2024 saw the launch of Screen Academy Bradford, boasting a diverse cohort of 26 participants from Bradford and West Yorkshire with many having South Asian heritage. The group showcases a range of talents, experience, cultural backgrounds, and demographics, including individuals from underprivileged backgrounds and with disabilities. The selection process involved extensive outreach and recruitment efforts, resulting in a carefully curated group consisting of: 2 Shadow Writers; 3 Shadow Directors; 2 Shadow Composers; 5 Industry Step Ups;  2 Industry Transfers; 8 Trainees, and 4 First Breakers, totalling 26 participants. Meet our cohort here.

Recruitment efforts since the Summer of 2023, resulted in a robust selection process with hundreds of applicants and interviews. The cohort includes rising star Eeshar Singh, a talented young composer from Bradford and Jasdeep Singh Degun (first sitar player to win a Royal Philharmonic Society Award) who hails from Leeds and composes for theatre but aspires to score for screen. The shadow directors are Malinda Kaur and Jack King, both born and raised in Bradford, who have made award-winning short films as well as Waqar Ahmed, who brings a wealth of experience from his work in Pakistan. Each of the three directors offers a distinct perspective and possess promising prospects for the future.

Screen Academy Bradford's Skills Bootcamp featured local industry speakers and fostered an environment conducive to knowledge sharing - prioritising community-building and peer mentoring. It spotlighted the unique challenges faced by women of colour in the industry, with all five Industry Step Up placements being women of colour. The presence of industry professionals from diverse backgrounds provided invaluable insight and inspiration, with the cohort expressing appreciation for the opportunity to see themselves represented in the industry.

The impact of the Skills Bootcamp was evident, with participants such as Mariam Jahangir (First Break trainee) inspired to pursue careers in technical roles traditionally lacking diversity. Director Dominic Leclerc (SEX EDUCATION), a Bradfordian himself, generously revealed his creative journey and processes -  further fuelling the cohort's ambitions by showcasing a tangible path to success within the industry.

With the production of VIRDEE now in full swing, many of the Academy cohort have started working on the production in their respective departments under the skilled guidance of the HoDs and the training team (and the remaining will be placed in the Spring). In the next few months, they will all benefit from a bespoke programme of professional and personal development training complimented by mentoring support from industry experts.

Overall, the Screen Academy Bradford's inaugural activities have laid a solid foundation for a supportive and inclusive community, poised to make significant contributions to the screen industry.