The Residential

The trainees experienced a mix of team building exercises, documentary history and foundational knowledge from lead trainer, Carol Nahra, and industry sessions from the likes of The Garden, Dora Baker from KEO Films and Grierson DocLab Alumni. They watched documentary clips and even the feature doc Subject to get them thinking…

• “The highlight of the morning for me was definitely our much-anticipated seminar with The Garden. We were lucky enough to be joined by talent execs Dee Kahlon and Andrea Bate-Boyle, as well as Spencer Kelly, Director of Factual. As a fan of The Garden as a production company, this was the session I had been looking forward to the most (having looked ahead at the schedule), and it did not disappoint. The team brought the marks of decades of combined TV experience and shared with us a breadth of knowledge rarely available in such a short time slot. I took pages and pages of notes, learning not only about the inner workings of their heavy-hitting shows like 24 Hours in A&E but also what distinguishes a good résumé from a bad one.” – Alex Fusco

• “We kept up our momentum with Carol introducing the core of documentaries. Fixed-rig. Observational. Longitudinal. The two Johns; the Twelve. Know any of these? I didn’t then but was soon whittled into shape.” – Ben Coxell

• “Our next session: an insightful and comprehensive Development for Factual TV masterclass delivered by Ben McGeorge-Henderson, a Grierson DocLab 2015 alum… Ben walked us through the different roles within a development team and the key stages of the process – from market awareness and responding to briefs to reaching the final stage: “greenlight” – or, as I say, getting the show on the road.” – Khadijat Ajonbadi

• “With very limited experience working with cameras, I was a little nervous that I would be a bit behind compared to everyone else. However, Ben did a great job at making the session accessible and beginner-friendly, while also keeping it incredibly engaging and informative.” – Safanit Yonas

• “Dora walked us through how her team gained access to the community when working on The Tribe – something that wasn’t quick or easy, and relied entirely on building trust and mutual understanding. It was a reminder of how sensitive and deliberate you have to be when telling other people’s stories, especially across cultures. She was also refreshingly honest about freelancing, travel, and the unpredictability of this career. I asked her about the lack of fixed roots and the challenges of moving around for work. She didn’t gloss over it - but made it feel doable, even exciting.” – Ollie Clay

• “We watched Subject which visited the people involved in different documentaries, looking back from when they were first filmed. The ethics of documentaries came under the spotlight here, many of the ‘subjects’ talking of the traumas and impact of the films, all while the filmmakers, in these specific cases, consider how to continue generating profit out of it. It shed important light on the thin line between highlighting someone’s story and becoming exploitative in how this information dictates their future.” – Sahar Hamidollah

They were also set their challenge to consolidate their learning, share some of their work, and to pitch a documentary idea at the end of the upcoming online training week…

• “Safanit, Serena, and I worked on our pitch to present to the group. We had some issues trying to put together a presentation with only one laptop between us and unreliable Wi-Fi, but in all honesty, that made it more fun! Everyone was rushing around, practicing their pitches, which made the atmosphere in the house quite exciting. Our group was the first to present, which was nerve-wracking, but I'm glad we got ours out of the way quickly. Otherwise, my nerves would’ve taken over while waiting for my turn. Everyone had such interesting pitches, and we received great feedback to help us strengthen our pitching skills before the online week.” – Caitlin Neaves

• “It’s a daunting prospect, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we are all eager to make the most of. The mix of excitement and nerves filled the air as we imagined ourselves stepping up to the challenge!” – Hollie Hughes

• “This session conceptually demonstrated the importance of strong communication skills, conviction and confidence when pitching. The feedback we received was both honest and constructive, exactly what we needed to hear.” – Jamila Pero

• “I initially hesitated to share my work as I knew I would feel vulnerable sharing a personal project with a bunch of new people. I overcame this once I realised that this was not only good practice for my career, where my work will go out to the world, but also a chance for me to get out of my comfort zone. The positive feedback from the group was confirmation that I had nothing to worry about and that I should be proud of my work, not hide it.” – Serena Soumiya

After four days together, the group had formed a tight bond and were eager to build on their knowledge in the weeks to come.

