The UK’s rapidly expanding film and TV industry is a substantial contributor to the UK’s GDP, however, widespread skills shortages are being experienced across the UK screen industries. 

This RTS event in partnership with Buckinghamshire New University has assembled an expert panel in front of a student and industry audience. Following the discussion, the panel will answer questions from the audience and consider how the screen industries can accelerate their move to becoming an industry that fully represents the UK population.

The session will be chaired by Martina Porter

Chair

Martina has nearly 20 years of experience in the independent film sector. She also has considerable experience in developing and delivering training programmes for entrants to the creative industries, right through to professionals wishing to update their skills.

In 2011 Martina set up All Spring Media as a media education consultancy. Before that, Martina managed the Film and Digital Media Exchange, a £2.5 million project at the University of Hertfordshire designed to build a bridge between education and the film and digital media industries. Martina was also Head of Skills and Innovation at zero-one. She managed a pilot City and Guilds qualification for new entrants and First Post, an innovative fast-track scheme for the post-production industries.

Martina has sat on the steering groups of Games Eden, a business development group for the Games Industry in the East of England, and Aurora (formerly the Norwich International Animation Festival).

Panel

Bob Clark - Founder and CEO of Mama Youth Project 

Bob started his television career in 1982 as a Video Tape Operator becoming a freelance editor and working at various facilities in Soho, before setting up his own- bcPost. In 2005, MAMA Productions funded an experiment and recruited young adults to make an entertainment show called ‘What’s Up’. This experiment proved so successful, it led to Bob establishing the MAMA Youth Project.

Abhi Arumbakkam - Project Manager at Resource Productions CIC.

Abhi is responsible for developing and managing vitally important access and inclusion training and outreach programmes. Abhi plays a central role in helping secure, promote and develop new projects whilst nurturing artists with commissioned projects. She is also actively involved in Resource’s project and script review panel offering a critical view of the submissions they receive. As a filmmaker herself, Abhi brings a depth of understanding and perspective to her role to inspire a new generation of talent in the creative industries and has produced projects through the BBC’s New Creatives strand.

Jay Francis – Freelance Online Editor 

Jay is a freelance online editor currently working at Fremantle having previously worked at Optomen Midlands on the BBC’s Great British Menu. He was born with cerebral palsy, which has a wide spectrum of abilities – in his case speech is the most prominent manifestation while also having trouble with fine motor movements. He says that his only negative experiences have come about when people don’t know about his condition. They’re usually taken aback for a moment and then say something along the lines of: “You’re doing it?” But that doesn’t happen anymore! He says that it’s important that the stories we feature reflect the society we live in, and are made by the people who have actually lived them.

Jahreal Wright – Technical Specialist and 2022 RTS Young Technologist of the Year

Jahreal joined Sky’s Edit Operations Team as a Trainee Edit Assistant and progressed into Workflow Supervising and managing a team of edit assistants. This expertise led Wright to the role of Technical Specialist with Sky’s Edit Support Team where he provided tech support for high-profile sports and entertainment workflows. In 2022 Jahreal was awarded RTS Young Technologist of the Year where the jury praised his thoughtful approach and excellent overview of the industry with a passionate focus on the customer’s experience.

Emma Smith – Executive Producer/Series Editor at Naked West/Fremantle 

For the past 8 years, Emma has headed up the BBC’s ‘Escape’ brand including Escape to the Country, Escape to the Continent and Escape to the Perfect Town, plus I Escaped to the Country and Greatest Escapes both of which she also developed. Emma is responsible for creating and overseeing over 50 hours of ratings-winning TV a year. She is passionate about nurturing talent whilst promoting creative opportunities in the regions, constantly pushes the casting team to increase diversity across the production team as well as organising a PACT course focused on improving inclusivity.