Sadly, as NDIS providers on the Gold Coast, it’s a bit of a trek for us to get to the UK every day for work, but the BBC has just made a very exciting announcement for anyone, looking to get into the world of comedy, but Mae previously have been worried about doing so due to a disability.
The scheme has been launched by BBC Comedy, which aims to bring about balance by adding disabled people to their team of editors for scripted comedy television. They are seeking applications from candidates, who are neurodivergent, disabled, or deaf, and promised to help catapult their careers.
Shadowing and Training
The two successful candidates will take up placement shadowing professionals. One of the roles is an editing assistant, and they can either work from Bristol, London, Manchester or Cardiff at an entry level. The other successful candidate will begin a mid-level role in London as an assistant editor. As well as the salary, these roles, attract training, mentoring, and a £5000 grant that has been designed to ensure that they can develop their career in script writing and editing even further.
A Pilot Scheme
At this stage, the scheme is considered a pilot and looks to add editors to the BBC comedy collective bursaries from 2024. Speaking about the opportunity, the director of comedy commissioning at the BBC, John Petrie, said: ‘Our BBC Comedy Editors Access Scheme is just the start of a wider conversation about how we improve representation within the comedy editing community.’
Working with Key People
As part of the role, the successful candidates will be mentored, and one such mentor is Gareth Heal. As a successful script, writer and editor with the BBC, you may recognise his work in Horrible Histories, Peacock, and People Just Do Nothing. The BBC has timed the launch of this initiative to coincide with the Cardiff BBC Comedy Festival, and it was there that Heal made the announcement about his role as an ambassador for the program.
Positive Change
He is also the parent of a disabled child and spoke of how the positive change needed to come and was long overdue in his profession. He saw progress in schools, culture and sports, but felt that things like editing and television were far behind, having worked in cutting rooms for around 30 years. He said, “There’s a long way to go; we’re in a better place than we were. And then I look around myself at work – I can’t remember ever meeting anyone working in post-production with a disability. ‘I can be working on a production where diversity is on the screen, but when I look round the room, at the people making these shows, the disparity is crystal clear. Change is long overdue. That change won’t come overnight, but I know that Jon and his team are intent on shifting the dial.’
The BBC has backing for the initiative from Picture Shop, Fifty Fifty and the Independent Post Company. They are accepting applications from midday on Monday, 12th June, and the closing date is midday on Monday, 10th July. Check out the full details, including how to apply on the comedy commissioning website.