• dev01BAFTA at Latitude
    Festival 2009
  • dev02An evening with
    Michael Nyman
  • dev03A Life in Pictures:
    Michael Palin
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Learning & Events

Moving on
It has often been said that BAFTA means different things to different people: golden masks and red carpet ceremonies to the public, a base in Piccadilly to London members, a great venue to corporate guests and so on. What's often been missed is that all these things are about one thing and one thing only: advancing the arts of the moving image.

We deliver that inspiration through our Learning & Events programme. Every year that passes, the programme grows as we help create more events, more opportunities to learn about our arts and crafts, in more places across the UK. Much of its success so far we owe to BAFTA members who have come forward to share their experience, insight and skill.

BAFTA is a charity, and its Membership includes hundreds of practitioners at the top of their craft. To fulfil our charitable function, we need those Members to play as full a part as they can in helping to support our programme, and to build on the great progress we are making.

In 2009, the number of events staged rose by 31%, from 166 to 218, the equivalent of four every week. We more than trebled our number of video games events, and staged 95 events for career starters.

Even more pleasing was the fact that we almost doubled the number of partner organisations that we worked with to deliver these events, from 66 in 2008 to 106 in 2009, and established new, vital alliances with venues and organisations up and down the UK. In fact, almost half of all our events took place outside London. The good news for anyone who misses an event is that many are now being recorded, edited and made available online at bafta.org, which over the last 12 months has become a treasure trove of material for professionals, students and enthusiasts in the worlds of film, television and video games.

The Access All Areas zone of the website, launched late in 2009, is a major breakthrough for BAFTA in its quest to develop online learning resources about our industries. Visitors enjoy free access to videos and podcasts of BAFTA events, exclusive archive footage and in-depth articles from past editions of Academy magazine. The wealth of expert advice from industry greats and dedicated guides provide essential online learning tools. One visit is never enough, as more and more visitors are finding out.

Image – BAFTA event: 'Make Your Own Show and Party' in which young people learnt about the making of film, TV and video games before putting their skills to the test at a party hosted by BAFTA and EA. (BAFTA / Ed Miller)

Inside View —
Tim Hunter,
Head of BAFTA Learning & Events

BAFTA's learning programme acts as a gateway to industry expertise for different public audiences – helping them to learn from some of the best minds in Film, TV and Video Games.

  • dev01Making Drama in
    a Crisis
  • dev01Inside the world
    of Merlin
  • dev01Women in Television
    Debate
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Learning & Events

Starting careers
We continued to put enormous energy into our programme for career starters, supporting new and emerging talent who wish to forge a career in our industries and help them take their first steps. In 2009, we staged a total of 95 career starter events, where newcomers could meet, talk and connect with professionals, all across the UK.

The Short Sighted! sessions, for example, which bring together figures in the short film business to guide fellow filmmakers in getting their work distributed, are a great example of how an event that was a success in London can be just as powerful elsewhere. The series, run in partnership with Shooting People, has so far visited Newcastle, Liverpool, Jersey and Edinburgh, and helped hundreds of budding independent filmmakers.

For the BAFTA members that take part, our events are a chance to glimpse the freshest talent, as it emerges. The touring Microbudget Roadshow focused on low-budget filmmaking, with directors and producers sharing their experience of making a shoestring go a long, long way. We also held a day of 15-minute surgeries for young visitors to the Eurogamer fairs in Leeds and London to learn from games industry professionals.

We took twice-BAFTA-nominated actor, and now director, David Morrissey on tour for a series of Masterclasses around the country, with guests including fellow actors Adrian Dunbar, Helen Elizabeth and Vicky McClure. Other Masterclasses have featured Bill Nighy, Shane Meadows, and Lost production team, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. And the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forums have branched out around the UK to provide a platform for aspiring British screenwriters.

Image – Noel Fielding (as the Spirit of Jazz) and Jennifer Saunders (as Joan Collins) join BAFTA-winning make-up artist Christine Cant at her Life In Make-Up event. (BAFTA / Ed Miller)

Inside View —
Basi Akpabio,
BAFTA mentor

It was really powerful to meet young people who live just down the road but are living very different lives from me... one of the best things I’ve done all year!

