Careers Events and Resources for January 2026

09 Jan 2026 BY Cerys Evans

10 mins
Careers Events and Resources N&Vs header Jan 2026
Careers Events and Resources N&Vs header Jan 2026

It's a new year, and as well as making your new resolutions, it's also a chance to see what's new in the world of screen industry careers. 

We have new Industry Insider guides to shine a light on skills and responsibilities in film and TV production, while careers professionals and educators can join our exclusive webinar with Aardman Animations, and benefit from our free CPD course Screen Careers Across the Curriculum. 

Young people still have the chance to showcase their creativity through the Into Film Awards 2026, and March will see the return of our Spring Screenings programme of free screenings and events. If you and your students enjoyed the Into Film Festival back in November, this is the perfect follow-up event.

Meanwhile, in Wales and Scotland, more Discover! Creative Careers events will connect learners with industry professionals, while students in Northern Ireland can gain hands-on experience through ScreenWorks placements. 

2026 promises to be a year full of inspiration, industry encounters, and practical resources to support the next generation of screen talent.

If you're new to Into Film, all you need to access our free resources and other opportunities listed below is an Into Film Account. Don't worry, it's completely free and only takes a moment to set up.

Story Builder: Sports Broadcasting - A brand-new resource from Into Film and TNT Sports

We have partnered with TNT Sports to introduce a new careers resource, Story Builder: Sports Broadcasting, an innovative resource designed for Key Stage 3 (or equivalent) learners and their educators. 

Whether learners play or watch sports, or want to be in front of or behind the camera, Story Builder: Sports Broadcasting will transform their passion into literacy, careers, media and PE learning. Register for and download this great new resource today!

Industry Insider resources

Take a look at our Industry Insider: Camera Operator and Industry Insider: Editor classroom resources, available in either English or Welsh. Suitable for secondary-aged and post-primary-aged students, these resources highlight some of the key responsibilities of each role within the film and television industry. 

Free Webinar - Aardman Animations: Classroom, Careers, Community

Educators and careers professionals are invited to join Mark Hewis, Head of the Aardman Academy, to hear stories from inside the beloved animation studio. In this exclusive webinar, Mark will share his decades of experience across many roles in filmmaking and animation, as well as practical tips to support your work with young people - whether teaching in the classroom, facilitating filmmaking clubs or advising on pathways into the industry. 

You'll also get the chance to put your questions to Mark and discover how to connect classrooms, communities, and careers through the irresistible creativity of Aardman.

Online Course - Screen Careers Across the Curriculum

Aimed at educators and careers professionals supporting 11-18-year-olds, this course will help you to make unexpected connections between school subjects and job roles in film, TV, animation, VFX and games. Explore hidden roles and skills with applications that extend across and beyond the screen industries, and journey through a games studio to see how they have put some of those subjects into practice. You'll come away armed with posters to display in your learning environment, video content to use with students and a quiz to get students thinking about subject-job connections.

If you're based in Northern Ireland, look out for a ScreenWorks game design placement for students taking place 16-20 February, led by the team SaltStone Studios that feature in this course.

The Into Film Awards 2026

The Into Film Awards is one of our flagship events, offering a platform for 5-19-year-olds from across the UK to express their creativity. Getting involved is a great way to build skills and test out career interests, while winning an award could be one of the first steps into a screen career. Entries close at 12:00pm on Monday 23 February 2026.

This year's Into Film Awards celebrates 13 categories, with long-time favourites joined by the return of Best Film Review, as well as a brand-new category: Innovation in Filmmaking.

Read on below to discover the exciting path that winning an Into Film Award can set you on.

Into Film One to Watch Luís Hindman Wins a BIFA 

We were delighted to see that filmmaker Luis Hindman recently won Best British Short at this year's British Independent Film Awards for his film Magid / Zafar. Hindman was named a One to Watch at the Into Film Awards in 2015, and we're incredibly proud to have played a part in his journey to becoming an award-winning filmmaker. 

