Wigan student pursues career in film and television with helping hand from BAFTA

Olivia Murray has been selected for a BAFTA Reuben scholarship for a second year to continue supporting her MA in screenwriting at the National Film and Television School (NFTS).

She grew up in Wigan and fell in love with creative writing at an early age, spending many weekends and evenings developing and creating stories, before falling into screenwriting through a love for television.

Olivia often found herself turning to film and television to find representation and people who looked like her and identified the same way she does, which led to her wanting to tell stories about minorities and under-represented groups of people, with a particular focus on women and people of colour.

The 26-year-old grew up in Winstanley and studied at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School and Winstanley College.

She studied digital media at the University of Leeds and then the screenwriting: finding your voice certificate at the NFTS, before starting the MA in screenwriting.

The NFTS is one of the world’s leading film schools and develops creative skills, from directors, producers and screenwriters, to visual effects specialists, composers and technicians behind the camera.

Olivia said: “The scholarship is truly helping to close the gap within the industry, and without the funding I would most likely be unable to pursue my dreams of studying screenwriting at the NFTS. To have the backing of BAFTA and their belief in me at such an early stage in my career is an immense feeling, and one I’ve been struggling to put into words. I’m truly thankful.”

The BAFTA UK scholarship programme supports talented people at all stages of their career in film, games and television.

It is open to British citizens in need of financial assistance to study eligible undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the UK.

The scholarship is part of the charitable work done by BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts – which is perhaps best known for its prestigious awards but also does a host of work to support the thousands of people in film, games and television.