Neil Percival

Neil Percival serves as Associate Professor and Co-Director of Cultural Partnerships at Northumbria University, where he has taught professional practice modules on the BA Film programme since joining in January 2007. He collaborates extensively with cultural institutions including Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, New Writing North, Live Theatre, and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums to develop student-centered initiatives that bridge academia and industry.

His educational qualifications include:

• PhD in Social Studies/Science (2021)
• MA in Academic Studies in Education (2014)
• PCAPL in Teaching & Learning (2007)
• BA (Hons) in English Literature (1988)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2013)

Neil's research centers on employment practices, sustainable careers, and working patterns within the UK film and TV industry, with particular focus on precarity, unpaid labor, and gendered career trajectories. His longitudinal studies track entry-level workers' experiences while examining educational interventions to prepare students for creative sector challenges. He investigates career exit motivations, collective resistance to exploitative conditions, and develops pedagogical frameworks for career sustainability.

Analysis of his 2017-2024 publications reveals consistent examination of structural challenges in screen industries, with increasing emphasis on longitudinal data and intersectional analysis. Key trends include the normalization of precarious work, gendered impacts of parenting on career continuity, and educational strategies to combat industry exploitation. His recent work synthesizes empirical findings with theoretical frameworks on labor mobilization, culminating in practical resources adopted by institutions worldwide.

Neil developed a SIGN-funded ten-lesson teaching resource pack on screen sector career launch, implemented across 60+ universities globally. His industry-academic partnerships include longitudinal studies with 1,000+ media professionals and collaborative projects addressing unpaid work through initiatives like the TV Wrap campaign. He founded both a UK-wide TV freelancer community and a regional media networking group to strengthen industry connections.