Netflix and Left Bank unveil ‘Dept. Q’ training program

Netflix and Left Bank are aiming to cultivate the next wave of Scottish creators through a training initiative with the popular series Dept. Q.

The series, a massive favourite on the platform and produced in Scotland, will offer 20 compensated trainee spots for local talent when filming begins later this year.

The owner of Left Bank, Sony Pictures, alongside Screen Scotland, are supporting the initiative, which aims to provide valuable, paid entry-level positions in various on-set and production capacities, according to those who organised the program. Trainees will engage across multiple departments within the production.

Dept. Q ranks among Netflix’s largest UK successes recently. Starring Matthew Goode and Chloe Pirrie, it chronicles a top detective, newly injured, trying to solve old, unresolved cases.

Netflix UK's head of content, Anne Mensah, stated: “Dept. Q has consistently thrived due to the remarkable talent in Scotland, both in front of and behind the camera.

With this initiative, we are thrilled to expand upon that legacy, collaborating with Left Bank Pictures, Sony Pictures Television, and Screen Scotland to provide emerging Scottish talent with practical experience in a major production, paving the way for their future in the industry.”

Last year, Scottish talent came into focus amidst a controversy regarding the number of local crew members involved in The Traitors, set in a Scottish castle but produced by a company based in London and commissioned from there.