Eighteen young people have been given an insider view of working in media, thanks to the help of the RTS and talented media practitioners.

The project is an initiative to provide special help to overcome barriers and broaden the backgrounds of people who work in media. The young people were drawn from schools, colleges and youth groups across the North East. Several had disabilities, many came from low income areas and there were a range of ethnic backgrounds.

The young people were given unprecedented access to film at the region’s RTS TV Awards at The Sage Gateshead earlier this year. And they were helped by more than a dozen Award winners, as mentors, panellists or filmed interviewees providing advice on how to succeed in a media career.

The results included a 30 minute documentary about the awards called ACCESS ALL AREAS and an interactive DVD called SO YOU WANT TO WORK IN MEDIA? with five short films on the roles of producer, editor, camera operator, sound technician and presenter. The young people also had workshops on animation and VJ performance and produced blog reports. Their work was featured on the BBC’s website.

“The enthusiasm and creativity of the young people was really impressive,” said RTS Chair Graeme Thompson. “They had a long hard day at the TV Awards, and have produced a memorable insight into the how this region celebrates its very best programmes – and what the winners feel about working in media.”

“It was very heartening that award winners like the BBC’s Carol Malia, ITV Tyne Tees’ Ian Payne and world-class cameraman David Baillie spoke so honestly to the young people,” said project organiser Julie Nicholson of Digital Voice for Communities which ran the project. “They are inspirational role models now, but they still remember what it was like to be a teenager making those first steps.”

Their film and interactive DVD had a premiere screening at Newcastle College’s Performance Academy in July. The audience of more than eighty people was invited to complete feedback forms which were used in the final evaluation.

The project was funded by Awards for All and Northern Film and Media.