Screenworks and Netflix have officially announced the four regional crew trainees who will be employed from February as part of Screenworks’ 2022 Regional Crew Development Program, delivered with the support of the NSW Government and TAFE NSW.
Amos Voltz from Lismore, Eden Cansdell from the Clarence Valley, Ky Crethar from Richmond Valley and Tamsyn Turner from Ballina Shire will spend next year learning about a range of industry roles, and developing their knowledge through a mix of paid on-the-job placements backed up by on-campus training at TAFE NSW Lismore for a Cert III in Screen & Media.
Screenworks CEO, Ken Crouch said that there had been an overwhelming response to the callout for applications from across the Northern Rivers region: “It was great to see so many talented applicants keen to take their first steps into the industry; the future is very bright.
“We were expecting that there would be a good level of interest in these traineeships but were thrilled to receive 130 applications from across the region, with the bulk of the applications coming from the Byron Shire (26%) and Lismore (23%).
“Nearly half of the applications – including our selected trainees – were from individuals from communities which are under-represented in our industry such as First Nations peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse people, people that identify as LGBTQIA+, financially disadvantaged and persons living with disability,” said Mr Crouch.
Netflix Director Nick O’Donnell said: “Congratulations to Amos, Eden, Ky and Tamsyn, and what a fantastic introduction to the industry you’ll get from Screenworks as the inaugural Regional Crew Development Program trainees.
“At Netflix we’re committed to creating an environment where people from different backgrounds and cultural experiences feel accepted, reflected, and respected in all that we do. We’re privileged that Netflix can play a part at the beginning of what we hope will be long and fulfilling careers in the screen sector.”
The program, the first joint initiative between Screenworks and Netflix, will start as a pilot project in Northern NSW with the aim of scaling into other regions across Australia.
Image: Top row: Amos Voltz, Eden Cansdell, Bottom Row: Ky Crethar, Tamsyn Turner