British Film Commission extends partnership with The PGGB

The British Film Commission (BFC) is extending its partnership with The Production Guild of Great Britain (PGGB) by investing a further £100k in a raft of targeted PGGB training courses, designed to increase access to experienced and diverse crew as new stage space continues to expand in the UK.

The £100k investment is the second made to PGGB by the BFC under an official partnership that sees PGGB supporting delivery of the BFC’s government-backed Stage Space Support & Development Strategy. The funding will enable PGGB to deliver training for three key production office roles identified by industry as needing urgent support; Production Secretaries; Production Co-ordinators and Line Producers.

Lyndsay Duthie, PGGB CEO said: “We’re delighted to grow our partnership with the BFC, which in its first six months has seen 75 professionals benefiting from targeted training and mentoring. Over the last year PGGB’s overall trainee turnover has grown by 400%. This additional investment empowers us to do even more to support skills progression for UK crew in direct response to industry need, during an intensely busy time. Accessing the right training that helps people work confidently or move up to a leadership level capably, is crucial. Our unique Virtual Learning Environment has become an indispensable online tool, enabling participants to access course delivery in a flexible way that suits their busy working lives, whilst also providing ongoing support and dialogue via our forums, that continues way after training is completed.”

Samantha Perahia MBE, head of production UK, British Film Commission, said: “It’s an extremely exciting time for UK film and TV and the benefits are being felt right across the UK’s nations and regions, with existing production hubs growing to accommodate the demand, and new stage space developments in the pipeline. Sustainability and skills development are central to the BFC’s Stage Space Support and Development work and essential to maintaining increased levels of production. We are delighted to extend our partnership with PGGB, investing in targeted training courses and increasing access to experienced and diverse crew.”

Applications from crew working in the Nations and Regions will be encouraged, and courses will be underpinned by structured diversity and inclusion initiatives channelled through PGGB’s Mission Inclusion 2021 programme, guided by its Diversity and Inclusion Action Group.  Course delivery is supported by the PGGB’s Virtual Learning Environment, an online learning platform that enables asynchronous learning and is regularly updated with CPD materials, additional recordings, updates and resources.

In 2020, the BFC was awarded £4.8 million additional funding over three years from HM Treasury to expand its work promoting the UK as a destination of choice for studio space investment. In May 2021 the BFC’s announced PGGB as an official partner supporting delivery of its Stage Space Support & Development Strategy, with an initial £100k investment to fund targeted training courses for Senior and Junior Location Managers, Production Secretaries and Production Coordinators, and the roll out of PGGB’s Mission Inclusion programme. In August the inaugural PGGB & BFC Diversity and Inclusion Mentor Scheme was launched under the partnership, matching 15 talented mentees with experienced industry mentors working in UK film and High-End TV production.