M·E·L Research appointed to evaluate the BFI Film Academy programme
M·E·L Research is pleased to be working with the British Film Institute (BFI) on a three-year evaluation of the BFI Film Academy programme. Since 2012, BFI Film Academy has supported young people to develop skills, confidence, knowledge and networks and explore routes into careers across the screen industries. The refreshed 2026–2029 programme builds on this experience, creating connected pathways from early engagement through to specialist training, mentoring, placements and industry-facing progression, with a strong emphasis on widening access and supporting young people from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds.
Sara Whybrew, Director of Skills and Workforce Development at BFI said: “The BFI is delighted to have appointed mel research to undertake the multi-year evaluation of our BFI Film Academy programme. Their independent and objective analysis will enable us to measure the impact this programme is having on our target beneficiaries, allowing us to see where delivery is working and where development is required. This will enable us to tailor approaches for future iterations of the programme to ensure our support is focused on responding to need.”
M·E·L Research will work alongside the BFI throughout the 2026–2029 programme, providing both independent evaluation and an ongoing learning function. Our approach combines process and impact evaluation with realist-informed inquiry, outcome mapping and a proportionate assessment of value for money. We will develop a Theory of Change, logic model and monitoring and evaluation framework, bringing together quantitative monitoring data with the experiences and perspectives of young people, alumni, delivery partners, industry representatives and other stakeholders.
In practical terms, the research will include surveys and qualitative engagement with young people; interviews and learning activities with delivery and industry partners; analysis of programme monitoring data; and tracking the longer-term progression of both previous and new BFI Film Academy participants. Young people will also help shape the evaluation through co-design, while case studies, site visits and other participatory approaches will provide a richer understanding of how the programme is experienced in different places and circumstances. Regular feedback and sense-making sessions will ensure findings can inform delivery as the programme develops, rather than only being reported at the end.
The evaluation is important because progression into the screen industries is about more than participation in training alone. It is shaped by access to opportunities, networks, confidence, local provision and the wider employment landscape. By examining what works, for whom, in what circumstances and why, the research will build evidence about how BFI Film Academy contributes to young people’s skills, careers knowledge, confidence and progression, as well as how effectively it supports a more inclusive screen-sector talent pipeline. It will also provide evidence to inform the future development of the programme and decisions about investment and delivery.
Sophi Ducie, Project Director and Senior Evaluation Lead at M·E·L Research, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting the BFI with this important evaluation. BFI Film Academy’s focus on widening opportunity, listening to young people and creating meaningful routes into the screen industries aligns strongly with M·E·L Research’s commitment to inclusive, participatory and learning-focused evaluation. We’re particularly excited to work alongside young people, delivery partners and the BFI to understand not just what difference the programme makes, but how that change happens and how learning can be used to strengthen delivery over the next three years.”
This commission builds on M·E·L Research’s wider experience across culture, heritage, skills, young people and complex UK-wide programmes. Our team has delivered research and evaluation for organisations including Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Birmingham 2022 Cultural Programme, English Heritage and The Wildlife Trusts, alongside previous work for the BFI. Our experience includes evaluating UK-wide, multi-partner cultural programmes such as UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, as well as research focused on young people’s employment pathways and access to opportunities in arts and heritage. This combination of cultural-sector knowledge, youth-focused research and learning-partner expertise will help us deliver an evaluation that is rigorous, inclusive and useful throughout the life of the programme.
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