We caught up with Hindman after his win to discover how being a Ones to Watch helped to kick-start his filmmaking journey, and how his career has progressed to the point of becoming a BIFA-winning filmmaker.

ScreenWorks 

If you're working with young people in Northern Ireland, don't miss the latest ScreenWorks opportunities.

Funded by the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen and delivered by Into Film, our 3-5 day ScreenWorks work experience placements help young people aged 14-19 learn more about careers in the screen industries with first-hand experience.

All ScreenWorks programmes are free, and a travel bursary is available to reimburse young people for all public transport costs.

Upcoming Programmes:

  • Intro to Script Editing (27-29 January)
  • Storyboarding (3-5 February)
  • Concept Art (9-11 February)
  • Game Design (16-20 February)
  • 3D Character Creation (24-26 February)

Wales - Discover! Creative Careers Opportunities

Opportunity Finder - Find upcoming events

Educators and career professionals throughout Wales can find plenty of Discover! Cymru events and activities on offer in 2026 by using the Opportunity Finder.

Scotland - Discover! Creative Careers Opportunities

Opportunity Finder - Find upcoming events

Educators and career professionals throughout Scotland can find plenty of Discover! Creative Careers events and activities on offer in 2026 by using the Opportunity Finder.

Podcasting, Radio and Audio Workshops with Bespoken Media 

Designed for S1-S6, this free interactive workshop with Bespoken Media gives pupils a behind-the-scenes look at careers in radio, podcasting and audio production and shows that there's no single route into the industry. The deadline for enquiries is Thursday 26 February 2026, with a selection of event days on offer.

Learn about careers in the Animation Industry 

A free careers afternoon to get first-hand feedback about what a career in animation really looks like! With careers talks and creative workshops delivered by working professionals. The deadline for enquiries is 23 January 2026, with the event being held 13:30-15:30 on Wednesday 4 February 2026.

Into Film Scotland Forum: A Conversation about working with the Film and Screen Curriculum

Date: 09:30-14:00, Tuesday 20 January 2026
Location: The Boardwalk, 105 Brunswick Street, Glasgow G1 1TF

On Tuesday 20 January Into Film and CYAA will bring together film and arts education organisations, sector support bodies and practitioners to:

  • Discuss how Scotland's newly launched Film and Screen Curriculum will impact our work with children and young people.
  • Learn about how Into Film can support you to engage with it.
  • Be inspired by projects that already use film to enhance their work in cross-arts education.

This free event includes a networking lunch. Registration closes on Thursday 15 January 2026. For further information please email edinburgh@intofilm.org.

Educational Symposium - Rotherham

Date: 10:00-13:00, Wednesday 21 January

Join Into Film for a morning of inspiring talks, practical CPD, film screenings and networking with educators and screen industry partners from across the region. The event will take place at the beautiful Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham. 

Into Film can offer a small contribution towards travel or staff cover, with details available via the booking link. If you have any questions, please contact england@intofilm.org.

Opportunities for Young People

If you want to support and empower the young people you work with to explore screen industry careers for themselves, point them towards our Get Into Film page, which features all the latest opportunities, and our youth-facing Get Into Film social channels.

Upcoming opportunities...

Further careers resources

To learn more about how you can educate and guide young people toward their dream careers, browse our Careers Hub for even more resources and training to enhance your careers programme, and discover more opportunities for young people. Be sure to check back again next month for more top events and resources you can use to support screen careers conversations.

Into Film is proud to be an Affiliate Member of the Career Development Institute (CDI), and a Social Mobility Partner of Futures for All.

The core Into Film programme is free for UK state schools, colleges and other youth settings, thanks to support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery good cause funding, and through other key funders including Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen.

Cerys Evans

Cerys Evans, Cerys Evans, Careers Lead at Into Film and RCDP

Cerys Evans, Careers Lead at Into Film and RCDP, has over twenty years’ experience as a careers adviser, careers writer and careers leader working in schools and colleges. She now leads the development of Into Film’s careers strand to ensure that young people across the UK, and the professionals who support them, can access the information, industry encounters and inspiration they need to explore a career in the exciting screen industries.

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