Join us in uncovering Birmingham’s hidden screen heritage.

Vivid Projects invites applications for paid opportunities with The Birmingham Media Archive Project: The First Decade(BMAP); a new initiative supported by the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding funds from the National Lottery. Running until June 2026, the project brings together archive exploration, skills development, and public engagement, delivered in partnership with Birmingham Museums Trust (at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery). We are offering six paid placements for people from professional creative backgrounds who want to develop knowledge and skills in screen media archives.

Who is it for?

The BMAP programme aims to increase opportunities in the screen media and archive sector for people living in the West Midlands. It is designed for individuals with an interest in learning about screen media archives. You do not need prior professional or work experience in screen media (film or video) or archives – we welcome applications from people across the creative sector who want to develop new screen heritage skills.

The programme is open to people aged 18+ who are currently living in the West Midlands.

We particularly welcome applications from people who are under-represented in the sector workforce, including in relation to disability, gender, race, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and other barriers to opportunity.

About the professional development opportunity

Each placement includes 17 days of paid training, during which you will:

• Participate in a series of twelve workshops taking place between January and March, culminating with an opportunity to focus on a specific technical development, contextual or programming area in March-April.  The final five days of training will be developed with the participants and will run alongside creation of an exhibition with the BMAP project artist and curator, in partnership with Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
• Work in a community context in at least one additional Birmingham neighbourhood.

All sessions will take place in person at central Birmingham venues. The main location will be Vivid Projects’ base, The Warehouse in Digbeth — a short walk from Moor Street Station and wheelchair accessible, with gender-neutral accessible bathroom facilities.

Workshops are provisionally scheduled for Saturday afternoons (2–5pm) and Thursday evenings (5–8pm) between 5 January and 4 April 2026. Final dates will be confirmed during the selection process.

Each participant will receive a development fee of up to £3,825, based on a £225 day rate for 17 days. Fees will be paid monthly based on the number of sessions attended.

Participants are responsible for their own National Insurance and tax contributions.

Participants will:

• Learn from digital artists, media archivists, and mentors.
• Take part in skills workshops on grassroots media heritage, digitisation, media formats, interpretation, cataloguing, access and curation.
• Contribute skills/materials developed through the project to a curated exhibition at Birmingham Museum’s Pixel Studio; and an online archive showcase showcasing underrepresented narratives and creative responses developed through the training programme, developed in collaboration with leading artist Gary Stewart.
• Help create lasting resources for communities to preserve and share their own media histories.

How do I apply?

To apply for this opportunity please click on the link below and complete the form fully.

Application form here.

Please submit your application by 11.59pm, 1 December 2025.

What happens next?

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an informal conversation online. These will take place 4-5 December. We expect this opportunity to be over-subscribed therefore whilst it won’t be possible to offer everyone a place, we will send an outcome to everyone who applies.

This project is supported by the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding funds from the National Lottery and delivered in partnership with Birmingham Museums Trust (at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery).