What Screen Education Edinburgh does

Screen Education Edinburgh (SEE) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO, Charity No. SCO12460) founded in 1981 as Pilton Video and rebranded in 2023. Headquartered at 30 Ferry Road Avenue, Edinburgh, with a team of roughly 10 staff, SEE delivers filmmaking education, training, and production programmes to young people aged 12-25, primary and secondary schools, adult learners in North Edinburgh, GTCS-registered teachers, and corporate clients across Edinburgh and the Lothians, with selected BFI Film Academy delivery extending into Ayrshire, the Highlands, Glasgow, and Aberdeen.

The organisation operates a portfolio of programmes rather than a unified software product: the Young Filmmakers Hub (ages 12-18), the BFI Film Academy Scotland Short Course Programme (ages 16-19), the Foundation Apprenticeship in Creative and Digital Media Level 6, the SQA-accredited Screen Progression Programme, Through the Lens community filmmaking, In the Frame documentary filmmaking for North Edinburgh residents, the Edinburgh & Lothians Schools Film Competition, the Edinburgh Shorts Showcase at Cameo cinema, and the GTCS-accredited Set the Scene teacher training course. Higher-education offerings are delivered in partnership with Queen Margaret University (PgCert in Film and Screen Education) and Edinburgh Napier University (Postgraduate Certificate in Film and Screen Professional Practice, 80 credits). Programmes cover camera operation, sound, directing, editing, and screenwriting from beginner to advanced levels, with hands-on use of professional equipment.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid charity model. Core income streams include donations and tiered individual giving (£5, £25, £50), corporate sponsorship and away-day fees (Make a Film in a Day), commissioned film production for businesses, and grant funding from the Sean Connery Foundation (£1 million over three years from April 2023), Screen Scotland, and the City of Edinburgh Council. Many programmes are delivered free, particularly for North Edinburgh residents and school-age participants, with free-ness funded by the donation and grant base. Distribution is direct via the Edinburgh facility, North Edinburgh community centres, school partnerships, and public screening venues (Cameo, Edinburgh Filmhouse).

Name

Screen Education Edinburgh

Legal name

Screen Education Edinburgh

Website

https://screen-ed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Screen Education Edinburgh is a Scottish charitable incorporated organisation, founded 1981, that delivers filmmaking education, training, and production programmes to young people, schools, adult learners, and teachers across Edinburgh and the Lothians, supported by donations, grants, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Filmmaking Education and Training

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Screenwriting Workshops (Film/TV/Web) (EDAMAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Campus & Educational Screenings (Universities, Schools) (MPADAKAI), Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF), Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes (EDAHAFAM), Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing (MPADAAAO)

Keywords

• Filmmaking education
• Youth film training
• Community film programmes
• School film competition
• Teacher film training

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: As a registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) charity No. SCO12460, the organization relies heavily on donations from individuals and corporate sponsors. The organization actively solicits donations on its website with specific giving levels supporting learner graduation packs, memory drives, and bus fares.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship: Corporate away days (Make a Film in a Day experience), commissioned films for businesses, and sponsorship of programmes. Sponsorship opportunities available for supporting the organisation as a whole or specific projects.
3. Foundation and Grant Funding: Funding from Sean Connery Foundation (£1 million over three years), Screen Scotland, and City of Edinburgh Council. These grants support specific youth projects and programmes targeting underrepresented communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Screen Education Edinburgh delivers hands-on filmmaking education, training, and production programmes for young people aged 12–25, schools, adult learners, teachers, and corporate clients across Edinburgh and Lothians. Offerings span beginner-level short filmmaking courses, accredited qualifications (SQA, GTCS, PG Certificate), youth academies (BFI Film Academy, Foundation Apprenticeship), community filmmaking projects, a schools film competition, screening events, and commissioned film production. Programmes are largely free or low-cost and are funded through donations, grants, and corporate sponsorship.

