Kudos has launched a trio of Peaky Blinders ‘bootcamps’ to train up crew to take on roles in high-end TV produced out of the West Midlands.
The scheme, set through Kudos Knight, the company’s tie-up with the drama’s creator Steven Knight, is offering three courses that can collectively accommodate 60 people from the region.
Delivered in partnership with Create Central, West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Solihull College & University Centre, the courses will combine talks, practical training and masterclasses.
- Entries for the entry-level course, an offer to beginners and early-stage freelancers, close on Sunday 5 October, with interviews next week. For more details, click here
- A six-week course aimed at mid-level crew with two or more scripted production credits - featuring planning, scheduling and budgeting, and aimed at production managers, location managers, production coordinators 1st and 2nd assistant directors and people working in costume, props and art, kicks off in November. Applications due by 12 October. For more details, click here
- The third is for people with transferrable skills, such as carpenters, art, hair and make-up, who are looking to move into high-end TV, and will cover pre-production, set etiquette, sustainability, health and safety, employability, freelancing, CVs, diversity and career support. For this course, entries are due by 19 October. For more details, click here
The training builds on a four-week scripted production scheme delivered last year by MAMA Youth in partnership with BFA (Birmingham Film Academy).
Details of the courses came as the BBC and Netflix confirmed two new series of Peaky Blinders, set in the 1950s, will be made out of Birmingham’s Digbeth Loc studios.
The BBC recently announced it was doubling its annual production spend in the West Midlands from £24m to £40m by the end of 2027, with two daytime dramas also confirmed.
“The West Midlands has huge potential to be a world-renowned centre of excellence for high end scripted television production,” said Kudos joint managing director Martin Haines.
“Kudos Knight’s pipeline of projects is coming to fruition, and I’m delighted that we are going to be making Peaky Blinders in the region. We must grow the number of skilled local talent to work on productions.”
Create Central chair Ed Shed said the bootcamps are “all about connecting diverse local talent with real jobs”.
He said the scheme will “help us continue to fill vital skills gaps while opening up genuine opportunities for people from all backgrounds to build long-term careers in high-end TV production”.
