Get Your Next Job in TV Drama: Birmingham

Are you a TV freelancer with a passion for drama?

The BBC Academy and Creative Skillset are running a free training day on 20 October 2014 to help TV drama production freelancers take the next step in their career.

The event will take place in Birmingham – home to BBC dramas like Doctors, Land Girls and Father Brown [pictured] – and is aimed at freelancers who have either a minimum of six months production experience in any genre, one TV production credit or a high quality online portfolio.

Attendees can find out what skills the drama industry is looking for, be inspired by some of the genre’s leading talents, get hands on in practical training sessions and meet hiring managers from the BBC and indies.

Screenwriter, film director and creator of BBC Two drama Peaky Blinders Steven Knight will deliver the keynote at the end of the day, discussing the challenges and opportunities of working in the Midlands. There will also be job hunting advice focusing on everything from networking to CV writing.

This day is a Creative Skillset funded initiative for TV freelancers in the UK creative industries, and is supported by the Skills Investment Fund.

There will also be an event taking place in MediaCityUK, Salford on 21 November - booking for this will open nearer the time.

Application Checklist

To attend Get Your Next Job in TV Drama: Birmingham you must fulfil at least one of the following criteria:

A minimum of six months production experience in any genre
One TV production credit
Or a high quality online portfolio.

To apply, please send the following to bbcacademy@bbc.co.uk by 26 September 2014. You will find out by 3 October if you've been selected for a place.

A completed and signed Freelancer Declaration Form
A completed and signed Equal Opportunities/Diversity Form
A copy of your current CV (including credits and references)
Proof of UK citizenship – this could be a copy of your passport, a copy of your working permit or a copy of your proof of UK residency

Please clearly label your information with a covering note stating the name and date of the event. You can also send your application to: BBC Academy, Room A16, BBC Wood Norton, Evesham, Worcestershire. WR11 4YB.

Schedule

09:15 Registration

10:00 Opening Panel

How can you carve out a career in TV Drama's Golden Age? High-end drama is booming right across the UK. In Birmingham, the BBC is making hundreds of hours of daytime drama and is about to launch a new online drama platform. Get insights from people who've made their career in TV Drama on how you can exploit these opportunities.

11:00 Chose from a range of training workshops on Drama's "Most Wanted" skills, including:

How to move on from being a Runner. Advice from an experienced production manager and first assistant director on where your career can go next.
Find out how a script editor works between the writer and producer to make sure the story crosses from paper to screen effectively.
Learn what skills a script supervisor needs to ensure different scenes come together to make a perfect story for the viewers.
Directing actors in a scene - whatever your background or experience, here's a chance to try your hand at directing.

12:30 Lunch and networking

14:00 Choose another workshop from the "Most Wanted" sessions listed above.

15:45 Job Finding Skills

How to succeed as a media freelancer, how to network, how to impress interviewers and how to polish that all important CV.

17:00 Keynote Speaker

Screenwriter, director and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight on the challenges and opportunities of working in the Midlands.

17:30 Networking

Get Your Next Job in TV Drama: Birmingham