Supporting New Talent:

Our Visionaries Scholarship programme is a unique package of financial and industry mentoring support for talented UK undergraduate students from Black, Asian, Gypsy, Traveller and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Our Visionary Scholars will discover, develop and realise their talents in theatre, film, television, games and emerging new media industries as part of our creative community within the Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media at the University of York.

Ultimately, they will become part of the next generation of our creators of arts and culture - our nation’s storytellers.

It is essential that our creative voices embrace a wide range of influences and practices to reflect society back to us, present us with a vision that rings true to our own experiences or challenges our preconceptions, enlightens and entertains us.

This is a programme for all of us who believe that everyone benefits when our creators of arts and culture - our nation’s storytellers - have an abundance of talent and creativity, and diversity of experience, of imagination, of thought.

Join our team of Visionary Donors and Mentors, drawn from across the creative industries and screen arts, to help ensure that a richer human experience is reflected in the voices we hear and the stories that are told.

Diversifying Talent within our Creative Industries

The creative industries are a major UK success story. Together, film, television, theatre, games and extended reality (XR) media are worth billions to the national economy. Across theatre, film, television, games and emerging new media, more robust data gathering and new standards are being adopted to improve diversity across a number of areas including content, the make-up of creative leadership and teams, recruitment, industry access and opportunities.

Initiatives like Arts Council diversity reports and the BFI Diversity Standards, introduced in 2016 initially for BFI funded films, and subsequently adopted by Film4, BBC Films, BAFTA, BIFA and Paramount Studios, are helping to drive inclusion in terms of content and recruitment practices. In television, Diamond, the single online system used by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky, and production companies to obtain consistent diversity data on the programmes that are commissioned are a step in the right direction. And, in gaming, the UK Games Industry Census is the first-of-its kind report, delivering the most comprehensive and detailed assessment of diversity within the UK games industry workforce ever conducted.

Across all of these creative industries, it is acknowledged that change is still too slow and there is more work to be done - particularly in providing opportunities for roles behind the camera and off stage, especially in board and leadership positions. We want to play our part in ensuring the next generation of writers, directors, producers, actors, designers, cinematographers, editors, executives - in film, television, theatre, games and other digital media - includes a diversity of people and ideas.

Our Creative Community

Why York?

Our Creative Community

The University of York was founded in 1963 on principles of equality and opportunity for all. We are a University for public good, this means we care, "more than almost anything else", about opening up access to those who had previously not had the opportunity.

Our Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media is a creative community of industry professionals, world-leading researchers and talented students. We have invested over £30 million in a purpose-built complex, home to some of the best production and performance facilities at any UK university.

Our students have access to industry-standard tools and professional environments. Our courses give them the practical experience, critical skills and theoretical knowledge to join and lead in this exciting sector. Our graduates go on to successful careers in theatre, film, television, games and emerging new media industries. They are the next generation of our nation’s storytellers.

In a complex and fragmented world, these creators of arts and culture will decide which stories are told and which voices are heard.

Through York Unlimited, the Campaign for the University of York, we connect our global community of staff, students, alumni and friends to projects that enable brilliant minds to break barriers and think differently to solve the challenges of the world today. We have a successful track record in creating scholarships that open up life-changing opportunities to students from diverse backgrounds.

The time is right for us to create the Visionaries Scholarship programme.

We need your support to make this happen.

About the Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media:

- Purpose-built £30 million media complex
- Industry-standard equipment and software across all areas from theatre lighting to RED Digital Cinema production camera kits, to postproduction and interactive media with leading industry packages
- Two professional theatres, two television studios, a large sound stage, production labs, postproduction facilities, a digital cinema, rehearsal rooms, a full-wall 3Sixty room, computer labs and an interactive design lab
- Vibrant Visiting Speaker and Masterclass programme
- UK Top 10 for Film Production and Photography (Guardian University Guide 2021)

Visionary Scholarships

Scholarships

A unique package of financial and industry support to welcome talented UK undergraduate students from Black, Asian, Gypsy, Traveller, and ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Who are our Visionaries?

Our Visionaries, or Visionary Scholars, have secured a competitive place to study and train on one of our undergraduate courses:

BA Business of the Creative Industries
BSc Interactive Media
BA Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance
BSc Film and Television Production

They have impressed the selection panel with their ambitions and aptitude for the course, and their passion, enthusiasm and insights into the creative process and creative industries.

Our Visionaries are our nation’s future storytellers.

Each Visionary Scholar will receive:

Financial Support: £3,600 (£1,200 a year) in financial support over three years.
Cohort Mentoring: A chance for our Visionary Scholars to come together as a group to gather insights on career paths and trajectories from someone working in the industry, and to ask career-related questions in a small, intimate group setting.
Career Clarity Sessions: Two one-to-one virtual or in person meetings a year with an industry rising star or established expert to support the scholar in creating their own personalised career plan, receive informal feedback on their portfolio or screen reel, and deepen their industry knowledge.

