ScreenSkills Select Congress 2023 takes place on Wednesday 1 February 2023. The theme is "Empowering UK screen’s next generation: what students and industry really need".
Following the success of the two previous ScreenSkills Select Congresses, where award-winning experts from the screen industries shared the latest industry intelligence with more than 200 educators – you can now book your place for Congress 2023 taking place on Wednesday 1 February 2023, 9.30am to 4.30pm.
ScreenSkills Select Congress 2023
The Congress will once again bring industry and education together to discuss critical skills needs alongside the current challenges and opportunities in the UK screen industries.
The event programme will continue with the successful format of keynote addresses, case studies and panel discussions from those working and teaching at the highest levels of the screen industries.
It is a hybrid event, so educators can attend in person or via a dedicated online platform. However, those attending in person will really benefit from the networking opportunities with colleagues and leading industry experts.
Key Information
Date: Wednesday 1 February 2023 (9.30am to 4.30pm)
Venue (Hybrid): In-person (Westminster, Kingsway College - Victoria Centre, 76 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PD) or online (dedicated conference platform)
Cost: Free for educators on an endorsed course (£95 for those on non-endorsed courses)
Once again, entry to the event is available for educators in the UK teaching in all forms of film, TV, games, animation and VFX. It remains free of charge to those teaching on ScreenSkills Select endorsed courses, as one of the key benefits of our endorsement scheme.
Theme: Empowering UK screen’s next generation: what students and industry really need.
The focus is on supporting students to make a smooth transition from education into long-lasting screen careers. In particular, developing the professional skills, experiences and behaviours that are most sought after by industry employers, but are often seen as missing in graduates. The key is ensuring graduates from colleges and universities have the technical AND professional skills the industry now needs.
Programme: Find the details of the programme here.
Who can attend?
Entry to the event is available to educators in the UK teaching in all forms of film, TV, VFX, animation and games.
It is free of charge to those teaching on ScreenSkills Select endorsed courses, as one of the key benefits of our endorsement scheme.
If educators on endorsed courses would like to take part in the Congress, for example, as a panellist or moderator for one of the sessions, you can also contact the ScreenSkills Select team (see below).
Positive feedback from previous attendees
“Fantastic event - congratulations!”
“Thank you - it was a really professionally packaged event!”
“Just to say a huge thank you to everyone connected with the event and its organisation”
The vast majority in 2021 and 2022 said they were either satisfied/very satisfied with the calibre of the speakers and the content and would recommend the Congress someone else.
A review of Congress 2022 can be found below and you can also view the highlights from 2022.
Book your place
To book your place at Congress 2023, please click on the button below.
ScreenSkills Select Congress 2023
If you need support, please email select@screenskills.com with “Congress 2023” in the subject line.
The ScreenSkills Select Congress is supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funds as part of its Future Film Skills strategy.
If you have any questions about attending the Congress in person or online, please contact select@screenskills.com and write “Congress 2023” in the subject line.
The UK’s screen industries are in good health and lead the pack internationally, but to stay ahead there is a greater need for fresh and more diverse talent in terms of background and thought. The role of educators working in collaboration with industry to achieve this has never been as important as now.
This was the overriding message from the second ever ScreenSkills Select Congress 2022 (Wednesday 23 March) where more than 200 educators heard the latest intelligence from national and international experts from the screen industries. Delegates included those from colleges, universities and independent training/learning providers.
Sir Peter Bazalgette, Non-Executive Chairman of ITV and industry co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council, who gave the opening keynote address, was among several speakers who emphasised the positive future for UK screen industries. This was coupled with the urgent need to address current and future skills shortages alongside better supporting educators and career advisors in the crucial roles they play.
He said: “There are great opportunities in the screen industries and because of its continuing success; the new talent is desperately needed. This ranges in roles, from make-up to carpenters, producers to accounts, and screenwriters to real time gaming engineers.
“The Government has classed the creative industries as one of its seven key economic growth areas. The growth will continue, the jobs are there and we need the next generation of talent to fill them. We are ahead of the pack internationally and there is a huge opportunity for higher and further education.”
He also added: “We need to address diversity and inclusion and the screen industries must better reflect its communities. Helping teenagers and their parents to understand the career paths is vital and those pathways need to be clearer and more illuminated. It is clear what the pathway is to be a doctor but not for a cinematographer.
“We need to create better job descriptions, clearer role classifications and better career materials for parents, teachers and career advisors. Too many teenagers do not know about the opportunities that are available in the screen industries. We need a better classification of our skills needs so we can ask the education sector to respond.”
The online Congress brought educators and industry together to discuss the big skills challenges and opportunities UK screen industries face and how educators can best prepare students for the fast-evolving world of work.
