Television presenter Jake Humphrey announces UEA scholarship
By: News Archive
Television presenter Jake Humphrey is launching 'The Jake Humphrey Scholarship’ in Film, Television and Media Studies at the University of East Anglia (UEA), based in his home city of Norwich.
The scholarship, which Jake is donating with his wife Harriet, will be awarded to a talented student from a low-income household, helping to cover tuition fees and living costs.
The scholarship is part of the Department of Film, Television and Media Studies and aims to make the industry more accessible. UEA houses the East Anglian Film Archive, Media Suite, and a TV studio, has close links with the British Film Institute in London.
UEA is currently ranked the most socially inclusive university in the top 20 in The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 UK rankings and since 2009 has given donor-funded scholarship opportunities to 550 students, with donations worth £3.6m during that time.
In addition to the scholarship, as co-founder of Whisper Films, Jake is giving two further opportunities to students at UEA.
As part of the course, each student will get the opportunity attend a work placement. Whisper Films, will be the home of one work placement, where students will get the chance to work alongside Jake and the team including Sunil Patel and David Coulthard, on award winning international programmes.
Upon graduating, Jake and Whisper Films are offering one student a contract, up to year-long with the company at its London headquarters. Since 2010, Whisper Films has become one of the fastest-growing production companies in the UK with award-winning productions including Formula 1 coverage for Channel 4, NFL show for the BBC and the US Open coverage on Amazon Prime.
Jake famously failed his GCSEs and was fired from McDonald’s. It was someone taking a chance on him that has got him where he is today. Jake wants to repay that and take a chance on someone who may otherwise be unable to afford the opportunity to go to University.
Passionate about supporting the students both throughout their studies and after, Jake is excited to be championing young talent and opening the door to an industry that might otherwise be inaccessible for some.
Jake said: "The reason I am where I am today is because someone believed in me. A lot of young people may be put off by a career in media or further education because they don’t think they have the skills, or they physically can’t afford it.
University isn't the only way to secure a career in media but hopefully, by helping with the costs of attending university, it will at least be an option. I wasn't the best when it came to education but I was lucky enough to have the support and the backing of some amazing industry leaders. By partnering with UEA, I want to directly invest in the future of young talent in media."
David Ellis, Director of Development at UEA, said: “We would like to thank Jake and his wife, Harriet, very much for their generosity and we’re delighted to partner with such a popular individual who grew up locally and has shown a lot of support for good causes in Norwich and Norfolk.
“At UEA we are heavily invested in making university attainable for the brightest minds, no matter the background, and Jake’s scholarship support and the Whisper Films work placements are a fantastic opportunity for a handful of young people to learn a craft, embrace the university experience and get the rare chance to work with prominent individuals in the media that they wouldn’t otherwise have had.
“That’s really exciting for us, will be a game changer for the lucky students’ career prospects, and we would urge anyone who might be interested to contact scholarships@uea.ac.uk.”
For more information about the scholarship and how to apply, visit the UEA scholarship webpage.
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