Applications have opened for a new Liverpool film and TV training programme offering fully funded courses and the chance to secure paid industry placements.
Liverpool City Council’s Film Office has launched Action! Next Take in partnership with Lime Pictures’ L16 Studios Media Academy and Channel 4’s 4Skills.
The programme will give people the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in post-production, art department work and production accountancy while working alongside production teams at Lime Pictures, the company behind Channel 4 continuing drama Hollyoaks.
Applications opened on Thursday, August 20, with the training courses taking place this autumn.
Three courses are available:
- Introduction to Post-Production
- Introduction to the Art Department
- Introduction to Production Accountancy
The three-day courses are open to people aged 18 and over who live within the Liverpool City Region.
There are 48 fully funded places available across six courses covering the three disciplines.
One participant from each course who demonstrates the most potential will then be selected by tutors for a paid 12-week contract within the relevant department.
The placements will be jointly funded by Liverpool Film Office, Channel 4’s 4Skills and Lime Pictures and are expected to begin in early 2027, with exact dates still to be confirmed.
Participants will have the opportunity to develop practical skills, increase their knowledge of the industry and gain an insight into the range of careers available across film and television production.
The initiative follows the recent launch of Foot in the Door Liverpool by Liverpool Film Office and the Andy Taylor Foundation.
That scheme will give 12 young people the chance to begin careers in film, television and digital media through a fully paid training and work placement programme.
Action! Next Take is particularly keen to hear from deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent people, with funding available to support individual access requirements.
The initiative reflects Lime Pictures and L16 Studios’ commitment to being disability confident employers and forms part of ongoing efforts by Liverpool Film Office and 4Skills to increase opportunities for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creatives within the industry.
Cllr Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, said:
“This partnership with Lime Pictures and Channel 4 shows the strength of Liverpool’s screen sector and the value of our long-standing relationships with major broadcasters and producers.
“Liverpool is a cultural hub with a national and international reputation in film and television, and this programme reinforces our leadership in the sector.
“By focusing on high-quality training and paid placements, it will create real pathways into the industry and support the next generation of creative talent in the city.”
Kevin Blacoe, Channel 4’s Head of Partnerships and Skills, said:
“This training programme is a fantastic opportunity for people with a passion for television to take their first step into the industry and gain real, hands-on experience on one of the UK’s most successful and enduring dramas.
“There is no substitute for learning alongside experienced professionals in a fast-paced production environment, and this programme will give participants the chance to build practical skills, confidence and industry connections while contributing to a series watched and loved by audiences across the country.
“4Skills is committed to opening up broadcasting to people from all backgrounds and ensuring talent can thrive wherever they live in the UK. This partnership perfectly reflects that ambition, creating meaningful opportunities for people to learn, develop and access genuine routes into careers in television. We’re proud to be working with Liverpool Film Office, Lime Pictures and L16 Studios to help nurture the next generation of creative talent and strengthen the future of the UK’s screen industries.”
David Williams, Director of L16 Studios said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to be delivering courses that will offer real-world insight and experience into working in areas of television production.
“The teams across L16 Studios and Lime Pictures work across a huge range of programming and have a vast amount of knowledge in their respective fields. L16 Studios’ Media Academy has been established to impart as much of this knowledge as we can, to the next generation of media professionals.”
Full details and application forms are available through the L16 Studios Media Academy website.
