The scheme is designed for women looking to take a significant step in their career - 41 mentees have been selected from across the four nations take part in the 2021 programme. It runs for six months, during which time each of the participants are paired up with senior industry professionals for six hours of mentoring contact alongside peer-to-peer training and seminars, WFTV events and wider industry networking opportunities.
Mentors taking part in this year’s scheme include writer Sally Wainwright, Peter Fincham, Co-CEO Expectation Entertainment, Director Phillippa Lowthorpe, CEO Wonderhood Studios David Abraham, Channel 4 commissioning editor Fozia Khan, Director Sarah Gavron, and presenter and journalist Ellie Flynn.
The England scheme has been launched in association with ScreenSkills and is supported by BBC, UKTV and Channel 4. The new schemes launched in Scotland and Wales are supported by Netflix who also sponsor the existing scheme in Northern Ireland.
Heading up the scheme his year is WFTV’s Director of Mentoring Tracy Forsyth, who is also a creative mentor at Channel 4 Indie Growth Fund and an executive coach. WFTV have also recruited mentor producers Karen Kelly in Scotland and running the Welsh scheme will be Hannah Corneck, Sarah McCaffrey will continue to run the scheme in Northern Ireland.
Forsyth said:
It’s so thrilling to be taking our mentoring scheme to all 4 Nations this year. We have writers to dialogue editors to costume designers to VFX supervisors to directors and comedy producers. They are already an inspirational group and with the scheme’s help we will empower their careers and lives to even greater heights and impact.
You can view our full list of 2021 WFTV Mentees and Mentors here.