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  • Have you always wanted to work in TV? Want to know how shows like MasterChef, The Traitors, Hunted and Race Across the World work?

  • Would you love to work on MasterChef in the casting team finding contestants?

  • Are you a resident in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA)* region?

  • Are you aged 19 or over?

If you answered yes to these questions, then this FREE training course is for you.

MasterChef Studio Birningham

*This includes residents of Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley Metro Borough Council, Sandwell Metro Borough Council, Solihull Metro Borough Council, Walsall Council and City of Wolverhampton.

TV and Film Fusion: MasterChef Edition

This is a refreshed version of our successful FREE TV and Film Fusion training programme which is part of the Create Central Skills Accelerator Programme. For this iteration of the training course, we are focussing on training learners for the casting department on MasterChef and are keen to hear from applicants who work in other sectors and are looking to pivot and start their TV career locally.

This course is built for those with a clear passion for Unscripted TV and a desire to work on MasterChef in the Casting Department!

On completion of the course learners will be offered an interview that may lead to employment at Shine TV, working on the next series of MasterChef. Please note that participation on the course does not guarantee a role with Shine TV or MasterChef. However, the aim of the course is to arm the cohort with the skills they could use in any large scale, casting role through television, media & beyond.

Shine TV will ringfence Casting Researcher roles on the next Amateur series of MasterChef and hold these roles until interviews have been completed with all of the learners who successfully complete this training programme.

Prior to completing an application we recommend researching casting in unscripted TV on ScreenSkills Unscripted Job Profiles and the ScreenSkills Unscripted Skills Checklists to assist you with identifying your transferable skills.

What is Unscripted TV?

Unscripted TV is the name for a genre of TV shows that don't start with a script. Instead, these shows feature real people, real situations, or formats with loose structures. It includes a wide range of sub-genres, such as: 

  • Reality/Competition TV – e.g. MasterChef, Love Island, The Apprentice, Hunted, The Great British Bake Off, SAS: Who Dares Wins 
  • Documentaries & Docuseries – e.g. 24 Hours in A&E, Fresh Cops, TikTok: Murder Gone Viral, Louis Theroux's investigations, Meet Marry Murder,  
  • Factual Entertainment – e.g. Dragons' Den, First Dates, Travel Man, Fifth Gear    
  • Game Shows & Quiz Shows – e.g. The Chase, Taskmaster, The 1% Club  
  • Lifestyle & Makeover Shows – e.g. Grand Designs, Garden Rescue, Queer Eye, Come Dine With Me  
  • Specialist Factual – e.g. Our Guy in Columbia, The Bad Skin Clinic, The Piano, Planet Earth 
  • Childrens' TV – I Can Do It You Can Too, Operation Ouch!

It takes a team of people with lots of different skills to make an Unscripted TV series. Many of the skills needed are transferable from other industries. You can find out more about Unscripted TV roles on ScreenSkills Unscripted Job Profiles. 

 

What is the opportunity in the West Midlands?

The West Midlands screen industry has seen a number of big brand TV shows (Great British Menu, Garden Rescues, MasterChef, Late Night Lycett) and production companies (Shine TV, Optomen, Spun Gold) set up bases in the West Midlands in recent years as well as having a cluster of local production companies (Full Fat TV, North One, Common Story, First Look TV, Acclaimed Content, Gosh TV) who all regularly make shows for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, and Netflix etc.  

The sector is supported by the Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker who has said he "wants to attract more film and television productions to the region" and the digital and creative industries have been identified as a key growth sector in the WMCA Plan for Growth which was published in July 2025. 

Casting and research (for contributors / members of the public)

Casting and research (for contributors / members of the public)

Casting in Unscripted TV is all about finding regular members of the public whose stories and personalities would make for great TV contributors. You could be casting for a contestant on MasterChef, someone to have their outdoor space ‘rescued’ on Garden Rescue, or delicately encouraging a patient to appear on The Bad Skin Clinic.

Casting in Unscripted TV is all about finding regular members of the public whose stories and personalities would make for great TV contributors. You could be casting for a contestant on MasterChef, someone to have their outdoor space ‘rescued’ on Garden Rescue, or delicately encouraging a patient to appear on The Bad Skin Clinic.

People who are good in a casting role are likely to have:

  • A strong rapport with people, make them feel comfortable and be genuinely curious to find out their personal stories
  • Not afraid to pick up the phone and talk to people
  • Demonstrate persistence and determination
  • An ability to navigate setbacks and find a way through
  • Resilience to deal with dropouts and changes
  • A nose for people with interesting personalities
  • Strong written skills
  • Attention to detail

We are looking for people to join this training who either are new entrants into Film and TV and have less than 12 months experience in any capacity or have no formal TV experience but are looking to change careers and can demonstrate transferable professional skills including:

  • professional conduct in an office (and/or set/location)
  • strong creative writing skills
  • strong organisational skills
  • strong people skills
  • the ability to work well in a fast-moving team
  • proven track record of accountability, punctuality and hard work

Sectors you may have previous experience in could include:

  • Call centres
  • Sales (estate agents, corporate sales)
  • Client facing roles (hospitality, customer service)
  • Recruitment / HR / Welfare
  • Education
  • Marketing (digital or print)
  • The food industry
  • Creative writing careers (copywriting / journalism)
  • Hairdressing and/or beauty therapy

Course information

The course will consist of 3 learning workstreams: 

  1. Mass casting in unscripted TV
  2. Screen essentials training – what is it like to work in TV?
  3. Building a sustainable TV Career

The course will be highly interactive with real world scenarios and practical activities and exercises that directly relate to mass casting on MasterChef.

