Northumbria University alumni selected to create short film for BBC

Northumbria University alumni Rachael Walsh has been selected by a BBC and Arts Council England backed programme, New Creatives North, as up-and-coming talent.

Northern artists, creators and makers from across the region are being selected by New Creatives North for a new development scheme that could see their work broadcast on BBC platforms, including BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds, BBC Taster and beyond.

The programme is for 16 to 30 year olds and focuses on giving opportunities to young creatives from all backgrounds – to broaden the range of voices and experiences we hear and see on our screens and radio.

Rachael Walsh studied Drama and Scriptwriting at Northumbria University, graduating in 2011, and has now been selected to create a film piece that could soon be seen on BBC iPlayer.

Her piece, entitled Perdition, follows the journey of Cassie who, after the death of her ex-best friend, is trying to come to terms with the fact that she will never be able to make amends.

New Creatives North are now looking for more creatives from anyone living or studying in the north.The scheme welcomes submissions that cover a wide range of artistic practices.

 Applications are encouraged from creatives who could be writers, sound artists, podcasters, dancers, performers, musicians, filmmakers, comedians, visual artists, illustrators, animators, poets, storytellers or games designers; or they could be something else entirely.

From the serious to the comedic, the soothing to the provocative, the specific to the abstract, New Creatives North are looking for ideas that push the boundaries on what constitutes art, makepeople think, and encourage new ways of understanding ourselves and the world in which we live. The only kinds of ideas not accepted are journalism or current affairs documentary.

Creative Director and the award-winning filmmaker leading the project, Ian Fenton said: “The creative sectors desperately need an injection of new, interesting, bold talent from beyond the M25. New Creatives North is designed to open doors for imaginative people to share their ideas.

Applicants selected to be on the New Creatives North scheme will work with industry mentors and professionals to develop their creative and professional skills, extend their networks, and will receive funding to make new work for broadcast.

Applications for film and audio close on December 13. To find out more and apply visit www.newcreatives.co.uk