Sky Studios Elstree opens Sky Up Academy to inspire 10,000 students a year to pursue a career in Film and TV

• Sky Studios Elstree officially opens the doors to its immersive learning experience, Sky Up Academy Studios 
• The first-of-its-kind facility will inspire students aged 11-18 to see the range of roles and opportunities in the TV & Film industry.
• Sky Up Academy Studios Elstree is a brand new offering in the Sky Up Academy curriculum, a programme that has welcomed almost 300,000 young people across the UK since it first launched at Sky HQ in 2012.

 Sky Up Academy Studios Elstree has officially launched, opening the doors to thousands of students each year who will get the chance to see behind the curtain and witness the magic of a working film & TV studio. Its location in Sky Studios Elstree makes it the first facility of its kind to be opened in an operational film studio. The immersive experience will help to inspire the next generation of TV and Film creators, outlining the vast variety of career paths and providing routes into the industry for students in secondary school education, raising their aspirations and giving them the skills they need for a successful future.

To mark the occasion, Sky Studios Elstree invited local schoolchildren to attend a panel discussion with industry experts including Caroline Cooper (Sky Studios COO), Ashley Walters (Actor/Producer/Director) and David Heyman (Producer and founder of Heyday Films)  who shared stories from their own experiences in the industry, how they got to their current role as well as their top tips for gaining the skills needed for a successful career in the film and TV industry. The students then took part in the Sky Up Academy Studios experience, where they were able to take on various production roles and film their own film-pitch idea in a their very own cutting edge virtual reality production studio.

Caroline Cooper COO of Sky Studios said “The opening of this immersive experience demonstrates Sky’s enduring commitment to giving back to the local community where Sky Studios Elstree operates, and to the wider creative industry. It will allow even more young people to grow their understanding of the world of film and TV and will hopefully inspire them to actively pursue a career in this wonderful industry.”

Together with Sky Studios Elstree’s existing Future Talent Programme, Sky Up Academy Studios Elstree will form another critical training initiative that will upskill and develop local talent, adding to more than 1000 young people who have already learned through training days, school talks and career sessions at the studios.

Ashley Walters, actor and producer said “I know from experience how hard it is to break through into this industry, so anything that can help young people see that it is possible should be celebrated. Sky Up Academy Studios Elstree is interactive, it's fun, all the things that will catch the attention of kids, and it also lets them know the possibilities in front of them.”

Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Mr Robert Voss CBE CStJ said “It was an honour to officially open the Sky Up Academy Studios Elstree facility. Having witnessed the journey of Sky Studios from planning, construction and now operation, it a hugely important moment to open its doors to the next generation of talent, and I know it will leave a lasting legacy on the local community. Hertfordshire should be very proud.”

Schools can book their visit to Sky Up Academy Studios Elstree, at: https://www.skyup.sky/schools-and-education