Case study

Case Study

Screen Ireland / NI Screen
Puttnam Scholars
Summer School

In an industry ripe with talent yet challenged by limited guidance and collaboration, the innovative programme developed by Atticus in partnership with Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen offers mid-career filmmakers a transformative opportunity.

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Screen Ireland & Northern Ireland Screen

YEARS: 5

COUNTRY : Ireland and Northern Ireland

BURSARY SPONSOR: Acenture Ireland

The challenge we wanted to solve:

Screen agencies in Ireland told us that mid-career filmmakers often lack the guidance they need to get to the next step. Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen were also finding there to be a lack of collaboration across the whole island, and were keen to establish some cross-border initiatives. The team at Atticus conceived a programme that would bring together a group of like-minded, similarly-performing, talented people in an exclusive small-group programme to share their experiences and learn from Lord Puttnam.

Each institution selects four participants (eight in total): Screen Ireland handpicks participants with guidance from universities; Northern Ireland Screen runs an open-call application process. The participants then attend two online seminars a week for three weeks (six in total).

Each participant receives a €1,000 bursary at the end of the programme towards new or ongoing creative projects.

“It can be very difficult, while working in an industry such as ours, to step off the hamster wheel for a moment and assess where you're going. This programme helped me take stock, and stoked the fire within me for film and television. I left it feeling reinvigorated and refreshed'.”

― Órfhlaith Ní Chearnaigh, Puttnam Scholar 2023

Skills acquired/learning outcomes:

Participants cultivate their creative resilience and ability for critical thought, which helps sustain their professional success and ability to execute new ideas. They also learn more about the nature of the film business – in particular, new methods of marketing and distribution.

Alumni story:

REVIEWS

What Our Customers say

  • For our students to interact with David Puttnam was amazing. We’ve had long conversations around movies and careers and the students are exploring options they may not have contemplated before. They thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s been a very exciting project and one which they will treasure. What an opportunity to learn from the best!

    TY Teacher, 2023

  • Puttnam Scholars TY programme set me thinking about my identity and how it affects my creativity and perspective. I felt like it challenged me to look to the future and come up with solutions for present and future problems.

    TY Student, 2023

  • David considers the world of filmmaking as a whole, seeing all areas involved as creative, and drawing upon years of knowledge acquired through his filmmaking. Students are always left inspired, driven, and excited to continue with the rest of their course.

    Shakil Mohammed

    Course Leader, NFTS

  • It can be very difficult, while working in an industry such as ours, to step off the hamster wheel for a moment and assess where you’re going. This programme helped me take stock, and stoked the fire within me for film and television. I left it feeling reinvigorated and refreshed.

    Órfhlaith NíChearnaigh

    Programme participant

  • The programme has made me realise the importance of working as a collective.
    I have already begun to set up my own collective of writers/producers/directors to share and discuss our work.
    This can only help me mapping out a pathway to build my career.

    Tara Lynne O'Neill

    Actress, Filmmaker

CASE STUDIES

selection of our programmes

Case Study

TY Programme: ‘Screen Careers for Transition-Year Students’

The first programme of its kind in Ireland, it brought together students from across Ireland’s southwest and culminated with a special in-person networking event with industry professionals.

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Case details

Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia – ‘The Puttnam Programme’

Griffith University has the unique position of being the first – and therefore longest running – of all our cherished relationships.

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Case details

University College Cork (UCC), Cork, Ireland – ‘The Puttnam Scholarship Programme’

Now in its fifth year, the Puttnam Scholars programme at UCC brings students together in a small-group with Lord Puttnam.

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