The National Talent Academies network is an initiative of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.
It includes the National Talent Academy for Film and Television led by Ardán, the National Talent Academy for Animation led by Animation Ireland, and three regional Crew Academies currently managed by the Atlantic Academy (Danú Media) in Galway, Film in Limerick in Limerick and Clermont Enterprise Hub in Wicklow. The network has been established to develop a highly skilled, diverse talent and crew base throughout the country, offering a wide range of activities for the Irish screen industry, including courses, programmes and career opportunities.
Addressing innovation, skills development and sectoral growth, the National Talent Academies is the result of additional stimulus investment provided by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and forms part of a wider strategy to support skills development across all regions of Ireland, with a particular focus on diversity and inclusion.
The overarching aim of the National Talent Academies is to address and support current educational skills gaps in the screen sector. Retaining the diversity and inclusion focus present across all Academy initiatives, its ambition is to drive more Irish talent from all backgrounds and disciplines into the sector and develop greater awareness of the sector as a career path.