Second Light a new funded talent development scheme from First Light
Introduction to Second Light
Second Light is a talent development scheme which through production based training, will give 30 talented young people aged 18-to-23, from BME backgrounds, supported opportunities to move into the film industry.
Supported by funding from UK Film Council and Skillset, it is being delivered by First Light (FL) the UK’s leading initiative that provides funding and expertise to enable young people to create their own short digital films and media projects. Since launching in 2001, FL has helped more than 19,000 young people make over 900 short digital films and 230 digital media projects with an emphasis on access UK wide, cultural diversity and social inclusion.
FL is also the lead partner managing Mediabox (formerly the Youth Media Fund), a Department for Children, School and Families £8million fund that offers disadvantaged 13-19 year olds living in England the opportunity to develop and produce creative media projects using print, television, film, radio or online platforms.
Aims of Second Light
- To create new ladders of filmmaking opportunities for talented young filmmakers through extended periods of engagement with organisations, to develop creative and technical filmmaking skills.
- To support the UK film industry’s efforts to develop an up to date, technically informed and diverse skilled workforce representative of the UK population.
- To broaden knowledge about work opportunities across the film value chain (development, pre-production, production, post-production, exhibition and distribution).
- To provide developmental opportunities for participants to increase their chances of accessing new entrant film training schemes, HE/FE film industry related courses and gaining employment in the film industry.
What funding is on offer?
FL will offer funding of up to £70,000 to 3 filmmaking organisations who can devise and support innovative, well conceived and predominantly production based training
programmes for 10 young people, from BME backgrounds, over a period of 18 months (starting no later than September 2009 and ending March 2011).
As we are seeking a spread of activity across the UK, it is highly unlikely that we will fund 2 organisations from the same region.
Download Second Light Guidelines here.
In the development of Second Light, First Light gathered together a creative think tank and also held a consultation event. The notes from the event are listed below (as PDFs) for you to download and the link below ( Where does all the talent go?) will open and replay the live blog from the event. Click here for the blog Where does all the talent go?
1 Where does all the Talent Go? – young people’s discussion papers
