ScreenCraft Works has announced the mentee-mentor participants for its second Cross-Border Mentoring programme, designed to bring together crafts people from different countries to enrich the local and international careers of under-represented production and post talent.
For this programme, fifteen mentees have been matched with fifteen volunteer mentors from another country, based on their aspirations for career and personal growth. With a focus on roles that can be conducted remotely or hybrid, the group includes the disciplines of editor, audio post, production management and podcast production.
Selected applicants include displaced people trying to integrate into the film and TV industry of their country of refuge, having fled conflict and persecution.
Other mentees have moved internationally for family or career aspiration reasons and seek to establish themselves in their adopted country, needing support to navigate social codes and unconscious bias, including when using a second language.
The mentoring group also includes those obliged to teach themselves their craft owing to entry and progression barriers, who are seeking support from those who have more formal career routes.
Over half the mentees identify as women. The group includes people with a disability, those from the LGBTQIA+ community and those with caring responsibilities. The mentees describe a broad range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, beliefs and aspirations for ‘greener’ working. They span all career stages and include career-changers, freelancers, people wishing to develop a craft business and those seeking cross-department collaboration.
The mentees and mentors are from the following countries and/or nationalities: Chile, Denmark, England, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine, USA and Uzbekistan.
The programme includes peer-mentoring, which matches those who are at similar career stages but who seek different international knowledge and perspectives, including for co-productions and needing or wishing to integrate into a new country.
ScreenCraft Works co-directors Elizabeth McIntyre and Rebecca del Tufo said:
“Displaced people and those actively seeking an international career in an adopted country can experience bias and barriers differently from local professionals. Through the mentoring programme, we support mentees in their navigation of social codes, cultural differences and linguistic barriers, celebrating the exchange of diverse insights and knowledge. We are grateful to our volunteer mentors, and our supporters DARE Pictures and Brunel University London.”
What the mentees are saying:
• I had to flee my country because of war. But I have zero connections in my new country and dream of restarting my post-production career.
• I am a refugee and experienced in post-production. I am hoping that a mentor can help me understand how I enter the industry in my new adopted home.
• When I married, moving to a new country as a freelancer was more difficult than I had expected. It is hard to establish new connections, work with bigger organisations and have a new long term career path.
• I am one of a few women editors in my country and had to teach myself my craft by YouTube. I am seeking structured mentoring guidance.
• Working on international projects would be fantastic as it forces you to question your cultural identity and assumptions and there is so much opportunity to learn from others.
Pippa Considine
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