• “In just a few days, we had formed a tight-knit group, united by our passion and drive. Each one of us brought our unique stories, from which we all learnt so much from each other, creating a bond that only we can relate to as we take on this journey together.” – Hollie Hughes

• “One of my favourite parts of the residential was sitting outside together every evening and getting to know the talented and kind people in my cohort. It is really reassuring to know that their friendly faces will be out in the industry too.” – Iris Mitchell

• “And just like that, a transformative week of growth and challenges has come to an end. I’ve unlocked a new level of confidence in my ability to thrive in this field. Absolutely nothing can stop me now!” – Jamila Pero

• “We waited for an hour together, laughing and getting to know each other. It was a relief to meet them both before getting to the house, because my mind was put completely at ease. I realised in the waiting room with them at Buxton that we were all going to have a brilliant week!” – Lori Chappell

Online Training

Following the residential, the trainees’ learning and foundation of knowledge was expanded, developed and tested through a series of workshops, talks and pitching sessions. They even got a surprise visit from none other than Stacey Dooley to get them feeling inspired for the week ahead!

Guest speaker highlights from the group were…

• “Stacey was incredibly generous with her time and expertise, treating our questions with genuine interest and providing detailed, honest responses that made the session thoroughly enjoyable for everyone.” – Caitlin

• “A session I had been particularly excited for, a discussion and viewing of DocLab Alum Cherish Oteka’s documentary The Black Cop. I’d seen the film a few years before at university and so I was overjoyed when I saw it on the schedule and learnt that Cherish was themself an alum. It’s always great to be reminded that you’re in great company with the Grierson’s network... naturally it helps when they come attached with a BAFTA!” – Alex

• “Since the Clear Cut Pictures session, I have started my placement and the technical terms and lingo they taught us have been invaluable! I feel like I can not only participate in discussions but have an idea of what is going on, which as someone with no experience in post-production is a testament to how successful this workshop was.” – Iris

• “Overall, both speakers (Elliot Gerner and Robbie Hunter) were really helpful for gaining further, richer insight into the world of documentaries. I came away from Wednesday exhausted but invigorated from the opportunity to learn so much. I felt both speakers gave us Grierson trainees a true reality check in terms of what the work in factual TV involves and the hard graft you’ll have to put in (with reward!).” – Lori

• “Fey Norton stressed the importance of passion and preparation when networking: know what someone’s worked on, show genuine interest, and always follow up, not just once, but again in 4-6 weeks, especially if you have updates or new work to share. It was a morning full of practical advice and creative inspiration, and a good reminder that success in docs comes from both craft and connection.” – Ollie

• “Toby Trackman’s insight was incredibly valuable, and it was especially interesting to hear how he sources his stories and chooses different projects. His emphasis on the ‘why’ of storytelling stayed with me and directly influenced my thinking during Friday’s pitch.” – Serena

Their experience of the pitching and industry feedback…

• “Hearing supportive words and useful suggestions from the people in my breakout room was invaluable, and getting the chance to have sneak peaks at other people’s pitches was so fun and inspiring.” – Safanit

• “I kept forgetting that I was up next, as each new entrant captivated me with their incredible creativity and originality in their ideas. Every pitch had its own unique strength, and it was clear why each person was chosen for this scheme… I unlocked a new level of confidence, gained insightful industry feedback, and demonstrated that I do belong in this field! Rather than marking an end, pitch day was the beginning of me making a name for myself in the Factual TV landscape.” – Jamila

• “In preparation for our pitches at the end of the week, our trainer Carol Nahra’s pitch session was a timely pep talk and a nudge to shed the presentation skills we learn in school and present like the storytellers we are. The advice was clear: tell a story – don’t deliver an academic report. We learnt that a good pitch shouldn’t overwhelm with facts; it should be immersive.” – Khadijat

The group reflected on what they had learned, and what was ahead of them after the training.

• “At the end of the day, this is a competitive industry and even the Grierson 12 will be competing for different jobs, but we are all in an industry which we truly wish to be in and this news had done the opposite of putting us off; it made us all the more determined to succeed and believe that it was possible.” – Ben Coxell

• “A lot of us agreed that we'd learned more this week than we had in any university module. It was demanding, but the access we had to professionals working at the top of their field made it more than worthwhile. We were able to ask honest questions and get genuine insight into the realities of working in documentary and the current television landscape.” – Caitlin

• “The takeaway: as new entrants, we don’t have to stay inside the lines – it’s our chance to keep documentary storytelling curious, bold and ever-evolving, to push what stories can be and how they’re told.” – Khadijat

What’s Next…

Trainees have now been matched with their industry mentors, and some have started on their production company placements as well. They’ll be heading to the Grierson Awards ceremony in November to network with industry guests and get inspired by all the nominated documentaries. Watch this space for more updates on the group.