Product overview

Screen Education Edinburgh operates as an educational charity offering a portfolio of film education programs rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include structured training programs for young people (Young Filmmakers Hub, BFI Film Academy, Foundation Apprenticeship), community filmmaking initiatives (Through the Lens, In the Frame), competitive programs (Edinburgh & Lothians Schools Film Competition), accredited qualifications (PG Certificate with Edinburgh Napier University, SQA National Progression Award, GTCS-accredited Set the Scene), public screening events (Edinburgh Shorts Showcase), school workshops (Inspire Sessions), commercial team-building services (Corporate Away Day/Make a Film in a Day), and custom film commissioning services. The organization functions as a program provider rather than a technology platform, with no software products, APIs, or AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Young Filmmakers Hub A filmmaking programme aimed at young people aged 12–18 living in Edinburgh, providing training and mentorship in film production.
• BFI Film Academy Scotland Short Course Programme Intensive courses for young people aged 16–19 seeking to develop filmmaking skills and experience, delivered by SEE as a BFI Film Academy partner for Scotland; includes specialist residential courses in Production Management.
• Foundation Apprenticeship in Creative and Digital Media Level 6 A senior phase school programme allowing pupils to gain a Level 6 qualification in Creative and Digital Media, delivered through partnerships with schools and educational institutions.
• Screen Progression Programme An SQA National Progression Award in Film and Media at Level 6, enabling participants to progress into further education or employment in the screen industries.
• Introduction to Short Filmmaking A beginner-level course teaching fundamental skills in short film creation, from concept development through production.
• Through the Lens A community filmmaking programme providing opportunities for participants to create documentary and narrative films.
• In the Frame A free documentary filmmaking course available to residents of North Edinburgh, providing skills training in observational and documentary filmmaking.
• Edinburgh & Lothians Schools Film Competition An annual celebration of short films made by children and young people across Edinburgh and the Lothians region, with shortlisted films screened at Edinburgh Filmhouse.
• Edinburgh Schools Film & TV Inspire Sessions Workshop programmes for high school students introducing career pathways and creative skills in film and television production.
• Set the Scene A film teaching course accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), designed for educators to integrate filmmaking into their curriculum.
• PG Certificate in Film and Screen Professional Practice A postgraduate certificate programme delivered in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University, providing professional training in film and screen industries with 80 credits and GTCS second subject registration eligibility.
• Corporate Away Day / Make a Film in a Day Team-building workshops where corporate groups create short films, providing creative professional development experiences for businesses.
• Film Commission Custom film creation services producing commissioned works for clients across various sectors and purposes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of learners indicated an increase in their film knowledge from start to end on all programmes developing young people, teachers & adults in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Edinburgh Napier University (Screen Academy Scotland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2026Edinburgh Napier University partners with SEE to deliver the Postgraduate Certificate in Film and Screen Professional Practice (2026/27). Two modules (Filmmaking in the Classroom and Film and Screen Education in Practice) are delivered by SEE, while Edinburgh Napier delivers Screenwriting Workshop and Creative Practice for Film and Television. Successful completion provides 80 credits awarded by the university and supports GTCS second subject registration.
• Queen Margaret UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023SEE delivers the PgCert in Film and Screen Education in partnership with Queen Margaret University. This programme provides formal training for media teachers, with courses including Set the Scene (first film teaching course accredited by GTCS).
• BFI Film AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEE is a delivery partner for BFI Film Academy Scotland Short Course Programme, offering courses for 16-19 year olds in Edinburgh. The BFI Film Academy also includes Specialist Residential courses in Production Management for aspiring film professionals from across the UK.
• Film Edinburgh (City of Edinburgh Council, Culture Service)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEE has partnered with Film Edinburgh to deliver Edinburgh Schools Film & TV Inspire Sessions, workshops designed to inspire Edinburgh's young workforce to consider careers in Film & TV production. Sessions run from October 2024 - May 2026 across High Schools in Edinburgh, funded by Screen Scotland.
• 48 Hour Film ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEE collaborates with the 48 Hour Film Project to present the Edinburgh Shorts Showcase, a quarterly night of short films made by emerging filmmakers from Edinburgh and the Lothians at the Cameo cinema.
• Edinburgh FilmhouseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSEE partners with Edinburgh Filmhouse to deliver the Edinburgh & Lothians Schools Film Competition, with shortlisted films screened at Edinburgh Filmhouse.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Glasgow Media Arts Centre: Glasgow-based charity delivering film and media education, training, and production programmes for young people and communities. Co-recipient of the Sean Connery Foundation £1M grant alongside SEE, serving an almost identical mission in a different Scottish city.
• Watershed Media Centre: Bristol-based cultural and media centre running the Watershed's Creative Talent and Engagement programmes, including filmmaking training for young people and creative education. Comparable model as a regional creative media hub combining exhibition, education, and community production.
• The Portal Arts: Glasgow-based creative arts charity providing filmmaking and creative media training opportunities for young people. Also co-recipient of Sean Connery Foundation funding; comparable youth-focused film education mission and funding profile to SEE.
• Station House Media Unit: Aberdeen-based charitable media unit providing film and media training for young people and communities in North East Scotland. Co-recipient of Sean Connery Foundation funding with SEE; offers directly comparable film education and community production programmes.
• Young Film Academy: London-based provider of filmmaking courses, workshops, and holiday programmes for young people aged 7-19, including residential intensives. Closest for-profit comparator to SEE's youth filmmaking curriculum with comparable pedagogical approach and target age range.

Broad incumbents

• Into Film: UK-wide charity that puts film at the heart of children and young people's education, with national programmes including the Into Film Awards where SEE won Best Film: 16-19 in 2026. Operates at significantly larger scale as the national umbrella body for youth film education.
• BFI Film Academy: British Film Institute's national talent development programme for 16-19 year olds, of which SEE is a delivery partner for the Scotland Short Course Programme. Operates UK-wide and sets the curriculum framework within which SEE operates regionally.

Emerging players

• CapeUK: UK charity developing partnerships between schools and cultural/creative organisations to enhance creative education for children and young people. Overlaps with SEE's school-engagement programmes (Edinburgh & Lothians Schools Film Competition, Inspire Sessions) on the school-partnership dimension of film education.
• Screen Academy Scotland (Edinburgh Napier University): Edinburgh Napier University's film school delivering undergraduate and postgraduate film degrees, including the PG Certificate in Film and Screen Professional Practice delivered in partnership with SEE. Comparable film education curriculum with a higher-education rather than community-charity model.

Regional players

• Film London: London-focused screen agency running skills and training programmes for emerging filmmakers, including youth talent development. Same sector role as Film Edinburgh does for SEE, but operating in a different UK region with comparable workforce-development mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/screenedinburgh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCByBWx_JT1yqYONOkd7rVPA
• Facebookfacebook.com/screenedinburgh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/screen-edinburgh
• Instagraminstagram.com/screen_ed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Screen Education Edinburgh