Northwest TV Talent on Route to Success

TEN talented contenders from across the Northwest have had the route mapped out for them in TV production, on the pioneering Northern Routes scheme.

Northern Routes is an exciting new training scheme, giving the successful applicants hands on experience in TV production through a 12-week work placement, on a variety of programmes produced in the Northwest, including North West Tonight and Shameless. Some are also working in placements on brand new programmes yet to be aired.

This unique scheme is a partnership between the three northern regional screen agencies: Northwest Vision and Media, Screen Yorkshire and Northern Film and Media, and is supported by the Sector Skills Council for the audiovisual industries, Skillset.

The Northern Routes trainees are now putting in hard graft on their placements, after beating almost 500 people in a rigorous selection process for 22 placements in total, across the north of England. The trainees are working within all areas of behind-the-scenes production, from production assistant to post-production, make-up to camera, and will be paid up to £300 a week while they learn the tricks of their trade.

Jessica Dove from Preston has joined the Locations team for a brand new ITV programme, while Bury-based Nikki Chamberlain is counting the beans for her as an Accountant Trainee.

Holly Lander and Amy Somers, both Manchester-based, are being trained in Make-Up and Camera respectively, while Rosalind Gildea from Sale is learning the ropes as a Script Supervisor on a show at Granada. Fallowfield’s Jessica Williams is working in Production Design on a long-running programme for Company Pictures.

Manchester’s Hannah Swinglehurst has already started work on a Production Co-ordinator placement at the BBC that will see her contributing to two shows, both for six weeks each. David Leach from Chorlton is getting an intensive course in Post-Production at local facility Lion Eyes Television for the full 12 weeks, working on a variety of projects that come in to be edited.

Northern Routes is all about partnership and sharing talent between the regions across the north, and this is reflected in the choice of trainees. New talent being introduced to the Northwest include Chris Devlin, relocating from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne for his placement in Sound, while Leeds-based Keeley Scothern is working in Costume.

“We’re positive that our Northern Routes trainees will find it an invaluable experience. The calibre of applications was really high, and I’m thrilled that we’ve chosen people who will bring something new to TV production in the Northwest,” explains Alice Morrison, Chief Executive of Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the TV, film, radio and digital content industries.

“We’ve always had close links with the other regional screen agencies in the north, but this is the first time we’ve worked so closely together to develop a training programme targeted at a wholly northern skills base,” adds Alice.

The Northwest-based trainees have previously gone through extensive preparation for their placements, completing Health and Safety training and workshops introducing them to drama production, and have recently met up with their counterparts from Yorkshire and the Northeast to compare notes on their successes, at a training day and networking lunch.