The theme for this year’s Congress was Re-writing the rules: talent and global content. It focussed on how the rapid changes in the screen industries necessitate a fresh outlook and new skills for students so they can progress successfully into the workplace.
Diversity and wellbeing
Speakers such as Mark Harrison (Chief Executive, The DPP), Kate Bulkley media analyst and journalist), Alan Griffiths (Founder and Chief Executive, World Media Rights) and Suzanne Burns (HR and Communications Director, STV) emphasised that now is the time to broaden the range of backgrounds of people recruited. This should be a critical success factor for the screen industries.
They also spoke about the need for diversity of thought, ensuring career paths are well illuminated and the need to encourage more people from a wider range academic and technical subjects.
Starting from school was a point that Adam Knopf (Production manager for Doctor Who, who is also currently producing the second series of the BBC’s War of the Worlds) emphasised that too many young people do not know enough about the industry and the opportunities that there are.
Educators have a clear role in steering their students into careers that match their skills and passions, encouraging the use of the ScreenSkills website, and getting industry more involved to speak to students. He also added that it was important to think broadly about matching people to roles, for example, if there is a great trouble-shooter and problems solver on a course, they should be steered towards production roles.
Brian Hill (Managing Director, Century Films), and Suzanne Burns (HR and Communications Director, STV) focused on the need for courses to equip students for life in the real world by including wellbeing in their curriculum.
This included “cultural competence,” talking about how organisations can create inclusive cultures - what is acceptable and what is not. Suzanne also made the point that that an inclusive, safe and mentally healthy working environment is a moral issue, commercially sound and leads to a more creative environment.
Polls
Delegates were asked a number of questions throughout the Congress.
One poll showed that three in five educators had been affected by the pandemic because of the disruption within the screen industries.
There was an excellent session from Richard Sillito and Andy Tapley, co-sound supervisors for Strictly Come Dancing,on the importance of sound in all types of production. This includes film and TV, as well as animation, games and VFX. They felt it was an overlooked area in terms of education and also recruitment, where there is a real skills shortage. This was acknowledged by nearly all educators.
Production sustainability and its inclusion in course curricula was another key theme and it showed that there is a need for this to be embedded more deeply within courses, as 20% have not really included it and some not at all (10%).
Networking and employability skills were the main kind of support that educators wanted from ScreenSkills, which was good to hear, as this remains the main focus of the organisation.
Feedback
The feedback from delegates was really positive with comments such as:
- “A fantastic event - congratulations!”
- “Thank you - it was a really professionally packaged event!”
- “Just to say a huge thank you to everyone connected with the event & its organisation”
In terms of impact, 52% said they had better information to give their students about the current opportunities and challenges in the screen industries. 48% gained ideas for improvements or changes they could make to their curriculum or course delivery and 42% said they had gained new knowledge.
Tim Weiss, Director of Vocational Skills, ScreenSkills, said: “Bringing educators and industry together to collaborate, share knowledge and work in partnership is essential to the long-term future of our screen industries. This year’s Congress brought this to life to ensure students have the latest information, expertise and intelligence in the teaching they receive. It means they are as industry-ready as they can be to begin their careers.
“Given the fast-moving post-pandemic world of screen, we wanted the Congress to capture the very essence of the changes that are already here and those of the near future, including those from around the globe.
“The industry experts once again showed their depth of commitment and generosity in sharing their knowledge and their focus on a number of key themes. The clear message they wanted to get across was that to take advantage of the current success of the UK’s screen industries, and to stay ahead, we need more talent to join and that this talent needs to be more diverse too.
“The feedback from educators that we have received has once again been positive. It shows the value of the Congress’ and we’ll certainly be running another in early 2023.
“The Congress proved again that ScreenSkills Select is essential for bringing education and industry together, which in turn improves the quality of teaching, student recruitment and the employment prospects of graduates.”
The Congress was available to all educators in colleges and universities, but places were free for educators from ScreenSkills Select endorsed courses, as a benefit of endorsement.
Take a look at the ScreenSkills Select Congress 2022 programme for more details.
The inaugural ScreenSkills Select Congress took place in March 2021 and was a huge success, with award-winning experts from the screen industries sharing the latest industry intelligence with more than 170 educators. Delegates included representatives from industry and education from across the UK.
You can watch highlights here.
The main message that emerged strongly from the event in March was that the future of the UK’s screen industries is vibrant and positive, with big opportunities for students equipped with the right skills, networks, attitude and access to industry entry points.
Ensuring industry and educators collaborate is also vital for ensuring the recovery of the UK screen industries following the pandemic and their continued global success and reputation.
