Algiers Training Program for Filmmakers Wins Entertainment Development Fund Award
Published at 11:32 am on Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Baton Rouge, Louisiana – A program that trains young people to work as camera operators for the film and television industry has received the latest award from the Entertainment Development Fund of Louisiana. Nonprofit organization Old Algiers Main Street Corp. will receive $274,631 over two years for an entertainment workforce training project in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans.
Old Algiers will focus on educational training for careers in filmmaking, such as grips/electricians and costumers. The organization will work with the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE) for curriculum and training, and with his LB Landry High School to provide training facilities. We will also maintain relationships with current community-run film studios for employment needs.
“Louisiana’s film industry remains a source of quality jobs in the state, and my administration is working hard to ensure that Louisiana workers have the skills and opportunities to fill those jobs. “The success of the industry has made possible the Entertainment Development Fund, which will move from Shreveport to Acadiana and from Baton Rouge to New Orleans,” said Gov. John Bell Edwards. To support innovative workforce development programs, this latest award to Old Algiers Main Street Corp. is yet another place where the industry can benefit from a pipeline of locally grown talent. We will expand the program to
Since 2020, the organization, based in the Old Algiers area of New Orleans on the west bank of the Mississippi, has focused on workforce training and career opportunities.
Valerie Robinson, President of the Board of Directors of Old Algiers Main Street Corp. said: “The local high school, partnering with LB Landry, hopes to have a pipeline for trainees, and film studios and production companies need trainees. Partnership with IATSE allows us to leverage their vast knowledge and experience in the industry.”
With a grant from the WK Kellogg Foundation, Old Algiers Main Street Corporation developed the #EquityRising program. This is a collaborative effort with community businesses and others to identify local youth in need of skills training and job assistance. This effort began with the Certified Nursing Assistant Training Program. The Entertainment Development Fund Award allows organizations to extend their employee training efforts into the film and television industry.
“The New Orleans Business Alliance applauds Old Algiers Main Street Corp’s LED funding for partners in their #EquityRising program,” said Norman E. Barnum IV, President and CEO of NOLABA. “Through this award, young people in New Orleans will be able to access high-growth, well-paying jobs that are easily accessible in Algiers and throughout the city, and learn valuable skills to enter the entertainment industry. The award demonstrates the power of collaboration and leverages initial investment in NOLABA’s pilot #EquityRising program to support workforce training efforts for residents of Algiers. It will help improve culture, equity and prosperity in New Orleans.”
This is the 10th Entertainment Development Fund Award presented by Louisiana Economic Development since the program’s inception. Previous awards were given to higher education institutions and non-profit community programs in Shreveport, Natchitoches, Lafayette, Thibodaux, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
About Old Algiers Main Street Corporation
Old Algiers Main Street Corporation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and revitalizing New Orleans’ Old Algiers community, including the neighborhoods of Algiers Point, McDonough and Whitney. He is a member of the Louisiana Main Street Program and an accredited member of the National Main Street Program. For more information, visit OldAlgiersMainStreet.org.
About Louisiana Entertainment
Louisiana is one of the world’s premier destinations for filmmaking. Digital interactive and software development projects. live performance; and recording. With state-of-the-art facilities, a wealth of talent, a production-friendly community, and competitive incentive programs, Louisiana is the perfect place for the entertainment industry. For more information on Louisiana’s film, digital interactive, live performance and recorded programs, visit Louisiana Entertainment (LouisianaEntertainment.gov) of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development.
