Sara Putt Associates Trainee Scheme and Foundation has won the third annual Production Guild of Great Britain (PGGB) Duke of Edinburgh Film and TV inclusion award.
Nicola Lees, Laurily Adams and Kelly Spearman from the trainee scheme received the award from the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, at a ceremony in London last night (March 24).
Sara Putt Associates Trainee Scheme and Foundation was founded 12 years ago to support new and diverse talent. The scheme helps highly-trained individuals gain the soft skills required to develop a successful freelance career, while the foundation works to create access and opportunities for those might never have had the opportunity to work in film and TV.
Further finalists this year were:
Denise Rose’s Mouth That Roars, which provides opportunities for marginalised young people in east London to learn the skills to forge careers in media;
Futures in Film CIC that provides pathways between disconnected regions in the north-west of England and the wider film and TV industry;
Katie Player, a line producer, wheelchair user and campaigner for disability representation in the screen industries;
Natalie Edward-Yesufu, founder of event and film production company Transition Stage Company and advocate for greater production investment in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
Founder and managing director Sara Putt, who is also chair of Bafta, said: “We are in such amazing company – the finalists this year are all fantastic. We’re all family and everybody’s trying to achieve the same goals of making the industry a better place. As my colleague Nicola wisely says, ‘Sara, we’re not trying to boil the ocean. We’re just trying to make a corner of it a little warmer.’ I think an award like this really helps in that work. Thank you.”
First launched in 2022, the inclusion award shines a light on the work of organisations or individuals in production, who are helping to create and progress talent inclusion in the UK screen production workforce, and is supported by Walt Disney Studios. The winner was chosen by a jury led by PGGB’s equality, diversity and inclusion committee.
Previous winners are Million Youth Media and 6ft From the Spotlight.
PGGB is an organisation for those working in film and TV drama production, founded in 1999. Its membership covers accounts, production, location management, assistant directing, VFX and post-production.
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