Written evidence submitted by MITA—Moving
Image Training Alliance (arts 228)
1. WHAT IS
MITA?
Every week, hundreds of talented people learn
the art of moving image production through a network of specialist
independent training organisations.
There are more than 30 of these organisations
in London's moving image sector alone, each with a reputation
for providing high quality, professional training; film production
and exhibition opportunities. Together, they help more than 10,000
people across the capital to develop their moving image production
skills each year. (Mapping Independent Production Training in
London, 2004. Burns Owens Partnership for Film London.)
MITA—the Moving Image Training Alliance—was
established in 2007 with support from Film London and London Development
Agency to promote the work of this unique sector. We have a current
membership of independent training providers and industry organisations.
Training programmes offer a mix of short, modular
and longer courses, with a strong emphasis on practical learning,
production-based training, and on-the-job training through paid
work placements. The sector is not part of the formal education
system, but is also distinct from the commercial training sector.
The majority of organisations are charities or not-for-profit
organisations, motivated by social goals with their local communities
and the support for new artistic work.
2. WHY THE
WORK OF
THE SECTOR
IS UNIQUE
What makes this sector so important is that
it combines high quality, industry-standard training with a commitment
to providing opportunities for all, supporting people who would
not otherwise have the chance to work in this area. This includes
young people with low levels of formal education, unemployed people,
and a high proportion from under-represented groups. The sector
is a breeding ground for new talent, working with people in the
early stages of their careers. Many graduates from with practical
creative media degrees lack the business skills and industry knowledge
to gain employment, and MITA organisations provide professional
development support, taught by renowned industry practitioners.
Results are significant. MITA organisations
have a proven record of supporting participants into sustainable
industry employment in the film/TV sector; promoting disenfranchised
young people into college and apprenticeships; supporting new
talent in creating award-winning films.
3. IMPACT OF
RECESSION AND
CUT-BACKS
ON FILM
TRAINING/ARTS
SECTOR
MITA organisations have suffered from recent
cut-backs in Government and arts funding, with several highly-regarded
and long-established organisations forced into closure over the
past two years. These include FT2 (the industry trainer for film
apprenticeships for 25 years), Connections Communications (supporting
disadvantaged local people for 18 years), TAPS (leading training
organisation for new television writers for 18 years), YCTV (working
with disadvantaged young people), and New Producers Alliance (supporting
emergent film/Television producers) to name a few.
The global recession has had a significant impact
on the Film/TV sector, reducing budgets available for production,
with a knock on effect on MITA organisations. Over the last 18
months organisations have experienced significant reductions in
income from facilities hires and course income. Combined with
growing difficulties in securing grant income, this means organisations
cannot deliver services to their clients (such as young unemployed
people) at this time when they need it most.
Further spending cuts will decimate the independent
training sector for moving image altogether unless strategies
can be put in place.
4. PROBLEM OF
CURRENT GRANT
FUNDING SYSTEM
The current arts funding system largely comprises
one-off grants made on an annual basis. As most arts organisations
do not receive any core funding, this means budgeting and forward
planning is often difficult.
Some progress has been made by funding bodies
asking organisation applicants to calculate funding applications
on the basis of full cost recovery. However this still varies
from funder to funder, and is not always the case.
Organisations operate with little (if any) core
funding, and rely on a combination of grants and own-earned income
through courses and facilities hire. The current system of revenue
based, one-off grants is disastrous. Funding needs to be allocated
on a sustainable basis—2-3 years worth at a time.
The Arts Council grants for regularly funded
organisations is essential, and enables further funds to be levered
in. But for many organisations Arts Council funding scarcely represents
12% of their annual turnover. There is a very real need to look
at other ways of ensuring core funding can be secured to support
sustainability.
5. PROBLEM OF
FUNDING THE
INDEPENDENT TRAINING
SECTOR FOR
MOVING IMAGE
MITA member organisations are funded by a variety
of government, regional and local sources, particularly the Arts
Council, UK Film Council, Skillset; and through regeneration schemes
run by London Development Agency and European schemes. They are
therefore very vulnerable to cut-backs from DCMS, Office of the
Third Sector and DCSF.
One important step for MITA organisations would
be to consider funding independent training providers on the same
basis as the Further and Higher Education sector.
6. THE ABOLITION
OF THE
UK FILM COUNCIL
The abolition of the UK Film Council has put
into doubt future support for film and film making as a whole.
The UK Film Council has made a huge impact on the industry across
production, training and education initiatives, and its loss will
leave the industry weaker and more fragmented.
In particular the loss of the Film Council will
have a long-term effect on industry film production, with fewer
films available for talented new entrants to work on and develop
their skills. The loss of industry training initiatives delivered
by MITA members will mean talented new entrants from poorer backgrounds
will no longer have the support necessary to enter this industry,
which notoriously relies on new entrants working for free on placements
or on a very low paid basis for the first few years. The knock-on
impact for new talent and therefore future film and television
production is hard to estimate.
7. NEED FOR
TRAINING IN
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
FOR LONDONERS
The Creative Industries are London's third largest
employment sector with 525,000 people and its second biggest source
of jobs, providing roughly one in every five new jobs. (www.london.gov.uk/mayor/creativeindustries).
But there is a pressing need for well-trained, local people to
take advantage of the increase in knowledge-intensive jobs in
London such as in new digital technologies, and employment opportunities
arising from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Many of London's young, multi-cultural population
has little access to training and employment opportunities in
Creative Media. There is a corresponding industry need for diverse
new entrants: Skillset and UK Film Council state the need for
more young people, women and BAME groups who remain significantly
under-represented. Women make up 39% of the film workforce, but
only 15% in areas like camera. Only 5% of production workforce
is from a BAME background, compared with 24% in London. 3% of
people define themselves as disabled. (Skillset's 2006 Employment
Census)
September 2010
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