Meet Isaac Bokoko, Co-founder and Creative Director of NC Productions, a London-based multimedia company using storytelling to open doors for young people from underrepresented and financially uncertain backgrounds.

“I’m not from a family of nepo babies,” Isaac said. “I got into film through community schemes in my area, and that experience completely changed my life. Now, I want to do the same for others.”

Isaac has worked in film and television for over six years as a camera technician and cinematographer. But NC Productions grew from something deeper than a creative passion. It was a response to inequality in the arts.

“I came up through community projects. I didn’t even know the creative industries were an option until I joined a local traineeship,” he said. “That’s when I realised there are real jobs here, real careers, real people behind the screen. I wanted to make sure others like me got the same chance.”

Today, NC Productions runs both professional productions and grassroots creative programmes that bring industry-level experience into local communities. Its Community Film Collective is a free workshop series offering practical training and mentoring to young people, with a focus on learning by doing.

“I’m dyslexic and ADHD,” Isaac explained. “I didn’t go to university, I’m very hands-on. So our workshops are built for people like me. You learn the craft, but you also apply it straight away. That’s how you retain it, that’s how you grow.”

Each session pairs participants with working professionals, from art directors to sound engineers, and follows a theme. One month might explore production design; the next, it’s an open screening where emerging filmmakers show their work and meet collaborators.

“It’s completely judgment-free,” Isaac said. “Some people come who’ve never made a film before. Others are experienced. But everyone leaves feeling they’ve got a voice and a place in the space.”

Earlier this year, Isaac joined our Funding Futures Programme which we run in partnership with the Co-op Foundation. The programme funds and supports young social entrepreneurs with great ideas for solutions to help those sidelined by the financial system - giving them the tools they need to build financial resilience in their communities, so they become fairer places to live, with opportunities for all.

For Isaac, the support has been transformative.

“The fund allowed us to scale up our impact,” he said. “We made a small capital investment in equipment, which means we can now deliver bigger projects for clients, and crucially, we can bring a young person along and pay them.”

“Through the fund we’ve been able to work with organisations and charities across London,” Isaac explained. “For example, we recently produced a campaign for an eco-project in Camden. It was a paid commission, but it also gave us the chance to bring in a young trainee and teach them on the job.”

Behind the funding sits ongoing mentorship. Isaac credited his UnLtd support manager, Kyla, with helping NC Productions grow strategically.

“Knowledge is where the power lies,” he said. “Having a mentor to talk through things like structure, insurance, accounting, all those foundations that keep a social enterprise sustainable, has been invaluable.”

NC Productions curates an annual exhibition. This year, 45 young painters, photographers, poets and filmmakers were invited to explore the theme Shades of Migration. The Bomb Factory Art Foundation’s Marylebone gallery hosted the six-day celebration of young voices often excluded from the mainstream arts scene.

“We wanted to give people a space where they could invite their families, their networks, and say, look, this is real work,” Isaac said. “It’s not just something we do in our bedrooms. It is professional, it is valuable.”

That visibility matters. Representatives from institutions such as the Greenwich Maritime Museum attended and connected several artists to curators for potential collaborations.

Isaac credits the support of the Funding Futures Programme for helping make the event possible.

“The funding meant we could refine our website, get year-long insurance, and operate more professionally. That is what enabled the exhibition to grow.”

Across all NC Productions’ initiatives, accessibility is non-negotiable. All opportunities are promoted through open call-outs on social media, not private networks or exclusive invites.

“We’ve got a big pet peeve about how elitist the arts can be,” Isaac said. “We make sure everything we do is open, transparent and reachable.”

One of NC Productions’ many success stories is Josh, a young photographer whom Isaac met a few years ago.

“When we first met, he was taking photos at an event,” Isaac recalled. “He’d never worked professionally, but I could see his potential. So I brought him on a film shoot with us, just to shadow.”

That opportunity grew. Josh went on to work as a cinematographer on a short YouTube series and recently photographed a charitable event for Arsenal FC.

“Now he’s booking his own jobs,” Isaac said proudly. “He’s got the confidence, the technical skills, and most importantly, the professionalism to walk into a room and hold his own.”

For Isaac, that confidence, the ability to see yourself belonging, is everything.

“It’s not just about teaching camera skills. It’s about communication, relationships, how you carry yourself in a space. That’s what gets you booked, not just your technical talent.”

Isaac is candid about the barriers people still face.

“Equality is great, but it is equity we need,” he said. “People start from different positions in life. If your uncle is a producer and your aunt works at a studio, you’ve already got a head start. For the rest of us, it is about building that network from scratch.”

That’s why NC Productions emphasises long-term development, not just entry-level opportunities.

“It’s not enough to help someone get their first job, you’ve got to help them stay in the industry,” he added.

And that philosophy ties back to his community roots.

“I don’t just do this because I love film. I do this because I love my community,” he said. “The people who helped me showed me what’s possible. Now it’s my turn to do that for others. Honestly, I think every business should be a social enterprise. Why wouldn’t we all build for the benefit of our communities? It just makes sense. It enriches everyone.”

That sense of shared purpose defines both Isaac’s journey and ours. Through the Funding Futures Programme, founders like him are proving that creativity and social impact can thrive together. As we mark Social Enterprise Day, Isaac’s work stands as a reminder that when you invest in diverse talent and real opportunity, everyone benefits.

“We’re not just making art,” he said. “We’re building futures.”

Find out more about NC Productions here: https://ncproductions.net/