THE NEW NAME
ENTERTAINMENT FUND
“When we talk barriers to entry in the screen sector, the problem is complex and multi-layered. In setting up The New Name Entertainment Fund, we want to simply invite New Names to the table – be that on or off screen – and help them to stay there.”
— NAOMI SCOTT AND JORDAN SPENCE
FOUNDERS OF NEW NAME ENTERTAINMENT
The New Name Entertainment Fund
It’s our mission to seek out stories that want to be told, the ones that open eyes to new worlds. But this means nothing without fresh viewpoints, life experience, talent. We can’t claim to correct the sum of the problems in the screen industry but by playing to our strengths, we can create meaningful shifts for the next generation of emerging talent. And with it, meet the demand for more diverse productions that we know audiences want.
To do this, we’re funding scholarships for promising students from working class backgrounds to attend top drama and film schools (initially LAMDA, the National Film & Television School, and BAFTA Elevate based on the strength of their diversity and inclusion programmes), and matching this with proactive mentoring, intentional community building and career development support.
How it began
Our vision means nothing without fresh viewpoints, life experience, talent.
We’ve already supported three scholarship students financially and with dedicated mentoring, and are committed to supporting more in the 2024/2025 academic year, with many to follow over subsequent years.