Launch of New Film & TV Drama Academy
Posted: 17th December 2021
First in National Talent Academy Network, Offering Skills Opportunities Across the Country
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the development agency for the Irish film, television and animation industry, has today announced that the Film & TV Drama Academy, the first in the Nation Talent Academy Network, is open for applications. Anyone interested in building a career in film and TV, including both new entrants and current industry professionals, is invited to engaged with the Academy’s initiatives.
The Film & TV Drama Academy, which was announced earlier this year, will be managed by Jade Murphy at the Galway Film Centre and aims to develop and drive opportunities for diverse and regional talent on a national level. This includes ensuring opportunity within the industry for those who may at present feel precluded from a career within the sector.
Screen Ireland is encouraging people interested in a career in film production and existing industry members who wish to develop their skills or talent pathway further to regularly visit www.nationaltalentacademies.ie and view the current and future opportunities provided across a range of innovative courses and initiatives.
The next academy in the network, the Animation Academy, is due to open in January 2022 and will be managed by Deirdre Barry in Animation Ireland.
The National Talent Academies are a key part of creating a national approach to talent development as set out in Screen Ireland’s recently published Building for a Creative Future 2024 strategy that seeks to build on the growth and momentum in the Irish screen industry, with a particular focus on regional activity. The industry is experiencing record levels of production activity. In Ireland, the industry contributed an estimated €289 million to the economy in the first six months of 2021 and directly supported over 12,000 jobs.
The establishment of the National Talent Academy Network is part of the wider development of the screen industry that continues to bring significant economic and cultural value, while also enhancing skills and capacity in the workforce. The importance and potential of the screen industry was recognised by the Government in October’s Budget 2022 announcement of a 22% increase in funding to Screen Ireland.