ROUTES INTO WORK
n an age of technology, where
robots are coming for our jobs, a
handful of key skills remain
particularly precious because they
are innately human and — so far — impossible
for machines to emulate. Empathy is one.
There is also critical thinking. But another is
creativity.
Teaching students to think creatively is
important no matter which subjects they are
studying. A creative mind, able to come up
with new solutions to problems, is valuable
across the curriculum from the arts and
humanities to STEM. It also helps students to
master a range of other skills.
Creative projects encourage discourse,
collaboration and the communication of ideas
through a creative medium. A student
struggling to communicate with the same
fluency as his or her classmates might be
better able to express their feelings through
the prism of a creative endeavour. The arts
also provide an outlet for feelings, supporting
wellbeing and emotional development. They
give young people a chance to express
themselves and have their voices heard.
When it comes to careers, jobs that define
themselves as ‘creative’ are growing at a faster
rate than those that are not, plus creativity is
now recognised as a core employability skill,
required across all sectors — not least science
and engineering.
“Employers around the world are
consistently asserting the need for a more
I
Films are chosen based upon
their relevance to student work and
projects. Challenging titles such as
Ida, I, Daniel Blake and A Girl Walks
Home Alone At Night have been
screened to encourage debate and
analysis. This has impacted positively
on literacy development, increasing
learners’ confidence in oral and
written communication.
Students with learning-support
needs through to those who have
well-developed literacy skills
re gu l a r l y rev i ew f i l m s u s i n g
Members were successful in
winning UK Film of the Month
Developing
creativity has a
positive impact
on young
people’s
resilience,
problem solving
and emotional
intelligence
creative workforce,” writes Roisin Ellison on
Barclays’ LifeSkills blog. “For this reason we
must help schools to do more to harness the
creativity of their young people.”
Film-based programmes
One organisation devoted to fostering young
people’s creativity is Into Film, a charity
launched in 2013, providing a films-based
programme for students aged 5-19.
“Developing creativity has a positive impact
on young people’s resilience, enjoyment of
problem solving, emotional intelligence, and
ability to develop and test new ideas,” says
Jane Fletcher, Into Film’s director of learning.
“In the workplace, this is invaluable.”
Into Film offers training to educators
helping them to use film as a tool for curricular
attainment. It also facilitates film clubs at which
students can not only watch, but make, films;
showcases young filmmaking talent through
its Into Film Awards, and holds a festival every
November, running workshops and sharing
learning resources, plus free tickets to film
screenings (see box, page 30).
“We remove barriers to accessing the
powerful impact and medium of film,” sums
up Fletcher.
For young people, it is an invaluable
opportunity to get a taste of a field often
››
group-based activities and blended-
learning techniques. Filmmaking is
a popular activity, with students
producing fictional, factual and
animation-based projects.
Many are sufficiently confident
to share their practical skills in a more
formal setting and have delivered
film-making and animation
workshops for pupils at local schools
as part of their Welsh Baccalaureate
Community Challenge.
Other students are responsible
for the termly digital members’
magazine containing film reviews,
club news and links to trailers for
forthcoming films. We are planning
a group which creates social media
content, sharing information about
our club, Into Film and other
filmmaking opportunities for young
people in our area.
Our members regularly enter
competitions and were successful
in winning UK Film of the Month; their
short film subsequently earned
them a gold medal in the Welsh
g ove r n m e nt ’ s I n s p i r i n g S k i l l
Excellence in Wales project .
Through our film club, we have
engaged with various events
including a BAFTA masterclass with
Amma Asante and a hugely inspiring
talk with actor Rhys Ifans.
The combination of screenings,
industry-related visits and practical
skills development has made a
significant impact on a number of
club members, adding value to
their learning and raising aspirations
to a point where it has influenced
their progression pathways into
higher education and the world
of work.
FUTURE
FUTURE
TALENTED
TALENT // 29