Women in Film and TV (UK) is encouraging women in the screen industries to apply for its Four Nations Mentoring Scheme, as final applications for the 2026 cohort will close on Monday 8 September 2025 at 5pm.
Designed for mid-career women working in film, television, and creative media, the scheme offers an “unparalleled opportunity for career acceleration in an industry where women remain underrepresented in leadership roles”, WFTV has said.
The scheme brings together mentees from across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, including 20 mentees from across the South of England and eight mentees from the North of England, plus seven each from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Over a six-month programme, mentees will benefit from one-to-one mentoring with senior industry professionals, alongside peer-to-peer training and tailored career and personal development workshops.
The 2026 programme will feature an impressive group of industry leaders of the calibre of the 2025 roster as mentors, which included Cecile Frot-Coutaz from Sky, writer and actor Charlie Covell, and location manager Emma Pill, among others.
Speaking of her experience on the 2025 WFTV Four Nations Mentoring Scheme, Scottish writer, director and animator Wilma Smith said: “My time on the WFTV Four Nations Mentoring scheme has been invaluable. My mentor gave me brilliant guidance and advice that I have taken with me into my career, and I am so thankful to have been chosen to be a part of the 2025 cohort.
“I encourage anybody who is considering applying for the scheme to do so. It’s a wonderful programme that opens up a world of opportunity and empowerment that you just need to grab with both hands.”
Netflix continues its support for the Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales cohorts through its Fund for Creative Equity, a programme dedicated to creating opportunities for underrepresented communities in entertainment.
The England scheme is supported by the BBC, Channel 4, EON Productions, Panalux and Panavision, Pinewood, Sara Putt Associates, the Women’s Network at NBC Universal and UKTV, while SAN (Screen Alliance North) supports the North of England cohort.
Leading the scheme is WFTV’s director of mentoring, Sarah Wright, alongside mentoring producers Helen Bullough in the North of England, Sarah McCaffrey in Northern Ireland, Hazel Marshall in Scotland and Hannah Corneck in Wales.
Wright said: “I can’t emphasise enough what a career–and life–changing opportunity our WFTV Four Nations Mentoring Scheme represents.
“The bespoke training we offer, together with the peer-to-peer learning, added to that all-important mentoring relationship, makes our programme truly unique in the media industry. I can’t wait to find our new mentees for 2026!”
More information is available on the WFTV website.