As the programme develops and grows, we hope to also build in trainee postions and internship opportunities.

Investing in Change

Visionary Donors

Become a Visionary Donor

We will welcome our first Visionary Scholars to campus in September 2021. Right now, when applications open in Spring 2020, we will be able to offer just four scholarships.

That is one scholarship for each of our undergraduate degrees - Business of the Creative Industries; Film and Television Production; Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance; and Interactive Media.

We believe demand will be much higher.

Could you help us to welcome more talented students by becoming a Visionary Donor?

£3,600 would fund one Visionary Scholar during their entire degree.

Being Part of the Change

Visionary Mentors

Become a Visionary Mentor

We are building a team of industry rising stars and established experts who want to see greater diversity, equality and inclusion within our creative industries, a good number of whom we hope will themselves be from underrepresented groups.

Can you invest your time to help us ensure that our nation’s future storytellers have diversity of experience, imagination and thought?

Our Visionary Scholarship Mentors will invest their time and share their expertise through:

Cohort Mentoring

Meet with our Visionary Scholars as a group, in person or virtually, so they can gather insights on career paths and trajectories, and ask career-related questions in a small, intimate group setting. In some instances, we may wish to also invite you to give a larger Masterclass on the same day open to all of our students.

Career Clarity Sessions

Work one-on-one in person or virtually with a Visionary Scholar to listen to them talk through their own personalised career plan, give them informal feedback on their portfolio or screen reel, suggest reading or watch lists, and deepen their industry knowledge.

Alumni Endorsements

Malik Haddington-Ahmed (BSc Film and Television Production, Class of 2018) is now working as a Social Media Officer at Just Like Us

“As a 2018 Film and Television graduate and someone from an ethnically diverse background, I was so excited to learn about the Visionaries Scholarship programme. As a student, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at York - my course was fantastic, I met some amazing people and I felt supported throughout. However, I was well aware of the fact that I was one of only a handful of non-white people in my cohort. The Visionaries Scholarship programme will work to improve that, ensuring greater diversity amongst the department’s undergraduates and providing financial support, mentorship and community to some of the most underrepresented groups. Through my time at York and having gone on to work at a national charity for LGBT+ young people, I understand the importance of representation and community, and wholeheartedly believe that everyone succeeds when we strive for greater equality and inclusion.”
Malik Haddington-Ahmed

Sekeenat Karim (BA Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance, Class of 2017) is now working as an Assistant Producer at HOME, and is a member of the Advisory Board for our Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media.

“The University of York is an amazing place to explore your creativity and grow as a professional. The course offers a wide range of opportunities from learning technical skills like lighting design to more analytical roles like producing, you are encouraged to learn new skills and receive support from amazing staff. One of the things I value most about my time in the department and more specifically on the BA Theatre programme was the opportunity to choose my own path.

The Visionary Scholarships are a fantastic opportunity to uplift the next generation of talented creatives from underrepresented backgrounds, both in the university and in the industry. Now more than ever we need opportunities like this to support those who feel like there is no space for them in academics or creative industries and help them build the confidence to claim their space.”
Sekeenat Karim

Jade Smith (BSc Interactive Media, Class of 2020) is now working as a Junior Designer at Jumpship.

“The Interactive Media course allowed me to build a solid foundation of both technical and design skills. It also helped me gain confidence socially and I made lifelong friends along the way. I am currently working at Jumpship, an independent games studio in Guildford as a Junior Designer. My role involves helping block out levels and implementing mechanics in the game. The Visionaries Scholarship sounds like a brilliant opportunity to gain a unique insight into industries you’re interested in from those who have had a range of experiences in them, which will help you in your future career.”
Jade Smith

Malik Haddington-Ahmed

Sekeenat Karim

Jade Smith

Next Steps

Please join us in building a scaffolding of support around our Visionary Scholars during their time at York so that they can vision and map out their career ambitions as they progress in their course, deepen their industry knowledge and connections, and as York Graduates ultimately achieve their creative industry career goals.

Can you support the next generation of our nation’s storytellers by becoming part of our team of Visionary Donors and Mentors?

We would be especially grateful if you are inspired to also help us spread the word by sharing this webpage talented young people you know who may wish to apply for the scholarship, and your own industry contacts. We would like to make sure our Visionary Mentors especially are drawn from across the industry, from rising stars to established experts, and include people who are themselves from underrepresented backgrounds.

To set up a conversation, please contact:
Sharon Oakley
University of York,
Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni.
Email: sharon.oakley@york.ac.uk
UK Mobile: +44 (0)7795 315 108