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Puttnam Scholars Scheme Returns for Third Summer Programme

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Puttnam Scholars Scheme Returns for Third Summer Programme

Posted: 8th June 2022

Atticus Education, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland (Screen Ireland), Northern Ireland Screen and Future Screens NI are delighted to announce the return of the Puttnam Scholars scheme for the third year running. 

The pioneering cross-border initiative provides eight individuals, four Northern Ireland residents and four from the Republic of Ireland the opportunity to attend six two-hour online masterclasses with Oscar-winning producer Lord David Puttnam (Midnight Express, Chariots of Fire, The Mission, The Killing Fields). 

The participants receive a special Scholarship from Atticus Education for their future career development. The scholarship bursaries are supported by Accenture in Ireland. Screen Ireland are working closely with four Irish universities to select four Puttnam Scholars from the Republic of Ireland, while Future Screens announced the recruitment process in Northern Ireland earlier this month. The Puttnam Scholars’ application form for Northern Ireland applicants is available on the Future Screens NI website.

Lord Puttnam said:

We created this initiative in 2020 and it's already developed as a unique opportunity in the development of an exciting new generation of talent. Cinema is a vital medium for developing understanding, all the more so as we tackle serious global issues and increasingly turbulent times.

This successful collaboration, between Atticus Education, Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen, Future Screens NI, and supported by Accenture, has already enabled two cohorts to advance their futures in the screen industries; I’m greatly looking forward to meeting the next eight participants.

Applying to the scheme as up-and-coming writers, directors, or producers, the chosen Puttnam Scholars will have either made their first feature or television drama or will be in the process of developing their first feature or television drama.

A Puttnam Scholar, Isabella Dijalil-Devine, said of her experience in 2021’s cohort that:

The Puttnam Scholars programme was inspiring, informative, and fun. Lord David Puttnam and his guests shared their advice and experience generously, not just about filmmaking but also about the industry as a whole. I felt very motivated and encouraged to take steps in my career, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to take part. 

Over the course of the sessions, Lord Puttnam will explore the following themes:

  • The Power of Identity
  • The Evolution of Creativity
  • Fact or Fiction
  • Builders and Brokers
  • Music and Meaning
  • Interpreting the Future

Alastair Blair, Country Managing Director of Accenture in Ireland said:

We’re delighted to once again support the Puttnam Scholars Scheme. Ireland’s screen and creative industries are thriving, making a significant contribution to the economy each year. Programmes like these, which focus on the ongoing development of Irish talent and encourage the next generation of filmmakers to build their careers, are vital in ensuring that Ireland is a creative capital, now and into the future.

The masterclasses will be online and fully interactive with special guests and content appearing across the course. The sessions are designed to enhance participants’ understanding of the creative process and the cultural context within which the screen industries operate.

About Atticus Education

Atticus Education is an online education company created by film producer and educationalist, Lord Puttnam. Atticus delivers live interactive seminars to educational institutions around the world, providing high-quality resources to support learning using advance digital distribution systems. Atticus provides content relating to different aspects of the creative industries. David Puttnam is the chair of Atticus Education. He spent thirty years as an independent producer of award-winning films including The Mission, The Killing Fields, Local Hero, Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone and Memphis Belle. His films have won ten Oscars, 31 BAFTAs and the Palme D’Or at Cannes. From 1994 to 2004 he was Vice President and Chair of Trustees at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and was awarded a BAFTA Fellowship in 2006. He retired from film production in 1998 to focus his work on public policy as it relates to education, the environment, and the creative and communications industries. He was awarded a CBE in 1982, a knighthood in 1995 and was appointed to the House of Lords in 1997 and retired in 2021. In France he was made a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters in 1985, becoming an Officer in 1992, and a Commander in 2006. He is the recipient of over 50 Honorary Degrees, Diplomas and Fellowships from the UK and overseas.

Website: http://www.davidputtnam.com/masterclass-seminars

Twitter: @DPuttnam