The University of York’s Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN) is carrying out two surveys aimed at assessing the size of the film industry within Yorkshire, as well as the profile and diversity of its workforce, with freelancers one of the key groups being focused on.
The first census will focus on gathering data regarding how many people are employed within the sector and what roles they are in. Conclusions from the survey will be used to inform planning for the film sector’s future growth within Yorkshire.
A separate survey conducted by SIGN will focus on employers and freelancers within the Yorkshire film sector and will aim to gather information regarding the workforce profile of the sector within the county, as well as its diversity.
SIGN says that it is looking to gain input from groups within the industry including broadcasters, production companies and industry bodies, as well as screen content creators working across the film sector.
Commenting on the research, SIGN Industry Partnerships Director Kate O’Connor said: “Knowing the size of the industry is vital to ensuring that the region attracts investment and competes effectively with other parts of the UK. The data being collected from the census is fundamental to building the case to unlock economic support and to grow the industry in a way that is both sustainable and inclusive.”
O’Connor added: “[I]t’s absolutely fundamental to find out exactly what the industry looks like at a regional level so that we can track growth and employment levels, including the impact of major new developments.”
“There has been so much happening at a regional level, from the increase in film and TV production and the development of strong games, animation and immersive content companies. But we don’t know enough about the size of our companies or the profile of our workforce and until we do, we can’t possibly know what we need to do to correct the lack of diversity and access to the industry. We are asking for employers and business owners to spare just a couple of minutes of their time to help us build an accurate picture of the screen industries here in Yorkshire.”
