Music Videos In May 2026 -
Meet The Cohort
Screen South, Seaview Studios and Folkestone Music Town are delighted to announce the artists and directors who will be making this year’s music videos.
Each artist will be paired with a director who will work with them to realise their music video vision. Between March and April 2026, the teams will develop their ideas and receive mentoring from our teams and guest music video specialists. Then, in May, each team will have one week to make their video, before the results are shared with everybody at the premiere on 29 May at Folkestone’s Silver Screen Cinema.
This year’s selected artists are Nãnci Correia, Tyler Jayy, the band Oscar,and Chess Smith. The directors are Leroy Boateng, Clare-Louise English, Sherice Griffiths and Christopher Morrison. Find out more about them below.
Meet the Artists
Nãnci Correia
Nãnci Correia is a Portuguese-British singer whose powerful vocals have taken her from the forefront of the global Jungle scene to becoming a self-taught producer, composer and compelling solo artist. Born in Lisbon and raised in South London, her passion for music began at age five after performing her first solo in Bolivia. She first gained attention in the underground duo Nãnci & Phoebe, praised for vocals compared to Adele and Florence Welch. Influenced by Jazz, Blues and Latin music, Nãnci now channels a more honest, healing sound. Having worked with Congo Natty and received support from MTV Base and BBC Radio 1, her self-produced solo work signals an exciting new chapter.
Tyler Jayy
Tyler Jayy from Ramsgate is a singer-songwriter and producer who explores all corners of indie music. His first two albums, Healing and Sonder, showcased a wide variety of sounds and influences across the indie spectrum. Now, Tyler is narrowing his focus. His upcoming EP Dissolution leans fully into indie rock, built around raw guitars and strong songwriting. The project carries a central theme of loss of identity and change, and the feeling of slowly coming undone.
Oscar The Band
Oscar The Band are a four-piece band from Folkestone, formed in 2024 by dual vocalists Sidney Spong and Joseph Keegan, alongside Sean Pluck (bass) and Mason Simmons (drums). A product of the town’s hardcore / DIY scene, Oscar The Band is the result of a long friendship between its members.
Blending second-wave emo with post-punk, their songs move between fragile quiet and sudden full-band release. Messy and restrained at the same time, Oscar The Band balance candid, relationship-focused writing with inward, off-centre lyricism.
Their debut single China Bird will be released as part of Screen South’s Music Videos in May programme.
“They swelled, they erupted, dropped to stillness, then exploded again… you will not be disappointed.” — Mick Mercer
Chess Smith
Chess Smith has been a commanding presence on the Kent music scene for over a decade, most recently as critically acclaimed power vocalist for Salvation Jayne… until 2020, when an abuser tried to take her power. But they didn’t succeed. Despite enduring a devastating nervous breakdown at the time, Chess has rebuilt herself, become a new mum, and is back & fighting in spectacular style with her most personal, relatable work to date. With her synth packed, anthemic alt-pop sound, colossal power vocals, and punchy, unforgiving lyrics, Chess is on a musical mission to show the world that you can not only heal after these experiences – you can thrive.
Meet the Directors
Leroy Boateng
Leroy Boateng is a photographer and director collaborating with musicians, fashion brands, and art organisations to create both fiction and documentary work. He employs an organic and candid approach to visual storytelling, making use of colour, tone and texture to enhance his work. He particularly enjoys narratives driven by complex individuals.
Clare-Louise English
Clare is a Deaf writer/director and was one of Screen International’s Screen Stars of Tomorrow 2023, alongside her long-time collaborator, producer, Jo Sargeant.
Clare’s debut short, My Darling Christopher, went to festivals across the globe and gained her a Best Director nomination. She has since directed several award winning short films and the ground-breaking event, About Time held at BAFTA, an anarchic evening of performance celebrating Deaf and disabled talent.
Her most recent film, a 30min drama for LumoTV, Where The Light Gets In, was nominated for Best Drama at the Broadcast Digital Awards alongside The Rivals and A Thousand Blows.
Sherice Griffiths
Sherice Griffiths is a writer-director making bold, genre-driven work across film and television. With BBC Drama credits on Miss Austen, where she worked as 2nd Unit Director under BAFTA-winning director Aisling Walsh, and as Shadow Director on BBC One’s Ann-Droid, she has built her television craft alongside a prolific slate of independent projects. Her debut feature Damaged Goods, produced for under £25k, is in post-production, and her short films across comedy and action have earned 25+ selections at BAFTA and BIFA qualifying festivals including Kino London, British Urban Film Festival, and Women in Action. She also directed Episode 302 of the award-winning fantasy webseries Ren: Girl with the Mark.
Josh Barnes
Josh Barnes is a director who revels in eclecticism. His music videos – for artists including OS Elliott, Bonhomie and Darren Clark – range from sun-soaked indie warmth to shadowy and surreal experimental electronica. A graduate of the National Film & Television School, Josh is the Development & Production Executive at independent film and TV production company xFilm, and Co-Founder of Falling Tree Film Festival.
