Wednesday September 3rd 2025
A recent Into Film Scotland National Careers Week event for schools with Filmmaker, Mike Kelt from Artem. Photo by Erika Stevenson.
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Discover! Creative Careers has announced its expansion into Scotland through a new partnership with Into Film.
Following a competitive tender process, Into Film have been awarded the contract to implement the Discover! Creative Careers programme in Scotland across 2025 – 2026. Working in partnership with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), Discover! Creative Careers in Scotland has an ambition to reach at least 10,000 young people across 2025-2026.
Discover Creative Careers is a government funded, industry-led programme that is working to ensure there is a larger and more diverse intake of talent via a broader range of routes into the creative industries. The free to access hybrid programme of activities and resources offers meaningful encounters with industry professionals, online tools, training and support throughout the year. Its annual flagship Discover! Creative Careers event takes place every November, connecting thousands of young people with hundreds of workplaces to give hands-on insight into the creative industries.
Discover!, also known as the Creative Careers Programme, was kick-started with funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in 2018 and has been shaped and supported directly by creative businesses, institutions, trade bodies and individuals. Since Discover! Creative Careers was relaunched in 2023, the programme has reached more than 62,000 young people via in-person and online activity and industry encounters. The delivery of Discover! Creative Careers is led by ScreenSkills (the skill body for the UK screen industries) in partnership with over 25 organisations and through collaboration with industry, education and careers professionals.
Nicola Kettlewood, Programme Lead for Into Film Scotland: “It’s a tremendous honour for Into Film Scotland to lead the Discover! Creative Careers Programme. Scotland’s creative industries are rich with opportunity, and this programme allows us to inspire and inform the next generation about the diverse roles available across the sector. We’re committed to making these pathways more visible and accessible, particularly for young people who may not have previously seen a place for themselves in the creative world.”
“We have built strong, lasting relationships with schools, local authorities, and industry partners across the nation. The relationships include a committed group of Scottish Education Ambassadors and Youth Advisory Council members that meet regularly, providing insights and feedback to shape our programme as well as acting as influential advocates of Into Film’s work.”
Into Film Scotland is part of Into Film, the UK’s leading charity for film in education and the community. They provide screen industry careers information and advice, support young filmmakers, and bring the power of moving image storytelling into classroom teaching and youth provision across Scotland.
Into Film will work with the central Discover! Creative Careers team at ScreenSkills and in collaboration with key local partners Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) to shine a spotlight on careers in creative and cultural industries throughout Scotland. The initiative will feature a wide range of exciting activities including industry visits and workshops, online and in-class talks and careers events at the Into Film Festival, an annual event that sees 400,000 children and young people visit cinemas across Scotland and the UK for free.
Michelle Fenwick, DYW National Projects Director commented: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Into Film to deliver the Discover! Creative Careers Programme in Scotland. DYW make it easy for industry to connect with young people in education, so they develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the world of work. This exciting collaboration builds on DYW’s existing engagement with the creative industries, and it will create more opportunities for young people, parents, carers, and educators to find out about the vast range of opportunities and pathways in Scotland’s creative sector.”
Mary Rose Programme Lead for Discover! Creative Careers said “This expansion marks an exciting point in this year’s programme delivery. The tender process was extremely competitive with the highest quality of submissions from a range of organisations across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“The two separate tenders from Into Film demonstrated a robust approach to collaborating with the core programme, alongside years of experience and deep connections with the careers and education policy landscape in both Scotland and Wales. Like us, they are committed to bringing careers awareness across the entire breadth of the creative industries to under 18s as they work with us to help expand on our hugely successful programme.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “We believe that all young people, regardless of background, should have the opportunity to pursue a creative career.
“That is why the Discover! Creative Careers Programme is so important, connecting young people with the sector and giving them real insight into the many pathways on offer.
“I am delighted that Into Film have been chosen to deliver this vital programme in Scotland and shine a light on the variety of creative careers available to the next generation.”
Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans, Graeme Dey said: “I am delighted that Into Film Scotland will be delivering Discover! Creative Careers Scotland in partnership with DYW. This initiative expanding to Scotland is a vital step in empowering individuals with the skills and confidence they need to succeed in Scotland’s creative sector. It is great that this programme will be offering a range of engaging activities that will play a key role in shaping young people’s experiences and creating more opportunities. I encourage schools and employers to sign up and find out more in advance of Discover! Creative Careers Month in November.”
Employers in the creative industries in Scotland can register their interest to participate here.
Schools and educators can find out more and access the main Teacher and Careers Leaders hub here.
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