Sky and Adobe team up with Kick it Out to focus on diversity and inclusion for second year of The Edit

Sky and Adobe have revealed the topic for the second year of The Edit, a programme for schools to help close the digital divide by improving the digital and media literacy skills of young people across the UK and Ireland.

For this year’s competition Sky and Adobe have teamed up with Kick it Out to challenge students to create a compelling news story celebrating their heroes who have fought for a more equal society. This education partnership is part of the £3 million investment package which Sky committed to Kick it Out last year.

Using Adobe’s creative tools and Sky’s content, young people will shoot, produce and edit a short news report about someone they feel has made the world a more equal place. Whether its Rosa Parks, Christine Jorgensen, Marcus Rashford or Harvey Milk, students will be challenged to explain how they are inspired by their subject’s actions. The winning entries will be broadcast on Sky and the winning school will receive free Adobe Creative Cloud licences.

Stephen van Rooyen, Sky’s executive vice president & chief executive officer, UK & Europe, said: “The Edit helps break down barriers that can make the path to a media career only accessible to a fraction of young people. The first year was a resounding success, reaching more young people than we imagined and from communities that have been historically shut out of the media industry.

“Every child, in every community, should have access to digital programmes. The Edit can help them find their voice and build on the essential digital skills that the future of our economies relies upon.

“It’s also a privilege to continue to support Kick it Out’s incredible work to champion inclusion and combat discrimination. At Sky, we’re committed to use our voice and content as a force for good and dedicated to building a more inclusive society for future generations.”

The first year of the programme exceeded targets reaching more than 40,000 students across the UK and Ireland with 45% of schools that used the programme in low-income areas. Year two will continue to help bridge the digital divide with the aim of finding and inspiring the next generation of media talent by introducing careers and skills they may never have had the opportunity to experience. The programme removes many of the long-standing barriers to entry to media careers that some face by giving access to the tools and skills of the people creating and shaping news stories every day.

Claire Darley, Adobe’s vice president for digital media in Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “The mission of The Edit in helping close the digital divide is one we strongly support because of the impact it will have on our future generation and their success. Anyone, from any walk of life, should have the opportunity to tell and share their story using digital and creative skills; storytelling around timely and important themes, like equality and inclusion, truly empowers young people to use creativity as a force for good.”

Students taking part learn about the different roles involved in the whole news production process, receiving tips and tricks from Sky Sports and Sky News experts. Combined with access to Adobe’s video creation tools, students will develop core digital skills that are essential for storytelling as well as soft skills including communication, collaboration, critical-thinking and creativity.

Tony Burnett, Kick It Out CEO, said: “It’s great to be able to continue our partnership with Sky, by giving thousands of young people the opportunity to learn new skills, while also championing equality and diversity. Access to experience within the media industry should be accessible to all, despite their background, and The Edit is helping to give young people that much-needed opportunity.”

It also forms part of Sky’s broader commitments to help tackle racial injustice. Sky is investing £10 million per year across its markets through to 2023 to support anti-racism and improve diversity and inclusion.

In January 2021, Sky set ambitious targets to increase ethnic diversity and representation across its UK workforce. By 2025, Sky is aiming for 20% of its employees in the UK and Ireland to be from black, Asian, or ethnically diverse backgrounds with at least a quarter of these being black. This target also applies to Sky’s leadership team.