The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) has announced a new Executive Residency Program for industry professionals who are Black, Indigenous, or a person of colour.

The national initiative provides executive-level access and mentorship to mid-career professionals in an effort to break down barriers facing the next generation of creative executives and business leaders.

Applications for the inaugural cohort will be accepted from March 2 to April 1 on the website of the Canadian Academy, which puts on the annual Canadian Screen Awards.

Between five and eight participants will be selected to join the inaugural cohort, who will be announced in June.

English-speaking and bilingual professionals working in the industry will be matched with high-level production, creative and business executives. They’ll also be given in-depth access to the rooms and spaces in which decisions are made.

When submissions open on March 2, applicants will be able to review the participating VPs, executive producers and development and production executives from Bell Media, CBC and Boat Rocker before applying.

The eight-month program will include job shadowing at an executive level, monthly meetings led by the community partners and bi-weekly conversations with guest speakers. Also included are monthly stipends and a complimentary two-year membership to the Canadian Academy with free access to year-round professional development events.

“While our industry has taken some meaningful steps towards change, there is much more work to be done to be inclusive and welcoming of a variety of perspectives,” said Beth Janson, CEO of the Canadian Academy, in a statement. “Our hope is that this program will flip the script a bit by providing talented mid-career professionals with the profile, support and confidence to launch them into the next phase of their careers.”

The Executive Residency Program is presented by supporting partner Telefilm Canada; collaborative partners Bell Media, CBC, Comweb Foundation, Pinewood Toronto Studios, Canada Media Fund and Boat Rocker; and community partners BIPOC TV & Film, The Black Academy, and imagineNATIVE.

The program is among several run by the Canadian Academy. Other initiatives include a directors program for women, a program for women in post, a writers program and the WarnerMedia Access x Canadian Academy Directors Program.

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