By Kojo Photos by: Gerard Richardson

The Black Academy, in partnership with Insight Productions, has announced the 11 participants and mentors for the third edition of its Skills Development Program. Launched in 2022, the program aims to increase Black representation in Canada’s screen industry while empowering emerging Black Canadian talent to develop sustainable careers.

The 2024/25 cohort, which began training last summer and will continue through spring, spans six key areas of the screen industry: Audio, Post-Production, Producing, Production Management, Wardrobe, and Writing. Participants benefit from bespoke paid training, valuable on-screen credits, and access to an expansive professional network of peers, mentors, trainers, and employers, fostering a community designed to support their career growth.

“CSA nominations, thousands of hours of training, on-screen credits — these are exactly the kind of material differences we set out to make when we launched the program,” said Shamier Anderson, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of The Black Academy. “It’s truly remarkable what the participants and the program as a whole have accomplished in such a short time.”

Since its inception, the program has provided over 10,000 hours of training. Participants from previous cohorts have gone on to receive significant industry recognition. Notably, program alumni Makayla Campbell (2023), Milca Kuflu (2022), and Grace May Gilbert-Walters (2023) were nominated for a 2024 Canadian Screen Award for Best Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy category for their work on The Legacy Awards. Kuflu was also nominated in 2023 for the 2022 edition of the show.

The current 2024/25 cohort includes: Producing: Lindsey Addawoo, Lovey Reid Graham, Chantal Le Hunte; Production Management: Fola Babalola; Post-Production: Fiyin Coker, Camille D’Andrade, and Howard Hamilton; Audio: Paul (Pablo) Joseph and Liam Myrie; Writing: Yemie Sonuga, Wardrobe: Cassandra Yeboah.

Collectively, this year’s cohort has completed over 1,100 hours of training so far, with all participants contributing to the 2023 edition of The Legacy Awards. Several have already transitioned into paid roles on major productions, including Canada’s Ultimate Challenge and The Amazing Race Canada.

In response to participant feedback, The Black Academy has expanded its offerings to include more networking events and new workshops. The 2024/25 edition introduced sessions on financial literacy hosted by RBC, résumé building, and guidance on joining industry guilds and unions in collaboration with the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), NABET, and IASTE. Participants also benefited from “meet the executives” sessions with CBC and Telefilm Canada, as well as workshops on securing representation and agency.

“Our ability to better meet the needs of the participants depends on support from sponsors,” said Stephan James, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of The Black Academy. “We’re grateful to our partners and always looking for more companies to help grow this initiative.”

The program’s 2024/25 mentors include industry professionals such as Jemeni G (Writing/Producing), Zannub Houssein (Wardrobe), Sarah James (Production Management), Muzafar Malik (Post-Production), and Adrian Sterling (Audio).

The Black Academy’s Skills Development Program is overseen by a dedicated team, including Executive Director Gail Case and Director of Programming Morgan Blades. Insight Productions plays a key role in program management, with Shannon Farr, Vice President & Executive Producer, and Jordan Rudder, Manager of Production & Partnerships, also serving as mentors in the Producing stream.

The Black Academy, co-founded by Scarborough-born brothers and actors Stephan James and Shamier Anderson, operates year-round to celebrate Black excellence and foster Black talent. Its initiatives span social justice and popular culture, offering new spaces for Black Canadians to connect, showcase their achievements, and inspire future generations.

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