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LONDON — Prince William, in his role as president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, on Monday delivered a call to arms for a new campaign that looks to support young people from all backgrounds who want to enter the film, TV and games industries.
Prince William said BAFTA’s plan to get the next generation into the industry was a “splendid opportunity for the supremely talented” to get involved.
The Duke of Cambridge made the comments as he visited BAFTA’s headquarters in London on Monday for the official launch of the organization’s “Give Something Back” campaign, which aims to get BAFTA members, award winners and industry organizations involved in a push to share the knowledge and expertise of industry practitioners with new and emerging talent.
He also heard from two beneficiaries of BAFTA scholarship plans.
The Duke of Cambridge also called on senior members of the film, TV and gaming sectors to help with “their time or money” to ensure the future health of the industry. And BAFTA chairman John Willis said the campaign would be asking the industry to contribute by offering time, mentoring and paid work placements, among other things.
The campaign is being launched by BAFTA across its network of operations, including its L.A. outpost.
Willis said it is currently helping run a campaign in a South Central high school to give students from lower-income backgrounds a chance to break into the business.
Prince William’s royal seal of approval for the “Give Something Back” campaign is just his latest role in entertainment industry-related activities. Earlier this year, he also lent his name to a program of scholarships in film, television and games supported by BAFTA and Warner Bros.
Also on Monday, students from London secondary schools were taking part in a games design workshop with games professionals from leading U.K.-based studios.
The games workshop marks the relaunch of the BAFTA Young Game Designers initiative, which includes an annual competition and uses workshops and online resources to give insight into the craft of game creation while raising awareness of the careers available in the sector.
Prince William, describing himself as an “enthusiastic but quite modest” gamer, said he looked forward to playing the games dreamed up by the youngsters in the BAFTA program.
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