Building the next generation of high-end TV leaders, one career at a time.
Our sponsorship of ScreenSkills’ HETV Leaders of Tomorrow program is helping mid-level professionals step into senior decision-making roles.
Steven Murphy (pictured centre) with fellow Cohort 5 participants Sandra Coulson (left) and Gemma Aboagye (right)
Careers in high-end television rarely move in a straight line. Crew members build craft over years, often across several departments, and the step up into a senior role can be the hardest one to take. Through our sponsorship of ScreenSkills’ HETV Leaders of Tomorrow program, we support mid-level high-end TV professionals with the training, mentoring, placements, and bursaries they need to make that step.
Steven Murphy is one of them. A Belfast-based Standby Art Director and master blacksmith with 14 years of high-end TV experience, Steven joined Cohort 5 in January 2026 with a clear three-year goal: to become an Art Director. He brings a career that spans prop weapons, armoury, Props, and Art Department roles.
Steven moved quickly. He became the first participant in his cohort to secure a placement, within a month of joining. He spent eight weeks shadowing the production designer Emma Lowney during prep on a major returning drama series before returning to his standby role, and received leadership training and mentorship from Production Designer Stephen Daly, whose credits include Peaky Blinders.
Our support also gave Steven access to a program bursary. He consulted a range of Art Directors before deciding how to use it, then invested in equipment for the next stage of his career. As a partially deaf professional whose previous career in the Air Force was ended by his hearing loss, the program has provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen the leadership skills needed to achieve his long-term ambitions.
Steven’s experience demonstrates the impact of combining practical opportunities with tailored professional support. His nominator, Production Designer and Producer John Leslie, describes him as “very hard working, quiet and precise” and a positive presence on set, while Steven himself is focused on becoming the kind of leader who is “calm, confident, and generous with their knowledge.”