The BBC has unveiled a number of initiatives to support new talent, as well as a hotlist of 200 new emerging talents tipped as future stars.
BBC director general Tony Hall and actor Idris Elba hosted a special event last night to unveil the initiatives, as well as to publish the BBC’s new talent hotlist. Many of the talents were in attendance, as well as senior execs from the BBC.
The 200 emerging new talents have been identified by creative leaders from across the BBC as possible broadcasting stars of the future (see below for full list).
Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, said: "Finding and supporting the next generation of new talent – both on and off screen – is a vital part of the BBC’s remit. It is through backing new thinking, new perspectives, and taking creative risks that the BBC will not only better reflect the diversity of the country – but deliver even better, more engaging and relevant programming. I see this as central to our mission as a public service broadcaster."
The initiatives include:
· Idris Elba taking over BBC Three this week, curating a week of content working with new and emerging talent in all fields and tackling issues that are relevant to young audiences today.
· The Felix Dexter Bursary – a six month traineeship for two high potential comedy writers from BAME backgrounds, working with Paul Whitehouse.
· Mark Gatiss has selected up and upcoming LGBT writers and given them the opportunity to write original dramatic short films for BBC Four in a new project which charts a century of the UK gay experience. For five of the writers – Keith Jarrett, Jon Bradfield, Gareth McLean, Matthew Baldwin and Michael Dennis – this is the first time they will have written for television.
· BBC Three announced The Hub (w/t), a new initiative based in Birmingham to train and develop six apprentices and six trainees to produce the next generation of content makers and production talent. Supported by the BBC Academy, The Hub will launch in June 2017 during Digital Cities week with the aim to have new talent producing content for BBC Three by the autumn. The Hub’s newfound talent will be tasked to deliver innovative social first content as well as making short form content.
· Disabled Presenter Development – a development programme for disabled presenters in factual, daytime, sport and live events. Steve Brown, Niall Strawson, James Ballardie, Lloyd Coleman, Diana Man and Martyn Ashton are part of the programme. Alison Walsh, BBC Disability Lead, is running the scheme. Placements are planned in Sport, Sport News and 5Live, The One Show, Breakfast, Events and Factual.
· Class Act (w/t) – a new nationwide search for new disabled acting talent which will provide intensive skills training programme for 30 actors.
· Documentaries – Morgan Matthews is to be the mentor of BBC’s returning Documentary Directors’ Initiative which once again will give six new documentary film makers the opportunity to make their first long-form films for BBC TV.
BBC NEW TALENT HOTLIST 2017
Presenters
Adebanji Alade
Adnan Sarwar
Chris Harris
Diana Man
Emily Yates
Emma Dabiri
Gillian Burke
Grace Victory
James Ballardie
James Young
Kalpana Patel
Lindsey Russell
Livvy Haydock
Lloyd Coleman
Martyn Ashton
Mehreen Baig
Nadiya Hussain
Nandini Das
Niall Strawson
Oscar Duke
Rachael Latham
Richard Clay
Riyadh Khalaf
Rory Reid
Ryan Gander
Sarah Campbell
Steve Brown
Comedians
Bobby Mair
Catherine Bohart
Chris McCausland
Daniel Simonsen
Elf Lyons
Elis James
Emily Lloyd-Saini
Evelyn Mok
George Lewis
Grainne Maguire
Guz Khan
Humza Arshad
Jack Rooke
Jamali Maddix
Jamie MacDonald
Jayde Adams
Ken Cheng
Kojo Amin
Lauren Pattison
Lee Ridley
Liam Williams
London Hughes
Luisa Omielan
Maxim Bady
Michael Odewale
Nathan Caton
Phil Wang
Rachel Parris
Robin Morgan
Sophie Willan
Susan Calman
Tim Renkow
Tom Allen
Tom Davis
Actors
Adelle Leonce
Akemnji Ndifornyen
Alex James-Phelps
Amy Trigg
Anthony Foster
Arthur Hughes
Ashley Rice
Beattie Edmondson
Celeste Dring
Charlotte Beaumont
Daniel Laurie
Dean Whatton
Dee Kartier
Eddie Eyre
Fionn Whitehead
Florence Pugh
Freya Parker
George Fouracres
Grace Mandeville
Helen Monks
James Floyd
Jasmine Armsfield
Jasmine Jobson
Jason Forbes
Joivan Wade
Jules Robertson
Kayode Ewumi
Kieran Hodgson
Leah Hackett
Leonie Elliott
