The High-end TV (HETV) Skills Council is setting up a new working group dedicated to the needs of specialist workforce skills within high-end unscripted television.

The group has been established in response to the increase of unscripted documentary productions that contribute to the HETV Fund because they benefit from UK tax relief.

Working in collaboration with the established Unscripted TV Skills Fund, the working group will focus on providing specific training and development for freelancers working within this production community. Hana Canter, COO Wild Space Productions, will chair the new working group, that includes representatives from nine production companies making HETV unscripted content including BBC Natural History Unit, Box to Box Films, The Garden, Two Four, Wild Space Productions and 72 Films.

Kaye Elliott, director of HETV, ScreenSkills, commented: “The increase in high-end Unscripted productions contributing to the HETV Skills Fund has led the HETV Skills Council to create a new HETV Unscripted focused Working Group, taking the Funds industry-led working groups to eleven.

“All of the Fund’s programmes are available to every production and freelancer working in HETV Production, but with the introduction of the new group it will enable bespoke training specific to HETV Unscripted to be commissioned in 2023/24.

“Working even closer with unscripted productions will enable us to further strengthen cross-Fund collaboration between the HETV Skills Fund and Unscripted TV Skills Fund, which will help ensure value for money for the sector while addressing the specific needs of different areas of production.”