Bectu has appointed screen practitioner Mairi Claire Bowser to the newly created role of Screen Sustainability Manager for Scotland. The role will be based within the union’s skills and training department in Scotland, Bectu Vision.
The new role will bring together policy makers and industry on sustainability issues that affect the screen sector in Scotland, helping the industry make the transition to a net zero waste and carbon economy.
Mairi Claire will embed sustainability practices across film and TV production in Scotland by supporting productions and practitioners to develop and implement new ways of working. She has worked in props and set decoration departments across the UK for the past decade. She holds an MSc in Environmental Management and is committed to reducing the environmental impacts of film and TV production.
With this appointment, Bectu will develop a strategy for improving sustainability practices in the film and TV industries in Scotland, covering:
- Screen content: how we protect Scotland’s natural landscapes through their promotion in Scottish film and TV programmes, and the connection between screen content in Scotland and its relationship to inclusive societies.
- Infrastructure: how we best welcome and house screen production in Scotland in a way that is both low impact and leaves a positive legacy for the industry and economy overall.
- Production processes: equipping productions with training and resources of low impact suppliers and services, benefiting both production companies, crew, and low impact enterprise in Scotland.
The post has been created with support from agencies across Scotland including Screen Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Glasgow City Council.
In 2019/2020, Mairi Claire led the research of Creative Carbon Scotland’s report ‘Greening Scotland’s Screen Industry’ for Screen Scotland. In the summer of 2020, she helped to start the unionisation of environmental issues in the screen sector, through setting up the Sustainability Sub Committee for Bectu’s London Production Division and has since been a co-chair of the group
Bectu Negotiations Officer for Scotland, Paul McManus, said: “Bectu is delighted that Screen Scotland and the other partners have entrusted us with taking the lead on such a massively important challenge, which everyone in the industry and across wider society needs to embrace wholeheartedly. With her practical industry experience, impressive knowledge and track record on sustainability Mari Claire is a great addition to the Bectu Vision team here in Scotland and we have no doubt that her appointment will deliver huge benefits to workers across our industry.”
Screen Scotland’s Scott Donaldson, commented: “It’s fantastic to be welcoming Mairi Claire to this critically important new role, established to support and guide Scotland’s screen industries in their reduction of emissions and environmental impact. We look forward to working together as we move towards achieving net zero, adapting to the challenges that climate change is bringing to screen production and addressing how screen content influences our attitudes towards climate change.”
Mairi Claire commented on her appointment: “As a practitioner in the film and TV industry myself, I am aware of the barriers faced by crew and production companies in drastically reducing the waste and carbon emissions of the film and TV production process overnight.
This new role will allow me to put forward the perspective of crew on the ground of film and TV production to allow for policy to be both practical to the production process, as well as radical, in order for us to take responsibility for our contributions to the climate crisis and reduce our impact.
I’m looking forward to working with colleagues across the film and TV production landscape in Scotland on this transition and would love to hear from any other individuals or organisations who are interested in collaborating on this work.”
Mairi Claire can be contacted through email at [email protected]
Media contact
Georgina Kinsella
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More information
Prospect is a leading trade union that that delivers advice, support, representation, and a voice for our members. We are a not-for-profit organisation with over 250 staff helping to support more than 142,000 people in specialist, professional and technical roles across the private and public sectors.
Bectu, a sector of Prospect, is the trade union for those working in the media, entertainment, digital and communications industry. Established in 2010, Bectu Vision delivers targeted short courses and a drama training programme of activity to support the skills development of freelance film and television practitioners in Scotland. Bectu Vision is funded by Screen Scotland, Scottish Union Learning and the BBC.
Screen Scotland is driving the cultural, social and economic development of all aspects of Scotland’s film and tv industry through enhanced funding, services and support with backing from Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Screen Scotland sits within Creative Scotland and works in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Funding Council to ensure the sector’s continued growth. screen.scot / Twitter / Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland at www.ourcreativevoice.scot