Lloyd Everitt
Matthew Baldwin
Mawaan Rizwan
Oliver Britten
Pearl Mackie
Peter Mitchell
Rachel Denning
Ruth Madeley
Samson Kayo
Seraphina Beh
Shaheen Jafargholi
Simon Kane
Sydney Craven
Synnove Karlsen
Tamara Lawrence
Taurean Steele
Tilly Keeper
Tom Glynn-Carney
Vivian Oparah
Zack Morris
Writers
Abi Zakarian
Alex Straker
Alexander Owen
Alice Birch
Amanda Murphy
Amber Hsu
Ambreen Razia
Amy Ng
Andy Wolton
Anna Jordan
Arinze Kene
Asif Khan
Asmara Gabrielle
Bekka Bowling
Becky Prestwich
Mae Martin
Ben Ashenden
Ben Weatherill
Benjamin Kuffour
Berri George
Bryce Hart
Carla-Rosa Manfredino
Catriona Knox
Chandini Lakhani
Charlene James
Charlotte Josephine
Chino Odimba
Christine Robertson
Claire Wetton
Cush Jumbo
Daniel Clarke
Daniel Hayes
Dave Florez
David Judge
Dianna Hunt
Drew Marke
Emer Kenny
Emma Sidi
Emteaz Hussain
Eoin McNamee
Eoin O’Connor
Eva O’Connor
Evan Placey
Firdos Ali
Foster Marks
Fraser Ayres
Frog Stone
Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
Gareth McLean
Gavin Cutter
George Mpanga
Grace Ofori-Attah
Guy Davidson
Henrietta Ashworth
Hildegard Ryan
Inua Ellams
Ishy Din
Jack Carroll
Jake Brunger
James Ashford
James Farmer
James Fritz
Janice Hallett
Jerome Buchan-Nelson
Jess Brittain
Jessica Ashworth
Jingan Young
Joanne Lau
Joe Tucker
Jon Brittain
Karen Reed
Katherine Chandler
Katie Redford
Laura Poliakoff
Lauren Sequeira
Laurence Tratalos
Lee Coan
Liam Beirne
Lloyd Woolf
Lolly Adefope
Louise Conran
Lydia Adetunji
Mae Martin
Mario Theodorou
Marnie Dickens
Matt Price
Matthew Rees
Max Davis
Maya Sondhi
Michael Beck
Michael Wiafe
Miriam Battye
Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Morna Regan
Namsi Khan
Natalie Mitchell
Nathaniel Price
Nessah Muthy
Nicholas Pierpan
Paddy Campbell
Patricia Cumper
Patrick Coyle
Patrick Neate
Paul Parncutt
Paula Stanic
Percelle Ascott
Philip Doherty
Phoebe Éclair-Powell
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Rachel De-lahay
Raymond Friel
Rob Cromwell
Rory Haines
Ross Dunsmore
Ryan Grant
Sabrina Mahfouz
Salim Allybokus
Sally Stott
Samuel de Ceccatty
Sarah Hehir
Sarah Henley
Sarah Page
Satnam Sanghera
Selina Lim
Shai Hussain
Shakeel Ahmed
Shazad Mohammed
Simon Longman
Sindhu Vee
Sohrab Noshirvani
Spencer Jones
Stef Smith
Steve Burge
Stuart Benson
Sumerah Srivastav
Sunjeev Sahota
Tallulah Brown
Tash Marshall
Tez Ilyas
Theresa Ikoko
Tori Allen-Martin
Vicci Moyles
Vickie Donoghue
Waris Islam
Xana Marwick
Writer/Performers
Asim Chaudhry
Charlie Cooper
Daisy Mae Cooper
Writer/Directors
Afia Nkrumah
Alexander Jacob
Aneil Karia
Baff Akoto
Billy Dosanjh
Chris Stokes
Ed Lilly
Fiona Walton
Graham Sherrington
Hope Dickson Leach
Samantha Harrie
Sebastian Thiel
Thomas Stogdon
Tyrell Williams-Hood
Directors
Al Mackay
Alex Taylor
Andrea Harkin
Ashish Ghadiali
Caroline Bartleet
Cecile Emeke
Charlotte Bostock
Charlotte Charlton
Charlotte Wolf
Daniel Dewsbury
Dominic Sivyer
Edward Dick
Emeka Onono
Emily Macdonald
Harjeet Chhokar
Holly Challenor
Jack Newman
Jack Rampling
James Spinner
Josh Feder
Kate Herron
Kibwe Tavares
Lizzie Kempton
Lynsey Miller
Maddie Close
Mahalia Belo
Marcus Plowright
Marina Parker
Max Myers
Michael Pearce
Mollie Mills
Nimer Rashed
Nour Wazzi
Ollie Parsons
Paul Thompson
Peter Middleton
Philip Woods
Rachel Lob-Levyt
Rachna Suri
Richard Shaw
Rob Brown
Ruth Carney-Nash
Sam Masud
Saul Abraham
Sean Foley
Selah Hennessy
Sheridan DeMyers
Sunny Kang
Thomas Hescott
Toby Fell-Holden
Tom Kingsley
Vanessa Caswill
Vicky Jones
William Oldroyd
Producer/Director
Carl Callam
Chloe Sarosh
Daniela Carson
Ed Hancox
Errol Ettienne
Fiona Poustie
Grace Hughes Hallett
Liza Williams
Marian Mohamed
Morag Tinto
Nathan Harrison
Oliver Englehart
Stuart Oates
Suemay Oram
Victoria Bromley
Producers
Alexandra Smith
Ben Freedman
Cheryl Richardson
Dhanny Joshi
Fredi Devas
Hassan Akkad
Inez Gordon
Jennifer Jones
Jon Bradfield
Josh Haddow
Katie Prince
Leon Mayne
Liz Johnson
Lyle Ashun
Mark Flowers
Nadine Furlong
Poppy Begum
Rowan Crawford
Scott Bassett
Shabana Bhula
Tom George
Further On and Off-Screen Talent
Leo Fawkes
Jennie Jones
Olly Alexander
Ada Bodjolle
Usha Amin
Billy Clarke
Moses Adeyemi
Pascal Anson
Eamonn McCabe
Diana Ali
Music
Alika MC
Berna MC
Komenz
Rita Ray
Rodney P
Commissioning
Sarah Asante
Beejal Patel
Julie Shaw
Kaplna Patel
Staff Reporter
Share this story