Learners will be expected to complete assignments between sessions.

Where will I learn? 

The training based for this programme will take place at the MasterChef Studios, Fazeley Street, Digbeth, Birmingham.

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Course Dates 

The course will be delivered as a mix of in-person training sessions interspersed with online masterclasses. The training will be offered at weekends and evenings to ensure that it is accessible to those currently working and looking to change careers.  

  • 7 x one day in-person workshops in Digbeth, Birmingham  
  • 4 x 120 mins online masterclasses  
  • 3 x 60 mins CV/employability support sessions  
  • 2-day placement on MasterChef (Note: these will be extended days)

7 x In-person training sessions will happen on:   

  1. Saturday 21st February 2026
  2. Sunday 22nd February 2026
  3. Saturday 28th February 2026
  4. Saturday 14th March 2026
  5. Sunday 15th March 2026
  6. Saturday 28th March 2026
  7. Sunday 29th March 2026

Online sessions – a mix of employability and industry insights masterclasses. 

  • Tuesday 3rd March 2026 (6-8pm)
  • Tuesday 10th March 2026 (6-8pm)
  • Tuesday 17th March 2026 (6-8pm)
  • Tuesday 24th March 2026 (6-8pm)

Beyond the classroom 

All learners will receive ongoing employability support following completion of the training programme for upto 6 months following successful completion of the training. 

By the end of the training course 

Learning outcomes   

By the end of the course, we expect that learners will: 

  • have been trained by local industry professionals in mass casting
  • understand what the roles and opportunities are for them in the wider West Midlands TV landscape
  • are familiar with the different sub-genres in Unscripted TV and their production processes from single-camera setups to studio productions  
  • have written an industry focussed CV 
  • have a bespoke and actionable career pathway in the local TV industry 
  • be ready to work in casting in unscripted TV
  • have completed 2 days placement on MasterChef
  • have a guaranteed interview for a role on MasterChef

By the end of this course, you'll have the confidence and know-how to pursue roles in Unscripted TV and build a fulfilling and sustainable career in the fast-paced world of TV. 

Training Team 

We are delivering this training in collaboration with MasterChef

Alison Grade | Course Director and CEO Mission Accomplished

Alison founded and runs Mission Accomplished. The company regularly delivers training courses for ScreenSkills. Alison is an experienced Line Producer and Production Manager as well as a Nesta Accredited Creative Enterprise Trainer. She regularly delivers training that enables creatives to take their careers to the next level. Alison is the author of Penguin published book, The Freelance Bible and offers many workshops and training programmes to support freelancers.

Benjamin Ibbott  | Casting – Lead trainer and Casting Producer MasterChef

Benjamin Ibbott is a British Producer & Director who has worked on some of the world's most widely recognised & award laden IPs of the last decade; crafting over 300 hours of content & broadcast television for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky & UKTV alongside premiering his own work at the Sheffield Documentary Film Festival.

Piper Jady  | Course Facilitator for Mission Accomplished

Piper enjoys supporting learners through our courses: TV and Film Fusion and Early to Mid-level upskilling. Trained herself in TV, Film and Radio at BOA Academy she has an aptitude for helping others finding their path in TV and Film. Creative and organised she is here to help you through your time on this course. 

Funding criteria and eligibility 

Eligibility is a requirement of our funding and means that we can offer this training FREE of charge. 

This course is open to all residents in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) region who are: 

  • Aged 19 years or over* 
  • Not currently in full or part time education 
  • Not taken another WMCA funded course in the WMCA financial year (the financial year runs from September through to August) 

There is absolutely NO experience or previous qualifications required to be eligible for this course, just a passion to work in Film and TV in the West Midlands region and/or be a new entrant looking to make their career in unscripted TV. 

However, if you are a graduate from Higher Education with either an arts and humanities degree including Film, TV, Radio, Animation, Communications, Journalism, Visual Communications, Production Design then you are NOT eligible for this course, but you are likely to be eligible for Create Central's Rock Up Ready training course. 

*AGE: To be eligible you need to have turned 19 on or before 31st August that precedes the start date of the course. 

KEY DATES  

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage early applications as this course is often oversubscribed and there is no guarantee that there will be places remaining after the early application deadline. 

  • Final closing date for applications: Sunday 25th January 2026 at 23.59  
  • Final Online interviews will take place on Saturday 31st January (in person), Monday 2nd (online) and Tuesday 3rd (online) February 2026 – applicants invited to interview will pick ONE interview slot.
  • Notifications will be sent out after all interviews are completed. 

The course dates are designed to be accessible for those who are working. However, it is expected that all learners on the course are able to make themselves available for potential full time work from June 2026 until Mid-September 2026 with a possibility to extend to late December 2026. Places on the course are limited and priority will be given to those who are able to make the commitment to work full time during this period and do not have any prior commitments such as holidays during the contract period.

Delivery team

Our Funders

This programme is delivered by Mission Accomplished, with the support of the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, and The West Midlands Combined Authority.

Mission Accomplished is particularly keen to receive applications from traditionally excluded groups especially those from: 

  • People from racialised identities
  • People that are (d)Deaf, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent
  • Those who are care-experienced.
  • People from a refugee or disadvantaged migrant community
  • Those from a Gypsy, Roma or Traveller community
  • People from LGBTQI+ Communities
  • People from a working class/low-income background (or if you have identified as such in the past)

We welcome applications from all individuals. If you would like support completing the application form and/or would like us to send it to you in an alternative format, please email fusion@mission.guru. 

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