Further details about the 2021 Congress can be found below including the Programme.
Congress welcome: Meet your hosts
Speakers:
- Tim Weiss, Director of Vocational Skills, ScreenSkills
- Seetha Kumar, Chief Executive, ScreenSkills
- Ria Hebden, TV Presenter & founder of production company, Carpe Diem Media Productions.
Opening keynote: Skills for storytelling in an age of disruption
Speaker: Alex Hope, ScreenSkills’ Vice-Chair, and, co-founder and former managing director of DNEG, one of the world’s leading visual effects and animation studios.
Alex sets out his views on the current and future operating environment for UK screen industries including how to meet and take advantage of the latest challenges and opportunities.
Production case study 1: Crewing up in 2021 (Scripted - HBO series 'Avenue 5')
Speakers: Steve Clark-Hall (Producer), Kevin Loader (Executive Producer) and Simon Bowles (Production Designer)
Session Facilitator: Duncan Howell, senior lecturer, Nottingham Trent University.
This scripted production case study explores the on-set challenges and innovation of a big-budget studio drama, and considers where new skills needs are emerging, the breadth of roles on offer and the key career entry points.
Production case study 2: Crewing up in 2021 (Unscripted 'Little Mix - The Search')
Session Facilitator: Kirsten MacLeod, course leader, Edinburgh Napier University.
Speakers: Andrea Hamilton, Managing Director at ModestTV, leaders in entertainment production.
Jai Cave, Technical Operations Director at ENVY Post-Production, the award winning full service post-production House.
This unscripted production case study looks behind the scenes of a hit reality show meeting the challenges of shooting and editing during the pandemic, and considers where new skills needs are emerging, the breadth of roles needed and the key career entry points.
Industry panel: Entry-level essentials
The panel members are:
- Nicky Ball, High-end TV Senior New Entrant Manager, ScreenSkills.
- Sara Putt, managing director, Sara Putt Associates, leading independent UK agency for film and television.
- Steve Dorrance, producer, Gutsy Animations, Emmy-nominated animation studio and producers of Moominvalley.
- Charanprite Dhami, assistant director.
- Jay Kishan, first assistant editor.
- Facilitator: Ria Hebden, TV Presenter & founder of production company, Carpe Diem Media Productions.
This session discusses in more detail on how to boost student employability and manage student expectations.
Academic case study: Lessons We Learned - How Gobelins stays in demand with industry
Speaker: Cecile Blondel, International Development Director, Gobelins, the world-leading school of visual communication and arts.
Interviewer: Tom Box, Managing Director, Blue Zoo, BAFTA award winning London animation production company.
How this world-leading education institution has stayed relevant, in-demand, and how they overcome challenges to achieve excellence in industry-linked teaching.
This will be followed by a break between 13:00-13:45.
Industry insights: Spotlight on emerging trends
From a choice of four specialist breakouts, delegates can register to hear about recent technical, process and production changes, and, what it means for new entrants into these specialisms.
The four breakouts are as follows:
Games
Speaker - Mark Flanagan, EMEA Education Partner Manager, Epic Games. Epic Games is a hugely successful video game and software developer and publisher which includes Fortnite amongst its titles.
Session Facilitator - Mark Wickham, course leader, Norwich University for the Arts.
Production
Speaker - Faraz Osman, Managing Director and Head of Creative, Gold Wala. Gold Wala is the mould-breaking visual production company currently working across a range of BBC platforms.
Speaker - Tom Currie, Executive Producer, Dragonfly, the award-winning factual TV production house.
Speaker: Cameron Roach, Outgoing Director of Drama, Sky
Session Facilitator - Paul Tucker, senior lecturer, University of the West of Scotland.
VFX
Speaker: Victor Wade, Global Head of Training, DNEG, one of the world’s leading visual effects and animation studios.
Session Facilitator - Richard Jones, course leader, University of Bolton.
Post
Speaker - Natascha Cadle, Co-founder and Creative Director, ENVY Post-Production, the award winning full service post-production house.
Tom Morgan, Head of Client Services, ENVY Post-Production, the award winning full service post-production house.
Session Facilitator - Trish Morris, course leader, Solent University.
Closing keynote: We're in this together, plus review of polls
Speaker: Alex Hope
A reflection on the views of speakers and delegates from the day.
Closing remarks: What's next for Select Select?
Speaker: Tim Weiss, director of vocational skills, ScreenSkills.
Closing remarks and an update on ScreenSkills Select’s plans for 2021 and 2022
Break-out rooms: Opening pathways through industry/education partnerships
An opportunity to discuss best practice in educator/industry partnerships and how to marry course-based learning with entry-level training.
* The programme may be subject to change
