B3 Origin Launch
B3 Media launches B3 Origin - A new, entirely online mentoring programme to help diverse voices through lockdown, backed by the Culture Recovery Fund.
Black, Asian and ethnically diverse creatives still struggle to be represented in the UK film and creative industries, and there is a danger that the COVID-19 pandemic could push talent even further back.
B3 Origin’s pay-what-you-can scheme will help those struggling to make ends meet during this crisis. Selected ideas will share £5,000 in project funding to further their proposals.
B3 Origin is based on B3 Media’s seven-year programme TalentLab, which has led to award-winning creative work from its alumni.
B3 Media’s new programme B3 Origin will give Black, Asian and ethnically diverse creatives the space and support they need to move their projects forward in these difficult times.
For Black, Asian and Multi-Ethnic creatives, it is a huge struggle to be seen and heard in the UK broadcasting industry where minority talent working in creative and content production dropped last year to 8% (Ofcom 2019). Lockdown restrictions have since added to these challenges, especially for those working in industries that require location-based work. With film and TV projects being postponed, many young creatives who may have been close to breaking into UK film and TV are now back at square one.
“For aspiring young multicultural creatives working in Britain, the coronavirus pandemic has made an already challenging situation even worse. How do you maintain your focus and momentum when your whole world is in turmoil? How do you connect with viewers, fellow artists and industry figures during lockdown? B3 Origin was designed to tackle these challenges head-on. We’ve taken everything we’ve learned from seven years of TalentLab, and re-imagined it for a post-COVID world.”
Creative media arts network B3 Media have responded quickly to the crisis with their online programme to support emerging talent. Through B3 Origin, we will support a cohort of creatives working on screen-based projects (film or digital/multimedia) with four months of one-on-one mentoring from an industry professional drawn from B3’s network. These sessions are designed to foster diverse stories from ambitious applicants and help them to take their ideas through the crisis and beyond. The programme will end with a pitching session in front of industry practitioners. Selected participants will share a £5,000 project funding budget to take their ideas forward.
In response to the crisis, B3 Media is running this programme as a pay-what-you-can scheme, to help those who may not be able to afford the cost of the course during these difficult times (recommended cost £150).
B3 has a track record in running successful professional development schemes for filmmakers and other film industry professionals. The online programme B3 Origin has its roots in B3 Media’s acclaimed TalentLab, which helps Britain’s emerging Black, Asian and ethnically diverse creatives to get their projects off the ground and take their careers to the next level. TalentLab alumni have had their work shown at Cannes and Sundance film festivals, they have won BAFTAs, and they have exhibited at major arts venues and cultural institutions.
“Culture is an essential part of life across the country, helping to support people’s wellbeing through creativity and self-expression, bringing communities together, and fuelling our world class creative industries.
This latest set of awards from the Culture Recovery Fund builds on those announced recently and will help hundreds of organisations to survive the next few months, ensuring that the cultural sector can bounce back after the crisis. We will continue doing everything we can to support artists and cultural and creative organisations, with further funding to be announced in the coming weeks.””
The first B3 Origin launches 20 October 2020. The deadline for applications is 6 November 2020.
To find out more and to apply, visit www.b3media.net/b3-origin
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