TalentLab:BackforasecondyearDiscoveringthenextwaveinemergingmulticulturaltalentandstories…

B3MediaislaunchingTalentLabforthesecondyearrunning‐acreativedevelopmentprogrammeaimedatBlack,Asianandminorityethnicartistsandfilmmakerswhoarereadytotaketheircareerstothenextlevel.Applicantscanvisitwww.b3media.net/talentlabformoreinformation.Applicationsarenowopen,andourclosingdateis21stMay2012.TalentLabisamultimediaprogrammeforvisualanddigitalartists,filmmakers,writersandcreativedirectorsintheatre,radioandspokenwordwhowishtodevelopandpitchtheirprojectsthroughanintensivesharedlabprocess.Backedbythreepartners‐theCreativeSkillsetFilmSkillsFund(partofABiggerFuture2),UniversityofNottingham’sHorizon/MixedRealityLab,andtheBingerFilmLab,TalentLabwillofferparticipantsanunrivalledopportunitytohonetheirskills,sharpentheirfocusandgainthecontactsandconfidencetocompeteinproducingmultimediacontentdrawingoncrossdisciplinaryskillssuitableformultiplatformdistribution.TalentLabtransformsrawtalent,usingamodelthathasalreadyprovenhighlysuccessfulinB3’spastprofessionaldevelopmentandproductionprogrammessuchasFeatureLab(inpartnershipwithFilm4),BlankSlateDigitalShorts(producedwiththeUKFilmCouncil)andPowerLab(producedwiththeArtsCouncil’sCulturalLeadershipProgramme).Theprogrammeiscallingforapplicationsfromindividualswithastrongstorytotellandatrackrecordinvisualanddigitalarts,filmandTV,radioandtheatre.B3Mediaishopingtofind24candidateswithideastoparticipateinaseriesofdevelopmentlabsslatedforJune2012.Fromtheselabs,upto12projectswillbeselectedforfurtherdevelopmentandupto6projectswillbecommissionedandproducedbetweenAugustandOctober2012.InNovember,projectteamswillbegiventhechancetopitchforfurtherdevelopmentsupporttowardsfullrealizationaspartoftheB3Mediaslate.Marc Boothe, Founder / Creative Director of B3Media, says: “Emerging artists and filmmakers from non‐traditional backgrounds, particularly from outside London, are often isolated in this business.We hope toprovide the support networks to help them build sustainable careers as well as creating an incubatorenvironmentforthenextwaveofstorytellerswhoareabletocapturethefullflavouroftheUKexperience.’DanSimmons,CreativeSkillset’sHeadofFilmsaid:“WearedelightedtobebuildingonthesuccessesofthefirstiterationofTalentLabwhichhasalreadydeliveredsomefantasticoutcomeswithanumberoftheprojectsbeingpickedupfordevelopment.TalentLabplaysanimportantrolesupportingnewvoicesandincreasingthediversityandculturalrichnessofourindustry.ThenewpartnershipsthatB3MediahaveformedwiththeBingerFilmlabwillensureparticipantsareabletoworkandconnectinternationallyandincreasetheirunderstandingofglobalopportunities.”BingerFilmlab’sCEOGamilaYlstrasaid:“weconsidertheworkofB3Mediaofexcellence,bothinthequalityofselectedprojectsandtalent.Ourpartnershipisbuiltonanexchangeofknowledgeandcollaborationon/inworkshops.WestronglyencouragetalentedfilmmakersandartiststoapplyandbenefitfromtheexcellentworkenvironmentofferedthroughTalentLab.”

ProfessorSteveBenfordofHorizonandtheMixedRealityLabsaid:"Iamextremelyexcitedattheprospectofdevelopinginteractiveexperienceswithanemerginggenerationofcreativetalent.IbelievethatthiscollaborationwillhaveamajorimpactonbroadeningtheimpactofHorizon'sdigitaleconomyresearch."

