Ffilm Cymru Wales is offering people in Newport 300 training opportunities to start a career in the Welsh film and TV industry.
Carpenters, caterers, hairdressers, make-up artists and many more with transferable skills are being encouraged to join the sector via the Foot in the Door training programme.
Open to all ages, Ffilm Cymru Wales is working in collaboration with Newport City Council after securing funding via the UK Community Renewal Fund.
Ffilm Cymru will be working with partners such as Screen Alliance Wales, Coleg Gwent and Pobl Housing to deliver the placements from March to May this year.
It will offer 230 training and career development interventions as well as 50 comprehensive new entrant training places and 20 employment places for people from Newport.
Tasters and workshops on special effects, make-up, costume design, production and catering will be held in locations across the city. There will also be placements on a series of big and small screen productions across Wales.
Resources and support to help with things like childcare, transport and equipment is available to help widen access to the most diverse group of participants as possible.
Since 2016, the scheme has supported people not in education, employment and training across Wales into paid placements on sets for productions by Netflix, BBC, Sky, Lucasfilm, Disney and S4C.
Head of skills & training at Ffilm Cymru, Faye Hannah said: “The make-up of Newport, its culture, creativity and communities, make it the perfect place to continue to build an inclusive film industry in Wales. We truly believe a strong and sustainable Welsh film industry needs to be representative of all communities and ensures individuals can get a foot in the door.”
She added: “Screen sets need a whole range of behind-the-scenes skills to make them tick - skills that people across Newport will already have or can be trained in.
“This is a huge collaborative endeavour, and we are thrilled to be partnering with organisations from the screen sector and those ingrained within communities across Newport.”
Councillor Jane Mudd and leader of Newport City Council, said: “This project is an amazing chance for people to springboard into the sector, develop their skills and experience, and boost their employment opportunities.”
She added: “We are very pleased to be working in partnership with such fantastic organisations to provide exciting opportunities for people in Newport while also furthering the reputation of our city as a leader in the creative sector.”
