Women in Film and TV has announced the 2025 cohort of the Julie Burnell Scholarship: WFTV Production Management Programme, supported by the ScreenSkills High-end TV Skills Fund with contributions from UK TV productions.
The programme offers four women from the North of England who are working in production management and line producing “an unparalleled opportunity to accelerate their careers and develop as future industry leaders.”
The cohort includes Fahima Chowdhury, who is Newcastle based and has an established track record as a line producer on projects including The Power of Parker (BBC/Boffola Pictures). Fahima also line produced ITV/Silverpoint’s Vera from 2014, stepping up to co-produce for the final two series; Nicole Forrest, a North-West based Production Manager with experience in HETV, continuing drama, comedy and children’s television. She most recently worked as Production Manager on The Power of Parker S2 (BBC/Boffola). Her previous credits include Death In Paradise S13 (BBC/Red Planet), Waterloo Road S11 (BBC/Rope Ladder Fiction) and Happy Valley S3 (BBC/Lookout Point); Mel Rainbow, based in the North East, is an experienced Production Manager specialising in premium unscripted and now pivoting into drama production. Recent projects include heading Fulwell 73’s North Office while overseeing Nicola Payne: The Never Ending Murder (Amazon/Fulwell 73) and Lynsey Palmer, a Newcastle-based Production Manager for Family Secrets (C5/ Lonesome Pine Productions) Lynsey’s previous credits include I Fought The Law (ITV/Hera Pictures) and The Red King (ITV/Quay Street Productions).
Led by Helen Bullough, WFTV’s North of England Mentoring Producer, the four-month programme offers tailored career and personal development workshops led by Executive Coach & WFTV Director of Mentoring, Sarah Wright and Best Practice in Production Management workshops from production partnerships company Nest Productions. There are also masterclasses with industry experts, including ITV Studios Head of Production, Drama, Faiza Tovey and Director of Production, Drama, Julie Clark; plus, senior media executives Tamara Howe and Claire Poyser and also one-to-one mentoring with senior professionals in the industry, including: Head of Production, Scripted Labels, BBC Studios, Alison Loose; Sony Pictures TV Head of Production Angela Taylor; Head of Production at Quay Street Productions Chris Leach and Wall to Wall Head of Production Ros Taylor
The programme is backed by support from ScreenSkills, in tribute to the late Julie Burnell, former Head of Production for Drama at ITV Studios, who passed away in 2023.
Katie Bailiff, WFTV CEO, said, “Our Production Management Programme is a cornerstone of WFTV’s mission to champion and support women in the screen industries, and we are proud to honour Julie Burnell’s remarkable legacy through this initiative. Julie was a deeply respected figure in our industry, and this programme reflects her passion for nurturing talent and creating pathways for others to thrive. I’m thrilled to see our four selected candidates embark on this transformative journey, supported by structured development, mentorship, and a community that shares Julie’s commitment to excellence in production management and line producing.”
Helen Bullough, WFTV North of England Mentoring Producer, added, “We’ve had the most tremendous support for this new Programme from across the North of England and the wider sector thanks to the enduring impact Julie made as an amazing mentor and leader herself, she was devoted to creating environments where her own teams could flourish and prosper. We can’t wait to get started now with our talented quartet supported and inspired by an incredible lineup of senior professionals and mentors”.
Jacqui Taunton Fenton, Senior High-end TV Training Liaison Manager, ScreenSkills, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the new cohort and their mentors onto the programme. This initiative speaks directly to the aims that Julie championed throughout her time on the HETV council, and we’re hugely proud to be able to continue that support with these scholarships. Ensuring pathways to progression are open and accessible to everyone, especially those outside of London, is a core principle of the HETV Skills Fund, and we’re looking forward to seeing these four talented professionals further develop their skills through their time on the programme.”
Photo Credit: Claire Dixon
Jon Creamer
Share this story
