Applications are now open for the 12-week paid training and work placement opportunity, designed to develop creative digital skills and opportunities.
Supporting partners include ITV Studios, LADbible Group, Lime Pictures and Studio Lambert North.
Today (Wednesday February 23rd), The Andy Taylor Foundation and SharpFutures have launched ‘Foot In The Door’, a talent development programme that will give young people in Greater Manchester an opportunity to develop their skills before going on a work placement with some of the North West’s most exciting creative media businesses.
‘Foot In The Door’ is open to 18-24 year olds from Greater Manchester that are interested in making content but might not have any experience as yet. The first six weeks of the course will be run by SharpFutures and held in person at The Sharp Project, Manchester’s creative digital hub. There the participants will learn about creating content and will cover skills like production techniques, digital storytelling, coming up with ideas and pitching them alongside learning about communication and teamwork.
After the first six weeks of training, the participants will spend the next six on a work placement with one of the North West’s award winning global media, entertainment creators such as a digital publisher LADbible Group, Lime Pictures – the team behind Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, Studio Lambert North the makers of Naked Attraction, The Circle and Gogglebox and ITV Studios, a creator, producer and distributor of world-leading programmes.
The course participants will be supported throughout the 12 week programme by the SharpFutures skills development team, helping them plot the next stage of their careers in Greater Manchester’s expanding creative digital sector.
At the end of the ‘Foot In The Door’ the participants will take part in a graduation event to showcase the content they have created over the duration and will be interviewed to join SharpFutures People On Demand (SharpFutures POD).
‘Foot In The Door’ builds on the success of recent digital skills courses that SharpFutures have produced with clients such as Channel 4 and Sky Studios.
The deadline for applications is on Monday 14th March 2002 at 5pm.
Andy’s wife, Lara, explained: “Andy always felt extremely fortunate to love his work. He got up every morning energised, looking forward to the day ahead. He cared deeply about letting all young people know that there was opportunity for them to achieve their goals, just as he had. Little Dot Studios created many roles for young people starting their careers and Andy wanted to help build similar opportunities elsewhere too. As his brain tumour progressed, he tasked us with implementing that ambition for him, which we are aiming to do through the foundation we have established in his name. We couldn’t be more proud or committed.”
Lee Stanley, SharpFutures CEO, said “We are looking forward to be working with the Andy Taylor Foundation and the partners on this course. It’s an amazing opportunity for young people in Greater Manchester to learn from some of the most exciting creative media businesses in the North West and develop some really important skills to give their careers a boast.
If you’re aged between 18-24 and passionate about making content but not sure what to do next then I’d really encourage you to apply for the course, it may change your life!”
Partner Profiles
The Andy Taylor Foundation is a start-up Non-Profit Organisation committed to improving social mobility within the digital media industry.
Its goal is to identify and fund high-impact programmes that open up career opportunities for young adults, driving diversity and creativity within the digital media industry and to connect some of the UK’s most dynamic media organisations with talent whose potential might otherwise be untapped.
The foundation was the idea of Andy Taylor, one of the pioneers of digital media in the UK and an inspiration and mentor to many who followed in his footsteps. Andy was a proud son of Lancashire and the North who made his way into the media industry via the University of Nottingham, an early career as a lawyer and then cutting-edge digital teams at Endemol UK, Channel 4 and All3Media.
He went on to co-found Little Dot Studios, an award-winning digital content agency and media network with clients including Gordon Ramsay, NBCUniversal and Formula E. Tragically, Andy died from a brain tumour in December 2020. Family, friends and colleagues of Andy believe there is no better tribute to his life than to enable others to access rewarding careers in the media industries. The Andy Taylor Foundation was born.
Little Dot Studios
Little Dot Studios is an award-winning digital content agency and media network established in 2013.
Specialising in creating meaningful connections between premium content and digital audiences, Little Dot Studios engages, grows, and monetises digital audiences on social platforms and connected devices through data-driven, broadcast-quality creative.
Made up of over 500 digital experts, platform specialists and content superfans across the UK, US, Germany and APAC, Little Dot Studios works with the world’s most recognised TV, sports and consumer brands, creating premium video and audio content for more than 600 social channels globally and responsible for six billion organic views per month.
Little Dot Studios runs its digital broadcast network of more than thirty-five channel brands across social platforms and OTT video on-demand services; licensing over 15,000 hours of hand-picked long-form content, the network is watched by over 40 million subscribers and reaches over 100 million unique viewers every month.
Little Dot Studios also owns sports-focused production studio WING, as well as broadcaster Dan Snow’s History Hit podcast network and SVOD service. Little Dot Studios is an All3Media company.
SharpFutures Manchester CIC
SharpFutures is a social enterprise that supports diverse talent into employment in the creative digital sector.
By offering a range of Training Courses, Apprenticeships and Placements, SharpFutures supports people by developing their creative digital skills to broaden their employment opportunities.
We seed ideas through services for education, we nurture the best talent we find through employment opportunities and real work experience, and we grow through the sale of our business products and services such as SharpFutures