rad Scotland: Meet the Trainees

Aidan has been passionate about working in film and tv from a young age. After studying media at
college he took up voluntary work with Ayrshire Film Company in his local area to gain practical
experience and build up a CV of work. The skills learned with the company, ranging from camera
operation to editing and even interview and on-camera presenting lead to new opportunities within
the media department at Kilmarnock Football Club, GMAC Film’s youth team and work experience with
BBC Scotland. Aidan is mad about history and has made several short documentary videos for his YouTube channel with
the hope of making the leap to TV.

Allan’s passion for television was ignited when he began studying the television course at City of
Glasgow College in 2016. Having spent two years at college obtaining his HND he furthered his
knowledge and skills at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, studying BA(Hons) Film and Media.
After completing his degree Allan, along with his partner and newborn son, moved back west in search
of opportunities in the Television Industry. Allan gained valuable production experience throughout
his studies, working on productions such as the RTS Television Awards and the RTS Student Awards.
Allan also worked as a runner on TernTV’s ‘Holidays from Hell’.

A London native, Amanda first visited Glasgow in 2018 and with the promise of new artistic
opportunities, it was this introduction that prompted her permanent move across the country a year
later.  Now a mother, Amanda began to draw inspiration from her experiences in parenthood
during the national lockdowns of 2020-2021 which led her to creating her blog, ‘The A Word’ where
she shares snippets of her life as a new mother, poetry, and various short stories, all with a focus
on mental wellbeing and healing. Over this period, she has also developed two feature film scripts
and the first in a three-part novel series called ‘The Incarnate’ set to debut in late 2022.

Ben received his degree in Film and Media Studies from the University of Stirling in 2018. On top of
this, he spent a summer studying film direction at the Metropolitan Film School in Berlin. Using his
skill set, Ben travelled to America to teach children the wonders of filmmaking as part of the Camp
America programme. Ben’s previous production experience includes his own documentary which followed
artist Iona Leishman as well as other short films. Ben is incredibly passionate about the film and
television industry and has been writing his own feature film, inspired by his own experiences
within Glasgow’s LGBTQ+ community as well as his passion for helping the homeless people of Glasgow
and surrounding areas.

Dylan graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 2019 with a degree in Communication Design, having
originally focused on photography before developing his practice into moving image. He has worked
with several third sector organisations on creative projects, as well as within the music industry
producing music videos and backing visuals.

Federica moved to Scotland in 2011 to study law. After leaving law and studying computing, she went
back to her creative roots and completed a degree in Digital Media at the University of Stirling.
She rediscovered her passion for photography through concert photography, leading her to become a
contributor for UK music magazine RockShot. During the course of her degree, she made three short
films, combining her creative writing, visual and editing skills. She loves to tell stories that
explore complicated human emotions and societal issues. She has also been a contributor for BBC The
Social.

A lifelong lover of storytelling, Jade left Edinburgh in 2017 to study English literature at the
University of Glasgow. She is incredibly passionate about championing working class voices; her
undergraduate dissertation analysed contemporary fiction set in U.K council estates. In 2021, Jade’s
play, Redraft was produced and performed at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. It discussed
the nuances and difficulties of ‘home’ as a concept for under-privileged families. Jade’s previous
roles include retail work, advancement for a genealogical society, and sample preparation in a
COVID-19 testing facility. This is her first role in the television industry, and she is over the
moon to take part of the rad scheme.

From a young age, Kiet was fascinated by the creation process of film and television. He worked part
time at Odeon cinemas and further pursued this passion when he studied Broadcast Production at
University of West of Scotland. Throughout his four years of study he carried out a variety of roles
on a range of different projects. He has worked in a production team filming a music video, written
comedy sketches, hosted live radio shows and created a short documentary looking at the impact that
COVID-19 had on local independent music artists. He is incredibly passionate about creating factual,
informative and entertaining content.

Kris graduated in 2014 from University Strathclyde with a degree in English, Journalism and Creative
Writing. Since graduating Kris has had a variety of roles in digital marketing, communications and
retail before pursuing their passion in broadcast media.

Sonia graduated from the University of Stirling with a joint Honours in English Studies and
Philosophy in 2018. She pursued English due to her interests in storytelling, the mechanics behind
it, and how those mechanics can be adapted to different mediums. After graduating, Sonia moved to
Thailand where she holds dual citizenship. She taught English and worked in freelance writing and
editing roles until she moved back to Scotland in 2021. Since then, she has continued freelancing
but is eager to pursue a career in the TV industry, where she believes her passion for storytelling
and creativity can thrive.

Born in Belgium and feeling like he never fit in, Mathias decided to study abroad in Scotland as part
of his studies in Cultural Management. As a television aficionado, he is extremely passionate about
queer and diverse representation in television. Mathias has gained excellent interpersonal skills
working as a telephone befriender. He is able to be flexible and work as a chameleon, yet still
keeps his essence as a hardworking individual. Being given the opportunity to work as a Junior
Development Researcher gives him the chance to let his full imagination loose and finally work in
the field he is most passionate about.

Rosa is a Glasgow-based creative looking to cut her teeth in film and television following
six years of directing across Scotland’s leading theatre companies. Rosa
trained at the Lancaster Institute of Contemporary Arts specialising in cross
form collaborations and creating multimedia based installations. Rosa is
passionate about reaching wide audiences with strong emotional narratives and
progressive storylines. Having previously directed a short for BBC Comedy’s
Short Stuff and designed multimedia for ‘at Oran Mor’s Play, Pie a Pint, Rosa
joined the screen world this year as an Editorial PA on a large scale Warner
Bros. feature.

SJ loves to tackle bold stories. With a passion for increasing representation, SJ enjoys
writing working class, disabled stories with authenticity and flair and can proudly find the
dark comedy in any subject matter. With a background in media and marketing, and a
self-proclaimed story geek, SJ graduated with an MA Screenwriting from Edinburgh Napier’s Screen
Academy Scotland in 2021. Past experience includes being a freelance script reader for TV and
writer of a short script shortlisted in the Screen and Story Film Festival Screenplay
Competition 2021.