TV Collective Launches Content Fund and Accelerator Scheme to Support Global Majority Talent
London, UK – The TV Collective, a networking organization for creatives of color in the screen industries, has announced the launch of two new initiatives to support global majority talent – the TV Collective Content Fund and the TV Collective Develops accelerator scheme. These initiatives will be launched at the TV Collective’s first international hybrid festival, taking place from 16-27 September, and will feature top-tier talent such as Sheila Nortley, Sebastian Thiel, Paul Garnes, Akala, Rajesh Thind, George Amponsah, and more.
The TV Collective Content Fund, managed by BeeSMART, will pay homage to the Pardner Hand, an informal savings scheme used by many from the Windrush generation to purchase homes in the UK. The fund will offer a chance for creatives of color to win a cash prize every month, with the first payout of £5k taking place at the end of the festival in September. The fund will also have a monthly charity payout of £25k starting from October 2024.
Simone Pennant MBE, CEO of the TV Collective, says, “Even with the successes of our Breakthrough Leaders programme, which has supported over 200 global majority talent at senior levels in TV to progress their careers, many of us are in survival mode given the current economic challenges. However, with these new initiatives, TV Collective hopes to continue to inspire our community to thrive, not just survive. Supporting the TV Collective Content Fund not only gives creatives of color a chance to win big every month and get their hands on some cash money, but more importantly, the money raised goes to global majority creatives supporting them to develop and produce the content audiences want to see.”
The TV Collective Develops accelerator scheme is another key component of the bespoke offer by TV Collective. It aims to provide support and resources for global majority talent to advance their careers in the TV industry. The scheme will be launched at the TV Collective Live festival, which is based on the TV Collective podcast (formerly The Plug). Attendees can book 1-2-1 sessions with industry experts, attend over 30 masterclasses and business clinics, and network with international professionals.
In addition to these initiatives, the TV Collective Live festival will also feature in-person events such as a lunch with Big Zuu on Friday 20th September. Big Zuu says, “TV Collective is trying to make sure it’s lit for diverse talent in TV and giving away cash money! Join me for an in-person Big Zuu lunch at TV Collective’s festival, where I will be chatting about how and why I am bodying TV content production, and find out how TV Collective is backing their chat with cash!”
The festival will also include talks and panels with renowned producers and storytellers, such as Paul Garnes, President of ARRAY Filmworks, who says, “On behalf of ARRAY Filmworks, I’m happy to join my fellow producers and storytellers at this forward-thinking convening to explore the importance of narrative change and the future of film.”
The TV Collective is a CIC (Community Interest Company) that champions excellence, inclusion, and change for creatives of color behind the camera in the screen industries. It was founded in 2011 by Simone Pennant MBE, who was inspired to create a platform and community for content creators from global majority backgrounds to come together, support, celebrate, and create opportunities for each other.
CEO Simone Pennant MBE is available for interviews and can be contacted through publicist Paula Ogun Hector via WhatsApp messaging at +44 7445 104 862 or paula@imaginationlab.co.uk. For more information on the TV Collective’s Content Fund, Festival, and TV Collective Develops, visit their website at https://www.thetvcollective.org/. Don’t miss out on the chance to attend the festival and access all online events for free by joining the TV Collective community for just £8.99 a month.
