WFTV launches Mentoring Scheme in Northern Ireland
Date Posted: November 14, 2019
Women in Film and TV (WFTV UK) announced at the Belfast Media Festival that applications are open for its pioneering new mentoring scheme in Northern Ireland. The innovative programme is designed to help women in Northern Ireland who have more than five years’ experience working in TV production, to take the next step in their career.
For the last decade, WFTV has run an industry leading scheme in London which has set new standards due to its uniquely effective approach to training. This has attracted top industry players such as Jay Hunt, Creative Director, Europe, Worldwide Video, Apple; Peter Fincham, Co-CEO, Expectation Entertainment; Sarah Gavron, director and Danny Cohen, President, Access Entertainment to become mentors.
Now WFTV wants to offer women in Northern Ireland those same opportunities.
WFTV Chair, Liz Tucker said: “WFTV is determined to ensure our organisation serves all the women of the UK, not just those based in London and the south east of England. So this year, we have been very focused in developing a new strategy to increase the events and activities we run across the UK. The new mentoring scheme in Northern Ireland is a pivotal part of this strategy”.
In the first year, the Northern Ireland mentoring scheme will be run for six women and the aim – is subject to sponsorship funding – for this number to grow every year. Each of the chosen mentees will receive six hours of mentoring over six months with an experienced industry insider and would also receive telephone and email support. In addition, they will also be able to Skype and network into additional training sessions in the London mentoring scheme.
Former mentees of the London scheme have found their careers transformed by the programme, these women include Hannah Demidowicz, who went on to become first a commissioner at National Geographic and then a commissioning editor at TCB rights; Christiana Ebohon-Green who became a director on the TV series Call the Midwife; Georgia Brown who became Director of Original TV for Europe at Amazon; and Mercy Liao who became the Manager of Productions and Acquisitions at Universal Pictures International Productions in Beijing.
WFTV Chair Liz Tucker added: “We only have to look at the career paths of previous mentees to know our mentoring scheme really works and we are so excited to be able to offer those same opportunities to the women of Northern Ireland too”.