  • dev09BAFTA Youth
    Mentoring Showcase 09
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Learning & Events

Mentoring young people
Creative projects involving Film, Television and Video Games are proving to be a powerful means of improving the confidence and social skills of disadvantaged young people. After a successful pilot year helping 13-25-year-olds in London, the BAFTA Youth Mentoring Programme, run in partnership with Media Trust, has secured funding for a further 12 months from the RBS group and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, allowing it to extend to other cities in the UK.

The pilot involved around 30 BAFTA members from a range of disciplines, supporting young people on media projects that tap into the members’ own expertise and experience. Mentors are matched with existing youth projects and help participants develop transferable skills and gain confidence in their own abilities.

Participating organisations have included Equal People, which supports young people with learning difficulties, DNA Mix Young Fathers Project, Mediabox, a fund for youth-led media projects, Cricklewood Homeless Concern and LIVE Futures in Brixton, where producer Damian Jones was able to offer four participants work experience on his film, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. Other mentors have included Revolutionary Road co-producer Pippa Harris, Marple writer Stewart Harcourt and award-winning documentary producer Caroline van den Brul.

In September, a special showcase event at 195 Piccadilly celebrated the remarkable achievements of the young people taking part by screening their short films and hearing about their experiences.

We've also helped young people access our members' expertise through competitions and other targetted initiatives, as well as through our partnership with Film Club, which brings filmmakers to schools around the country.

Image – BAFTA Storyboard Workshop with Jay Clarke at London Film Day. (BAFTA / Ed Miller)

Inside View —
Krishnendu Majumdar,
Learning and Events Committee Chair

BAFTA's learning programme is about inspiration and excellence – through championing major creative talent, we inspire a new generation to strive for excellence.

  • dev01David Lean Lecture
    2009: Atom Egoyan
  • dev01The Monty Python
    Special Award Trailer
  • dev01Quentin Tarantino: A
    Life in Pictures
  • dev01James Cameron: A Life
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  • dev01Terry Gilliam: A Life in
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Learning & Events

Tributes, lectures and live appearances
It has been another rich and varied year for BAFTA events at 195 Piccadilly and around the country.

'The Life In...' strand of events, which invites the very best creative talents in Film, TV and Video Games to discuss their careers in front of a live audience, continues to attract big audiences. The line-up of 'Life In Pictures' guests at 195 was impressive, including Terry Gilliam, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Quentin Tarantino, James Cameron and Mira Nair. Outside London, our guests included Michael Palin at Ely Cathedral and David Attenborough at the Brighton Dome.

There were also our magical Stately Screenings at National Trust properties, the Monty Python reunion in New York and ‘An Evening With...' events in which Kiefer Sutherland, film editor Pietro Scalia and comedy producer Caryn Mandabach offered absorbing insights into their respective careers and crafts.

Our Tributes celebrated the careers of pioneering animator Ray Harryhausen, master cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, television producer Betty Willingale and legendary film director, Lewis Gilbert.

Director Atom Egoyan was invited to deliver the David Lean lecture in October, and gave a fascinating insight into the motivations, inspirations and penetrating characterisations behind such acclaimed films as Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter and Where The Truth Lies.

The continued success of these events is thanks to the hard work, time and energy of every participant, member and guest involved.

Image – Visionary filmmaker and BAFTA Fellow Terry Gilliam discusses his Life in Pictures. (BAFTA / Ed Miller)

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Membership

Give and take
Being a member of BAFTA means being part of BAFTA. This Academy is a community of industry experts, selected for their achievements and talents, and they contribute in many ways.

Every time a BAFTA member casts a vote in one of our Awards categories, for example, they are making a contribution to our recognition of excellence. Their expertise and time is precious.

But we also aim to bring that expertise to bear much more directly in our development of excellence. The Learning & Events programme at the heart of our charitable mission stands or falls by the quality of members input. There is enough quality in our ranks to inspire a nation of future performers, directors, designers and technicians, and it is our aim to put that talent to the very best use.

Initiatives such as the BAFTA and Media Trust Youth Mentoring Programme and our workshops for career starters bring out the very best in our members and their audiences. As we continue to develop and extend our L&E programme, we will keep looking to members to play their part in their Academy.

Today, our members have more to gain as well as give; more ways to get involved with what we do and more ways to benefit from it. We hope they’ll keep giving and keep gaining from being part of BAFTA.

Image – Animation Workshop with Paul Donellon at London Film Day in March 2010. (BAFTA / Jamie Simonds)