Please note that this opportunity is by parental/carer permission and is NOT via school Child Protection responsibility
Shaheen Baig Casting is a Film & Television Casting office and have a history of casting people in both film and television with no prior acting experience – you can find out more about the work we do here: www.shaheenbaigcasting. <http://www.shaheenbaigcasting.com/>com <http://www.shaheenbaigcasting.com/>. Shaheen most recently cast Adolescence for Netflix.
We are looking for young people from Edinburgh between the ages of 14 – 17 to feature in main and supporting roles in a feature film. We are not exclusively looking for young people with acting experience, just people with enthusiasm to try something new.
The film is written by Paul Laverty who is known for his long-standing work with filmmaker Ken Loach. The feature film is supported by ScreenScotland and will shoot from June 2026.
ABOUT THE FILM:
The film is set in an Edinburgh state school and follows a group of students from “The Welfare Hub” and a teaching assistant who collectively start up a student-led theatre group to challenge world issues which leads on to a final defiant performance that turns anger into catharsis, grief into art, and spectators into witnesses.
The Welfare Hub is a classroom, used for those who struggle with a full day of school. Many of the pupils who attend will dip in and out. Teaching assistants will encourage them to go to the normal class when they can; if they can’t or are struggling, they are made welcome at the Hub which has a much more tolerant atmosphere of challenging behaviour. Around a dozen core students attend regularly, with up to 18 in total, reflecting diverse neurological profiles, ethnic backgrounds, and gender identities – all come from working-class families.
Many pupils have neurological differences such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia, while others face anxiety, depression, behavioural challenges, or other difficult home circumstances.
Please note there will be meticulous safeguarding protocols in place across this Production.
NEXT STEPS:
We are looking for young people to fill the roles of students who are a part of “The Welfare Hub” – we are very interested in young people (Age 14 – 17) who fit the above brief but also encourage students to submit themselves even if they don’t think they could be a fit for the world of this film. Roles will be adapted to reflect the young people we go on to cast.
SUBMITTING:
Please can parent/guardians apply via the clicking the link to the application form: https://form.jotform.com/260775461973367 <https://form.jotform.com/260775461973367>
Or they can email edinburghfilm@shaheenbaigcasting.com <mailto:edinburghfilm@shaheenbaigcasting.com> with the title ‘EDINBURGH FILM’ on behalf of their young person and include all of the below information:
Full Name
Age & DOB
Where they are based
A recent photograph. It doesn’t have to be professional. Smartphones are fine.
Consent of submission from parent/ guardian.