Mentor Through Film is for every creative with something to bring to the job. We are building an environment where people with additional needs work alongside other creatives on real projects, with the time and support to do their best work.
Annarie Boor, co-founder of Tapping Frog, is a specialist in special educational needs and disability (SEND) education – collaborating on a daily basis with young people and adults with additional needs. Again and again she meets people with real ability, aptitude and interest in the creative industries, who face an industry where their chance of getting in is very small.
It is not a question of talent. The industry is driven by margins, and supporting additional needs can take extra time, which costs money. So the people who need that support are the ones who are most often left out.
"Someone should work on a production because of what they bring to the job. If they need more breaks, or more support, to do their best work, we want to be able to give them that."
The aim is one environment where everyone works together on the same films, not a separate track.
Creatives, regardless of their needs, make the same films together, in real roles, with real outputs.
Schedules that allow for what people need, whether that is extra time, more breaks or a different pace, so that support is part of the plan and not an afterthought.
People know best what helps them. We ask, we listen, and we adjust. You do not need a diagnosis to tell us what helps you do your best work.
We look for what each person can contribute, and shape the role around it, so that people are chosen for their strengths.
Mentor Through Film is for all creatives who have something to bring. We believe in clear communication, realistic schedules and room to ask for help make a better set for everyone.
We are doing this today with our own resources and voluntary support. Giving productions the extra time that some people need costs money, and we do not yet have dedicated funding for it. That limits how much we can offer and how many people we can support at once. We will always tell you plainly what we can and cannot do.
Funded support would change that. If you are interested in helping, whether as a backer, a partner or a supporter, get in touch, or see how Tapping Frog Creative is looking for investment partners for its commercial productions.
You do not need to share a diagnosis, or any personal detail, when you first get in touch. Tell us what you would like to do and what you would bring. We can talk about what would help once we have spoken.
If you are supporting someone else, such as a young person, a student or a family member, you are very welcome to get in touch on their behalf.
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