Notetoeditors:

BridgingtheGap:CreatingOpportunity

Only7%oftheUK’smediaworkforcecomesfromMinorityEthnicbackgrounds(andthisinanindustryconcentratedinLondonwheremorethanathirdofthetotalworkforcecomesfromBAMEcommunities).B3isworkingtobridgethisgaptoidentifyanddevelopthevastcadreofcreativetalentamongsttheBAMEpopulationandencourageamorerepresentativeworkforce.TalentLabisapositiveactionprogrammeaimedatredressingtheunder‐representationofpeoplefromBAMEbackgroundsintheUKFilmindustry.Thelawpermitssuchactionswherethereisevidenceofunder‐representation.Forfurtherinformation,seestatisticsdrawnupinCreativeandCulturalSkills,2010:http://bit.ly/HfYX38.B3Mediahelpsartistsandfilmmakersdevelop,produceanddistributetheirwork,takingthemfromthesparkofanideathroughtothefirstshowingandbeyond.CreatingConnections:AtB3wemakeconnectionsbetweenBritain’smulti‐culturalcommunitiesandtheUK’screative industries ‐ uniting the power of digitalmediawith the creative potential of emerging artists andfilmmakers.All ofouractivitiesare focusedon findingandnurturingnew talentandconnecting this talentwithindustry.TheB3Model:B3actsascatalyst;physicalandvirtualhub; laboratory; incubator;producer; showcaseanddistributor in theUKandabroad.Wedo this for someofourmost giftedBlack,AsianandMinorityEthnic(BAME)filmmakersandartists,creatingnewopportunitiesandprofessionalpathwaysforthem.Wedothisthrough:Networking:Givingaccesstopeople,networks,opportunities,ideas,technologiesandskills.Training:Hot‐housingnewideasandtalent.Support:OfferingbespokementoringandonetooneadviceProduction:Providingsupportandfacilitiesfortheproductionofnewworkandshowreels.Showcasing: Creating showcases for new work to be seen in; raising profiles and connecting artists withaudiences.Creative Skillset helps the UK Creative Industries (creative and digital media, fashion and textiles andpublishing) to be world‐beating by leading the sector’s skills and talent drive. We are an industry‐ownedorganisationthatactively involvestradeunions,professionalbodiesandotherstakeholderstoaddressskillsissuesinourindustries.WearetheleadingproducerofLabourMarketInformationontheCreativeIndustries,and use this intelligence, as well as close consultation with our industries, to inform all the work we do.www.creativeskillset.orgABiggerFuture2 is thesecondphaseofABiggerFuture, theUK filmskills strategydevelopedbyCreativeSkillsetandfundedbytheCreativeSkillsetFilmSkillsFund.TheCreativeSkillsetFilmSkillsFundissupportedby theNational Lottery through theBFIand the film industry through theSkills InvestmentFund (SIF). Thestrategyhassupportedthecareersofmorethan19,000 industryprofessionals,andover400newentrants,delivering increases in workforce diversity and leveraging over £70 million in additional funding.www.abiggerfuture2.co.ukHorizonDigitalEconomyResearchHorizonisaresearchinstituteatTheUniversityofNottinghamengagedindigitaleconomyresearch.FundedbyResearchCouncilsUK(RCUK),TheUniversityofNottinghamandover100academicandindustrialpartners,theinstitutecomprisesbotharesearchhubandDoctoralTrainingCentre.Horizonresearchfocusesontheroleof‘alwayson,alwayswithyou’ubiquitouscomputingtechnology.Ouraimistoinvestigatethetechnicaldevelopmentsneededifelectronicinformationistobecontrolled,managedandharnessedtoenhancethewaywelive,work,play&travelinthefuture.MixedRealityLab

TheMixedRealityLab(MRL)atTheUniversityofNottinghamisadedicatedfacilitywherecomputerscientists,psychologists,sociologists,engineers,architectsandartistscollaboratetoexplorethepotentialofubiquitous,mobileandmixed reality technologies to shapeeveryday life.The laboratory is currentlyhometoover fiftyacademics,researchassociatesandPhDstudentswhoareundertakingawiderangingprogrammeofresearchintomixedrealityanditsapplications.