Production Futures has hosted a series of events this year to provide opportunities for young people to learn, train, network and develop careers in production across the live-event, music, touring, theatre, TV, broadcast and film industries.
For its nationwide ON TOUR programme, the company worked with 47 brand partners and several industry experts to offer young people the chance to learn first-hand about the employment and training possibilities available within the production sector. The five events were attended by more than 1,800 people.
As well as facilitating face-to-face engagement between young people and production partners, the ON TOUR events saw industry associations join with brand representatives to present panels and workshops on a range of subjects, designed to give deeper insights into the available career paths.
Production Futures’ chief executive, Hannah Eakins, said: “As well as allowing young people to engage with and speak directly to potential employers, Production Futures is introducing a wealth of latent talent to our partners that will be be the backbone of this growing industry for years to come. The companies that work with us are unanimous in their view that the mutual benefits of this initiative cannot be overstated.”
Eakins said an important part of Production Futures’ mission is to reach out to organisations whose work can benefit young people entering the industry. “This year, we’ve become Federation Members of Creative UK, an independent network that unites the creative industries and generates opportunities within the sector by investing in creative individuals and businesses,” she added.
“Another area that is central to our aims is to challenge harassment and discrimination within the industry. We want to help create an environment where young people are protected and are supported if they face difficult issues at work. With this in mind, we collaborated with the Association For Electronic Music to support its campaign against sexual harassment and gender discrimination, and adopted its code of conduct for our own events.”
Production Futures hosted a seminar at PLASA 2022, Creating an Inclusive Workforce – How Can the Industry Attract Young Talent, to discuss solutions to the skills shortage in the live sector. The company’s Breakthrough Awards, which recognise the contributions of up-and-coming talent across the sector, received a record number of nominations this year.