SBS, National Indigenous Television (NITV) and the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) have announced a new three-year partnership to provide practical and structured pathways for emerging creatives and support the transition for students into the screen industry.
The NIDA Pathways with SBS and NITV partnership will offer students invaluable industry experience, expertise and opportunities, supporting historically underrepresented creatives and reinforcing a shared commitment to building a diverse and inclusive screen industry that reflects contemporary Australia.
SBS, NITV and NIDA will work together to deliver opportunities for students to foster meaningful industry connections, enhance their experience and skillset, along with mentorship from the SBS Scripted and NITV commissioning teams.
“Getting a foot into the screen industry can be tough for emerging creatives”, said Nakul Legha, head of scripted, SBS.”SBS is incredibly proud to launch the NIDA Pathways partnership, which creates structured programs to develop practical skills and offers a meaningful entry point into the industry for NIDA students, particularly those from under-represented backgrounds.”
“At SBS, we are steadfastly committed to elevating and developing the next generation of new voices for Australia’s screen sector. We look forward to working with NIDA and NITV to keep putting this commitment into action.”
“Being able to directly connect First Nations students with industry experts gives them the opportunity to explore, learn and build on their skillset and gain real-world production experience in a culturally safe environment”, added Dena Curtis, head of commissioning and production. “NITV is proud to support the development of emerging First Nations talent, they are the future of First Nations storytelling.”
“NIDA is a place where stories grow for emerging creative practitioners involved in all aspects of production”, added NIDA CEO, Liz Hughes. “SBS, uniquely renowned for celebrating Australian stories from all communities, is the ideal partner as this project is a great opportunity to create a pathway for people in the early stages of their career.”
“This partnership between NIDA, SBS, and NITV is a powerful step towards creating a more inclusive and representative screen industry.”
In each year of the partnership, SBS and NITV will collaborate with NIDA, Australia’s premiere national dramatic arts educator and innovator, to deliver a range of opportunities for students that will provide practical pathways into the sector.
Activities will include an annual creative pitch workshop run by the SBS Scripted and NITV teams, culminating in one student receiving the opportunity to spend time in an SBS writers’ room; a First Nations production placement program, giving First Nations NIDA students an opportunity to work on SBS and NITV productions; an annual industry talk presented by SBS and NITV, covering essential topics such as crafting effective pitches, leveraging your degree in the industry and understanding what makes content appealing to international audiences; and speed networking sessions to connect emerging talent with industry professionals.
The TV Lunch sessions with SBS Scripted, a monthly one-hour lunchtime event connecting early to mid-level screen creatives with the team behind SBS Originals, will feature a special session with NIDA’s head of writing, Joe Hepworth, on Friday 2 May.
