Stink Supports Screen Industries Diversity Push with London Screen Academy

Stink Studios has created a campaign to launch the London Screen Academy (LSA), a new sixth-form free school for 16-19 year olds aiming to address skills shortages and access to the screen industries for young people in London. 

LSA has been founded by award-winning producers including Working Title Films’ Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (Darkest Hour, Baby Driver), Heyday Films’ David Heyman (Harry Potter films, Gravity), EON Productions’ Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson (James Bond films, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool) and Lisa Bryer (The Last King of Scotland, Goodbye Charlie Bright) in partnership with outstanding educators. The Islington-based college opens in September and will accept applications from students across the whole of London. It will teach a specialist curriculum to up to a thousand students, comprising behind the camera skills and the background knowledge needed to join the screen industries. 

LSA’s goal is for students to graduate prepared or ‘set ready’, progressing to either a career in the screen industries, to higher education or taking the skills they’ve learned to succeed in other professions. Students will have unique access to the film and television industries as they will be taught not only by outstanding teachers but also by people who make their living working in film and television. As well as creating the campaign, Stink will be supporting the LSA in the commercials and music video arena, providing mentoring, masterclasses and placements for students and would encourage the rest of the industry to follow suit.

“As Founders we believe that everyone who has a passion for film-making should have the opportunity for a career behind the camera in one of the many jobs in the screen industries. We want to make the seemingly inaccessible film and television worlds accessible. We believe that our workforce should better reflect the diversity and cultural richness of the city in which we live," said Tim Bevan, co-founder of LSA and co-chairman of Working Title Films.

Stink Studios’ recruitment campaign highlights the many behind the screen skills that the LSA will teach - from direction to sound design, art direction to editing, hair and makeup to costume design - and shows how the things that people already enjoy doing could make a career. With media support from Universal, it includes a 60-second cinema ad screening in Vue cinemas across London, DOOH across transport sites, posters as well as social media executions. Launched during awards season, when discussion around the need for greater diversity in the industry is at its peak, the work has already garnered support from celebrities, including actors Hugh Jackman, Naomie Harris and Gemma Chan, model Laura Bailey and rapper/director Rapman. 

The creative industries are one of the fastest growing sectors in London’s economy and across the whole of the UK. Nonetheless, the film and television industries in particular face ongoing skills shortages.

“We need to broaden the invite,” Jon Lawton, creative director at Stink Studios said. “Our ambition is to show our audience that the things they are already doing can forge a path into the film and television industries; to flip the perception that youngsters are on their phones too much, when they might be London's next great screenwriter or director. Having a free sixth-form college in London is a great thing - and will lead to an exciting and more diverse future for our industry."

Blake Powell, global head of talent at Stink Films said: “We’ve always been passionate about supporting talent at Stink, but there’s no doubt the pool should be bigger. Greater diversity drives more interesting, more powerful creativity. The industry needs fresh thinking and new talent. The access and world-class training the LSA will give to future generations is key to exposing as many students to our industry as possible. To get the opportunity to support it on this scale with the LSA is hugely exciting.”