S Poddar
Prince William recently showed his face in a London event emphasizing the need to develop new talent in film and TV and video gaming arenas. In this event, he happened to reveal something sweet about his family life when he said his kids, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis often “wrestle over the remote.” This casual insight into the normalcy that characterizes royal life was made public by the prince.
The Royal African Society and BAFTA, of course, co-hosted the event. Prince William, in his capacity as the President of BAFTA and Patron of the Society, met with recipients of the 2024 Prince William BAFTA Bursary Fund. This fund was established in 2021 to help the young people from the underrepresented communities push further in the creative industries. It offers grants worth as much as £2,000 and focuses on newly emerging talent in film, TV, and games to try and help overcome the barriers that stop otherwise able individuals going on to pursue their careers.
Among the important personalities who joined him were notable stars in the entertainment industry, such as actors Stephen Merchant, Andy Serkis, and Celia Imrie; director Paul Greengrass; and many other great artists who have donated to the bursary fund. As he mingled with students and bursary recipients, William seized the time to engage in conversation with them about the challenges and successes faced by people looking to establish themselves in different forms of creative roles, such as a production assistant, costume designer, writer, or game developer.
One particularly side-splitting moment came when Prince William lobbied Paul Greengrass for a potential sequel to the Bourne series, jokingly telling him “Another Bourne, please?”Greengrass, who had directed three films in the Bourne series, shook his head and rubbed his temples as if looking forward to the laughter of those in attendance.
The royal also met with students collaborating with the Royal African Society on a new Film Africa festival. Now during Black History Month, this is the biggest screening of African cinema in Europe and offers an opportunity for African and African heritage filmmakers to showcase their work. That discussion focused on the point of bringing voices and stories from various places to light; William pointed out that there is need to engage young audiences with broad insights.
Speaking on the occasion, Prince William took the podium and spoke on inclusivity in arts. He said how screen arts, through the medium of screen, enable different voices and visions to be heard and presented, enlivening and beautifying the cultural map. He maintained it’s time that young minds coming from diverse backgrounds should get a chance to share their artistic work with the world. He tells me it’s proud to be part of such an organization that educates and gives life to future storytellers and creators; he goes ahead to note that he looks forward to seeing many of the bursary recipients become nominees and winners of BAFTA awards in the years to come.
Since the inception of the Prince William BAFTA Bursary Fund, more than 150 young people have benefited from the program to work in various creative sectors. He spoke of the satisfaction he felt in hearing about the ambitions of the latest cohort of recipients and the real, tangible support that the fund gives. He spoke of some bursary recipients putting the funds to good use on practical necessities such as driving lessons, thus opening up opportunities they otherwise could not access. This one set an example particularly for actress Celia Imrie, who said she was unaware of just how useful the bursary might be.
Other times, when the royal was not busy meeting students curating the program for Film Africa, he spent a few hours with some of the short films that were meant to showcase the diversity of African voices. The prince acknowledged the importance of such chances: for filmmakers who may otherwise go unnoticed on international circuits and for audiences who deserve to see the world through unfamiliar cultural lenses. The 11th installment of the festival features more than 70 entries from countries including Morocco, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, and Senegal.
Prince William showed a continued effort to further the creative arts as he met students, industry figures, and donors in this visit. He urged an important point: that it makes stories of many come alive when the arts are made accessible to all, not just providing richness for the creators but also for the consumers. His objective of breaking barriers for talents from all walks of life was a recurring theme in his speech.
Arunma Oteh, chair of the Royal African Society, also applauded William for his efforts towards supporting African creativity and heritage. She pointed out how he has inspired many in the African diaspora in the UK, drawing from her expression of gratitude for having a royal patron. Featured, of course, was the work of the society to help ensure the next generation of film programmers so appreciates African cinema, but equally prominent was the flourishing of African storytelling around the world.
Conclusion In a nutshell, Prince William talked about the creative industries’ role in the formation of culture and bringing together communities. His attendance only added to the appreciation and makes him seem even as he is, an advocate for young talent in the creative sector, love for arts that was interwoven between his own jokes about his family life.
