Our small award winning charity Clapperboard UK Ltd has a successful track record during the past 14 years, of providing creative training and progression routes for our numerous volunteers and film participants, helping them achieve their ambitions of gaining work experience and employment in the creative industries of moving image and theatre.
Below is a testament from some of our creative talent who have gone on to pursue their dreams of working either‘ in-front of’ or‘ behind the scenes’ in theatre, film and television, something I’ m extremely proud of.
Maureen Sinclair, Director, Clapperboard UK Ltd
Clapperboard presents... fundraising premiere of Ken Loach’ s feature film ROUTE IRISH with actors Bradley Thompson, Trevor Williams, Mark Womack and Clapperboard Director, Maureen Sinclair.
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Sam Roberts
I joined Clapperboard straight after finishing University. It was a great move, it kept me interested and active in TV and Film when it would have been easy to drift off and find something else to do. I was encouraged to get involved in a creative capacity straight away, creating the Clapperboard
Annual Awards Brochure and working alongside Colin Farrell on the shoots whilst learning practical skills with Maureen Sinclair- organizing the high profile awards night, writing funding applications and festival submissions.
Through my voluntary work, then as a paid freelance with Clapperboard, I gained some great contacts and soon landed a job as a runner with Lime Pictures before working as a camera assistant where I learned a huge amount about the industry and gained some credentials to get my foot in the door. I got a lucky break when I was invited down to London to for‘ a friendly chat’ with a company called RAW TV and was offered temporary work for a couple of weeks of cover before they offered me a full time role. I had the opportunity to work on many documentaries and make tonnes of great contacts; they gave me my step up to researcher 8 months later and the rest is history. Now, I’ ve just finished a documentary series on WW1 and gained my first assistant producer credit.
Clapperboard gave me the focus I needed after University and the confidence to put myself out there. Also, I cannot understate how important the administration and business skills I’ d learnt from Maureen were. I was able to hit the ground running and show that I was capable straight away. In such a competitive job environment it was invaluable to have had the Clapperboard experience … Thanks for everything Clapperboard!