B3 TalentLab 2012 Press Release

TalentLab: Back for a second year Discovering the next wave in emerging multicultural talent and stories…

B3 Media is launching TalentLab for the second year running ‐ a creative development programme aimed at Black, Asian and minority ethnic artists and filmmakers who are ready to take their careers to the next level.

Applicants can visit www.b3media.net/talentlab for more information. Applications are now open, and our st closing date is 21 May 2012.

TalentLab is a multimedia programme for visual and digital artists, filmmakers, writers and creative directors in theatre, radio and spoken word who wish to develop and pitch their projects through an intensive shared lab process.

Backed by three partners ‐ the Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund (part of A Bigger Future 2), University of Nottingham’s Horizon/ Mixed Reality Lab, and the Binger Film Lab, TalentLab will offer participants an unrivalled opportunity to hone their skills, sharpen their focus and gain the contacts and confidence to compete in producing multimedia content drawing on cross disciplinary skills suitable for multi platform distribution.

TalentLab transforms raw talent, using a model that has already proven highly successful in B3’s past professional development and production programmes such as FeatureLab (in partnership with Film4), Blank Slate Digital Shorts (produced with the UK Film Council) and PowerLab (produced with the Arts Council’s Cultural Leadership Programme).

The programme is calling for applications from individuals with a strong story to tell and a track record in visual and digital arts, film and TV, radio and theatre. B3 Media is hoping to find 24 candidates with ideas to participate in a series of development labs slated for June 2012. From these labs, up to 12 projects will be selected for further development and up to 6 projects will be commissioned and produced between August and October 2012. In November, project teams will be given the chance to pitch for further development support towards full realization as part of the B3 Media slate.

Marc Boothe, Founder / Creative Director of B3 Media, says: “Emerging artists and filmmakers from non‐ traditional backgrounds, particularly from outside London, are often isolated in this business. We hope to provide the support networks to help them build sustainable careers as well as creating an incubator environment for the next wave of storytellers who are able to capture the full flavour of the UK experience.’

Dan Simmons, Creative Skillset’s Head of Film said: “We are delighted to be building on the successes of the first iteration of TalentLab which has already delivered some fantastic outcomes with a number of the projects being picked up for development. TalentLab plays an important role supporting new voices and increasing the diversity and cultural richness of our industry. The new partnerships that B3 Media have formed with the Binger Filmlab will ensure participants are able to work and connect internationally and increase their understanding of global opportunities.”

Binger Filmlab’s CEO Gamila Ylstra said: “we consider the work of B3 Media of excellence, both in the quality of selected projects and talent. Our partnership is built on an exchange of knowledge and collaboration on/in workshops. We strongly encourage talented filmmakers and artists to apply and benefit from the excellent work environment offered through TalentLab.” Professor Steve Benford of Horizon and the Mixed Reality Lab said: "I am extremely excited at the prospect of developing interactive experiences with an emerging generation of creative talent. I believe that this collaboration will have a major impact on broadening the impact of Horizon's digital economy research."

Note to editors: Bridging the Gap: Creating Opportunity Only 7% of the UK’s media workforce comes from Minority Ethnic backgrounds (and this in an industry concentrated in London where more than a third of the total workforce comes from BAME communities). B3 is working to bridge this gap to identify and develop the vast cadre of creative talent amongst the BAME population and encourage a more representative workforce. TalentLab is a positive action programme aimed at redressing the under‐representation of people from BAME backgrounds in the UK Film industry. The law permits such actions where there is evidence of under‐representation. For further information, see statistics drawn up in Creative and Cultural Skills, 2010: http://bit.ly/HfYX38.

B3 Media helps artists and filmmakers develop, produce and distribute their work, taking them from the spark of an idea through to the first showing and beyond.

Creating Connections: At B3 we make connections between Britain’s multi‐cultural communities and the UK’s creative industries ‐ uniting the power of digital media with the creative potential of emerging artists and filmmakers. All of our activities are focused on finding and nurturing new talent and connecting this talent with industry.

The B3 Model: B3 acts as catalyst; physical and virtual hub; laboratory; incubator; producer; showcase and distributor in the UK and abroad. We do this for some of our most gifted Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) filmmakers and artists, creating new opportunities and professional pathways for them.

We do this through: Networking: Giving access to people, networks, opportunities, ideas, technologies and skills.

Training: Hot‐housing new ideas and talent.

Support: Offering bespoke mentoring and one to one advice Production: Providing support and facilities for the production of new work and show reels.

Showcasing: Creating showcases for new work to be seen in; raising profiles and connecting artists with audiences.

Creative Skillset helps the UK Creative Industries (creative and digital media, fashion and textiles and publishing) to be world‐beating by leading the sector’s skills and talent drive. We are an industry‐owned organisation that actively involves trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders to address skills issues in our industries. We are the leading producer of Labour Market Information on the Creative Industries, and use this intelligence, as well as close consultation with our industries, to inform all the work we do. www.creativeskillset.org

A Bigger Future 2 is the second phase of A Bigger Future, the UK film skills strategy developed by Creative Skillset and funded by the Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund. The Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund is supported by the National Lottery through the BFI and the film industry through the Skills Investment Fund (SIF). The strategy has supported the careers of more than 19,000 industry professionals, and over 400 new entrants, delivering increases in workforce diversity and leveraging over £70 million in additional funding. www.abiggerfuture2.co.uk

Horizon Digital Economy Research Horizon is a research institute at The University of Nottingham engaged in digital economy research. Funded

by Research Councils UK (RCUK), The University of Nottingham and over 100 academic and industrial partners, the institute comprises both a research hub and Doctoral Training Centre.

Horizon research focuses on the role of ‘always on, always with you’ ubiquitous computing technology. Our aim is to investigate the technical developments needed if electronic information is to be controlled, managed and harnessed to enhance the way we live, work, play & travel in the future.

Mixed Reality Lab The Mixed Reality Lab (MRL) at The University of Nottingham is a dedicated facility where computer scientists, psychologists, sociologists, engineers, architects and artists collaborate to explore the potential of ubiquitous, mobile and mixed reality technologies to shape everyday life. The laboratory is currently home to over fifty academics, research associates and PhD students who are undertaking a wide ranging programme of research into mixed reality and its applications.