John Gore Studios is proud to be part of the first phase of fundraising for the National Film and Television School (NFTS) expansion, one of the world’s leading institutions for screen industry training.
The NFTS will receive a major boost through the UK Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan launched today, which sits at the heart of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy. It sets out significant government investment across the creative industries to drive economic growth, create thousands of new jobs and support creative talent across the UK.
The government is delivering on a £10 million funding commitment to the NFTS, subject to a full business case, which will help to support the School’s ambitious £21 million expansion of its historic Beaconsfield Studios campus – its home for over 50 years.
The transformative investment will enhance screen sector skills and strengthen the pipeline of creative talent who will make up the workforce of the future. The government’s backing requires the School to raise an additional £11 million in private investment, which it has committed to securing from leading industry organisations and other visionary partners and donors.
Reaching the full £21 million target will allow the NFTS to expand and modernise its facilities, adding 25,000 sq ft of cutting-edge teaching and production space. It will also increase student capacity by 25%, and for the first time in the School’s history, provide on-site, accessible student accommodation, ensuring disabled students can live and study on equal terms. If successful, construction is expected to begin in late 2025, with the new facilities opening in January 2027.
With 50% of its fundraising target already achieved, the School is today launching the next phase of its fundraising campaign to secure the final £5.5 million it needs by the end of 2025, as it proudly unveils its first confirmed supporters.
The first phase of the fundraising campaign launched with strong momentum, backed by generous contributions from a number of donors including Banijay, Buckinghamshire Council, Channel 4, Dana and Albert R. Broccoli Foundation, Gareth Neame Foundation, ITV, John Gore Studios, Peppa Pig co-creator Mark Baker, Sky and Sony Pictures Television all helping to kick-start the School’s vision for this vital expansion.
The funding update comes as the NFTS prepares to publish the results of its five-yearly Graduate Impact Report in the Autumn, which will highlight the School’s critical contributions within film and high-end television between 2020 and 2025 and will reaffirm its vital role in training creatives who will shape the future of the screen sector.
Early headline findings underscore the NFTS’s influence right across the global screen industries:
- Over 70% of the top 20 UK box office hits since 2020 featured an NFTS graduate in a key creative or technical role, a testament to the school’s industry-leading impact.
- NFTS alumni are at the forefront of premium production: a staggering 94% of the biggest budget high-end TV projects in the UK have NFTS graduates on their crews.
- Year after year, over 90% of NFTS graduates consistently secure high-level industry roles within months of completing training.
NFTS Director Jon Wardle commented: “We recognise that the creative industries are navigating a challenging and uncertain time, which makes the support from both the government and our early industry donors all the more vital. We are incredibly grateful for their commitment as we launch the final phase of funding to secure our transformative expansion. Our vision to grow reinforces the NFTS’s pivotal role in equipping the next generation of film, television, and games creatives, and it underpins the UK’s ambition to remain a global leader in content creation. By joining this campaign, we hope funders and supporters from across the industry will help us build a lasting legacy with a stronger, more inclusive creative sector, powered by the world-class talent trained at the NFTS.”
John Gore of John Gore Studios said: “I am proud to support the NFTS expansion, which will empower talented people who might previously have been unable to access the school’s world-class training, whether for economic or accessibility reasons. It will give them the chance to develop their craft and bring fresh perspectives to our screens. The more new storytellers we champion from all walks of life, the richer, bolder and more future-proof British creativity becomes – and that speaks directly to John Gore Studios’ mission to showcase the best of British talent on the global stage.”
More details of the School’s expansion plans can be found here: nfts.co.uk/our-future