A diplomatic challenge

Students aged between 14 and 19 years old are taking part in a new government qualification aimed at offering both classroom and hands-on experience. The new 14–19 Creative and Media Diploma is one of just a few subjects currently available in the new Diploma range. Create Studios, Swindon Borough Council’s film and digital media studio, is delivering professional artist support to schools and colleges delivering this qualification. The Creative and Media Diploma enables pupils to study a vast array of creative industries, including theatre, music and fashion. The Diploma began in September and, six months on, there have been creative solutions to big challenges. Keith Phillips manages the project for Create Studios, helping match professionals to students. He reports, “The Diploma is a new way of teaching, and its focus on gaining a practical knowledge of how industry works is a real challenge for schools. This is where Create’s experience with young people comes in. We work in partnership with both local practitioners and those in major television and feature film productions. We help professionals develop their teaching skills and then bring their experience and expertise to students in Swindon”.
One of the big challenges is that there are many students – over 60 – in this first year, and access to genuine work-related opportunities is not easy. Phillips continues, “Create was invited by Swindon’s 14–19 Partnership to devise a range of innovative solutions to provide access to professionals. Our solution is to get industry experts to give students work briefs of a genuine character, playing the role of client, with the same quirks and challenges as real clients. We also offer tours, where students visit real theatres and studios, look behind the scenes and quiz professionals.”
 

A couple of professional artists who have been working with students are James Carroll, of Evil Twin Artworks, and Phil Ball, a professional cameraman. Carroll said that he gave ten students a real brief, which he was working on, to turn a children’s book into an animated series. “We storyboarded it and worked on the animation of the pilot. I’m still awaiting the final outcome and, if the work they provide is good enough, we’ll use it!” Ball worked with two schools on campaigning and video projects, teaching camera techniques, scripting and storyboarding, then looking at commercials and discussing their effectiveness. He said, “Some students showed a lot of promise and were very keen. Something like this gives the students an outlet for their talent”. Alison Sutcliffe, who oversees the Creative and Media Diploma at Commonweal School, a Performing Arts College, explains, “We’ve done a range of activities, like radio plays, photography workshops, trips, performances, and now they’re getting involved with Radio 1’s Big Weekend, which is in Swindon in May. Two students will be reporters, interviewing people backstage. It’s really exciting that the students are able to explore the different industries and workplaces. And it’s allowing us to teach in a very different way, giving them more ownership over what they do, allowing them to be more creative”.
Students are enthusiastic. Sophie, aged 15, from Commonweal, said, “I find it easier to learn things whilst doing it rather than just reading out of a book. I’m interested in the music industry and dance so I thought it would be good to get the basic knowledge of the technical side.” Sam, also 15, added, “I’m interested in performing arts and would love to be on stage at the West End. The diploma seemed like the obvious choice”. The Diploma is a great opportunity for professional artists to engage with young people at a key stage in their education. Time will tell how successful it is, especially for the students’ careers, but Jemma Baker, of Sixth Sense Theatre for Young People, is excited: “It would really appeal to us to employ someone who had actually done a Diploma. They know what they want to do, and would have the experience”.