilling, post production and new technologies courses. There are also new entrant schemes in London, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and South West England including the BBC's Design Trainee scheme which launches this month.
Click here for a full list of all the courses that have received awards and click here for a list of the funded new entrant courses.
And click here for a very entertaining Guardian interview with Paul Abbott about how he became the most sought-after writer in British TV.
