Sky Studios Elstree launches storytelling competition for Hertsmere schools

• Local students to create Sustainability Heroes to inspire positive change for the planet
• Winning entry animated, courtesy of NBCUniversal and showcased at new Sky Studios Elstree
• Competition run in partnership between Sky Studios and NBCUniversal, both part of Comcast Group

Sky Studios Elstree has launched a new storytelling competition for school students in Hertsmere, set to fuel the creative ambition of young people in the local area while also highlighting the challenges posed by climate change.

The Sky Studios Sustainability Heroes competition will invite school children aged between 8-14 to create a superhero and write a story that sees their hero on a mission to save the future of the planet from the impact of climate change.

Sky Academy Studios, Sky’s award-winning initiative to engage young people in the creative industries, is working closely with local schools and has created a range of interactive, class-room resources to help students create their Sustainability Hero.

As part of the curriculum-linked competition, students will create a storyboard of their character on a mission to save the planet. The winning entry will be turned into a short animation, courtesy of NBCUniversal, the home of hit animated franchises such as How to Train Your Dragon and Despicable Me. The winning entry will also be showcased at the new Sky Studios Elstree which aims to be the most sustainable film and TV studio in the world.

The competition is being run in partnership between Sky Studios and NBCUniversal, both part of Comcast Group and the two anchor tenants of the new Sky Studios Elstree, which is being financed and developed by Legal & General. The new development will house 12 sound stages and create 2,000 jobs in the local area when it opens in 2022. It also aligns with Sky’s ambition to be net zero carbon by 2030 and the Sky Zero campaign to help millions of customers reduce their carbon footprint

Sky Studios Sustainability Heroes competition is only open to students in Hertsmere and entries will be judged by the top creative teams at both Sky Studios and NBCUniversal. The competition closes in February next year, more details on how to enter here.

Caroline Cooper, Chief Operating Officer, Sky Studios, said: “Not only do we want to create the most sustainable film and TV studio in the world, but we also want to inspire the next generation of creative talent in Hertsmere. This competition gives local school students the skills and platform to share their creativity with the world, while igniting important conversation about climate change. I can’t wait to see the entries!”

Nishy Lall, Head of Young People at Sky, said: “We have already reached 160,000 young people through Sky Academy Studios; opening up their minds to careers in the creative industries. The Sky Studios Sustainability Heroes competition is the first step for us to engage more closely with young people in Hertsmere as building gets underway at Sky Studios Elstree.”

Notes to Editors

For more information please contact Harrison.Kelly@sky.uk / +44 (0) 7817476365

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Sky Studios brings to screen unique stories from the very best talent in Europe.

We develop, produce and fund original drama, comedy and documentary for Sky’s 24m customers and beyond. Building on the success of critically-acclaimed Sky Originals including Emmy-winning Chernobyl, Bafta-winning Patrick Melrose and international hits Das Boot, Riviera and Britannia, Sky Studios is the new creative home of Sky Originals, such as The Third Day with Jude Law, I Hate Suzie, co-created by Lucy Prebble and Billie Piper and BAFTA-nominated hit comedy, Brassic.

We’re an agile Studio, seeking out the best untold stories from new voices while working in creative partnership with today’s best writers, producers and on-screen talent to bring viewers stories they wouldn’t find anywhere else.

With commissioning talent and production capability across the UK, Germany and Italy, we understand local tastes across Europe better than anyone else and have plans to more than double our investment in original content by 2024, fully supported and backed by Comcast NBC Universal.

We’re also developing a new TV and movie studio, Sky Studios Elstree, which is expected to lead to the creation of over 2,000 new jobs and generate an additional £3 billion of production investment in the UK creative sector in the first five years alone.

Sky Studios invests in the cultural economy and global production sector with equity stakes in several production companies in the UK and the US, including Great British Bake-Off creator Love Productions, and the premier reality crime producer in the US, Jupiter Entertainment, creator of long-running hit Snapped. Sky Studios has invested in high quality factual specialists Blast Films and True North Productions; entertainment and format expert Znak & Co (US & UK); natural history producer True to Nature; drama producers The Lighthouse and Longboat Pictures; and growth businesses Sugar Films, Chrysalis Vision, and Talos Films (US).

Sky Studios launched in June 2019. The senior leadership team is Chief Executive Officer Gary Davey, Chief Content Officer Jane Millichip, Chief Operating Officer Caroline Cooper, Director of Drama UK Cameron Roach, Director of Comedy UK Jon Mountague, Director Original Production Sky Italia Nils Hartmann, and Director Original Productions Sky Deutschland Marcus Ammon.