Kicking off their online training week, the group was taken through sessions by lead trainer and documentary archive producer, Sam Dwyer. Sam is a seasoned professional with nearly 35 years of experience in film and TV. She founded her own company, Fourth Drawer, specialising in Archive Production and has contributed to a wide array of projects, including productions such as The Reckoning and Chernobyl.

Rowan, one of the inaugural Archive Producing trainees, reflects on the incredible experience of the online training week:

“With every speaker so incredibly generous with their time, their knowledge and their encouragement, and each practical session so supportively led by Sam, it’s hard to pick just one highlight of the online training week. It was amazing to hear from so many different perspectives, but for me, hearing from each of the archive producers who shared their expertise with us, and from archives directly was a personal highlight.

[...] I came away with huge appreciation for the process of sourcing, conserving and restoring material - they made it sound so romantic! All in all, the week was as intense as it was enjoyable; I finished every day feeling what a privilege it was to be there.” - Rowan Lee-Potter

Throughout the online portion of the programme, the trainees had the privilege of engaging with an exceptional lineup of industry experts during the training sessions, such as...

• Carol Nahra (Associate Lecturer, London College of Communication)
• Beatrice Read (Archive Producer)
• Obi Adumekwe (Sales Manager, Associated Press)
• Fozia Khan (Head of Unscripted, Amazon Prime Video)
• Miriam Walsh (Archive Producer)
• Jenny Coan (Co-Founder and Director, KINOLIBRARY)
• Rebecca Hickie (Archive Producer)
• Simon Chinn (Producer, Lightbox)
• Prash Naik (Lawyer and Co-founder, Creator Counsels)

“I thought every speaker was brilliant and gave us such a holistic overview of archive in documentary. My favourite session was with Jenny Coan from Kino Library as I loved hearing about her passion for unearthing films that have never been seen before. Exploring Kino’s website was inspiring!” - Maia Adelia

“The lineup of stellar speakers that followed was unparalleled. I particularly enjoyed discussions on the ethics of archiving with Miriam Welsh and the art of constructing an all-archive feature with Ed Perkins and Simon Chinn. Jenny Coan's insights into the acquisition and digitization of archives at Kinolibrary, along with anecdotes about cultivating material from various subcultures, were fascinating. Having started my journey in this very archive house, it felt gratifying to hear Jenny speak about the material that initially sparked my love for archiving.” - Leonie E Rousham

But the list of contributors to the programme doesn't end there. The trainees also had the chance to hear from:

• Sonia Mullett (Manager, Research, Getty Images)
• Andi Beckham (Manager, Offline Product Specialist, Getty Images)
• George Chignell (Producer)
• Kalbir Dhillon (Archive Producer)
• Sam Calverley (Assistant Editor)
• Harjeet Chhokar (Unscripted Executive, Amazon Prime Video)
• Rowan Bray (Managing Director, Clear Cut Pictures)
• Amanda Huntley (Managing Director, Huntley Film Archives)
• Andy Worboys (Editor and Director)

“I think our talk with Andy Worboys came at the perfect time as he was the last speaker for the online week, and it tied everything together beautifully. His experience as an editor and director, combined with his knowledge of archive, made for an essential session that helped answer some really important questions.” - Christopher Coulter

Following on from the online training week was the in-person residential; a week jam-packed full of industry discussions, 1-2-1 interviews, and team working sessions. All the Archive Producer trainees and Grierson staff stayed together in the Peak District, watching docs, bonding over country walks, and really getting stuck into the nitty gritty of archive producing.

Throughout the residential portion of the training scheme, the trainees continued their engaging talks with industry professionals, such as...

• James Hunt (Archive Producer)
• John Smith (Archive Producer)
• Jo Stone (Archive Producer)
• Jo Griffin (Scanning, Grading and Digital Restoration Specialist, R3 Store Studios)

Thank you to everyone for helping to bring the intensive learning to life for the cohort. Some of the trainees reflected on this particular in-person portion of the training scheme, saying...

“The residential week was my favourite week - besides the fact that we were in this beautiful converted pub residence in the Peak District, it was spending time with everyone and doing the training face to face that left a big impact on me.

Sitting on the train when I was on my way to my home after the residential week, I realised that I have learnt so much that I did not learn in my three-year degree but also having a new family that was there to support in my career and to help achieve my dreams.” - Shabnam Karimzada

“Every element of the training was invaluable and we were so lucky to speak with so many standout people from the world of documentaries that it would be hard to pick something from our sessions. However, I really am incredibly grateful to have been in the beautiful Peak District with my fellow trainees, the Grierson team and the incomparable Sam Dwyer. Our group walks were the times that I realised just how special it was to be in our own little archive bubble, getting to know each other, sharing ideas and getting stuck in bogs every now and then!” - Ella Marsh

The trainees are now embarking on their production company placements, where they will be paired with an Archive Producer to learn the ropes working on exciting archive documentary projects at various stages of the filming process.

Huge thanks to all of the production companies who have signed up to offer our trainees invaluable hands-on experience and guidance on their journey to becoming the archive producers of the future. These include Fulwell 73 Productions, KEO Films, Lightbox, Minnow Films, Misfits Entertainment, Raw, and Ventureland.