For over fifty years, the National Film and Television School (NFTS) has shaped some of the UK’s top creative talent – and in 2021, that legacy found its new home in Wales. Established at BBC Cymru Wales’ Central Square broadcast hub in Cardiff, NFTS Cymru Wales was launched to build a clear pathway into the screen industry for emerging Welsh and Wales-based talent.
Since then, NFTS Cymru Wales has grown more successful and is now delivering world-class short courses and certificate courses, covering everything from scriptwriting and directing to camera work and data wrangling.
The school doesn’t just train people already working in the industry – it also helps those hoping to kickstart their career in Film and TV, aiming to address the skills gaps within Wales’s fast-growing production sector. As well as playing a key role in backing the Siop Un Stop/One Stop Shop BFI Skills Cluster for Wales, it’s also the only provider focusing on digital-first content, partnering with YouTube and the BBC to deliver this. Alongside supporting individuals, the school also offers expert sessions to companies on topics including creating content for digital platforms.
To support the establishment of NFTS' new school in Wales, we provided initial start-up funding to help launch it. We have continued to fund the school ever since, alongside BBC Cymru Wales, which provides a base at Central Square. We also provide bursary funding to ensure the high-quality training the school delivers remains accessible to all, with a third of training places available free of charge.
That funding has gone on to change lives. Bursary recipients like Charles Strider, who first came to Wales facing homelessness and has spoken about living with dyslexia, have described the scheme as opening the door to an industry that once felt out of reach.
It’s this kind of story that speaks to the heart of NFTS Cymru Wales’s mission: to make a career in screen accessible to anyone with the talent and determination to succeed, regardless of their background or financial circumstances.
This commitment is helping to shape the future of the industry in Wales by building a more diverse and inclusive workforce – supporting the long-term growth of Wales’ screen sector along the way.
With new courses and taster days opening throughout the year, including opportunities like production coordinator training, NFTS Cymru Wales continues to welcome the next generation of storytellers and crew into the industry.
Key facts and figures from NFTS Cymru Wales’ bursaries:
- Number of courses delivered since 2021: 269
- Number of attendees: 2,063
- Number of bursary applications: 157
- In-person sessions delivered across 12 different areas in Wales, alongside online remote sessions.
- Partnerships created with the likes of BBC Cymru Wales, S4C, BFI, 4Skills, BBC, Amazon Prime Video, ScreenSkills and YouTube. In addition to indigenous companies like Cwmni Da, Yeti, Boom Cymru, Chwarel, Tinopolis, Afanti and Rondo; local organisations (Culture Connect Wales); Universities (University of South Wales, Bangor, Aberystwyth, Cardiff); and HE/FE colleges (Cardiff & Vale, Coleg y Cymoedd, Coleg Gwent, Pembrokeshire College).
- NFTS Cymru Wales is also a key delivery partner of the BFI Skills Cluster for Wales, Siop Un Stop – One Stop Shop, led and delivered by Sgil Cymru in partnership with Creative Wales and Screen Alliance Wales.
Interested in hearing more about the companies at the heart of Wales’ creative industries? Visit our Spotlight On section to discover more stories.
