Skills Development - reignite

Skills Development .

Future Creators Media Academy

The Media Academy is designed to equip participants with skills that are essential for personal and professional development, as well as the entrepreneurial tools they will need to navigate and contribute to the creative industries. The course will offer a high quality, interactive and immersive media experience, covering a wide range of disciplines, including film production, publishing, games development and graphic design. This autumn, 100 young people will take part in the Future Creators Media Academy – a three-stage programme for 16–18-year-olds from across North Yorkshire. It’s a platform for self-expression, with the aim of allowing the next generation to explore their identities and share perspectives on the issues that matter to them. Across three engaging sessions, the Future Creators cohort will hear from people working in the creative industries; come up with their own business ideas; and visit the Aesthetica Film Festival and UNESCO City of Media Arts Expo for inspiration. There will be a final question-and-answer meeting to wrap up the course. We are looking to extend the reach of York’s UNESCO City of Media Arts designation across our region and encourage education pathways in the creative industries. The Future Creators Media Academy is delivered in partnership between Aesthetica, York St John University and the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Creative Business
Skills Academy

We will be working in partnership with the Combined Authority and York St John University to help creatives to develop their business and entrepreneurial skills in the sector. This Creative Business Skills Bootcamp will drive inward investment, develop a knowledge-based economy and, through the power of the UNESCO brand, we will enhance and uplift the sector. This will bolster the economy by creating a new set of companies, who will, in turn, employ the next generation and thereby retain talent in the region. As of December 2023, City of York Council identified that there were 199 private sector businesses in the Creative Industries within York. We will work with creatives with skills in industry and help them develop business ideas and launch new companies, in order to grow sector capacity and create the employers of the future. There are 12 fully funded places available. The course will run for 12 weeks over two evenings. Upon completion, all attendees will be able to access 12 months free rent in the co-working Enterprise Centre that is situated at York St John University. The first Creative Business Skills Bootcamp is underway, and we are hoping to launch a second cohort later this year.

Citywide Filmmaking
in Schools Programme

York's very own BAFTA-Qualifying Film Festival, Aesthetica, now in its 14th year is expanding its participation and engagement with young people across secondary schools in a citywide filmmaking in schools'programme. The project runs for a term and the goal is for each school to make a 3-5 minute film, which will be premiered at the Aesthetica Film Festival in November 2024. The city’s UNESCO City of Media Arts designation is being rooted into the fabric of the city by making it relevant and encouraging the young people to be active participants in media production. Students will learn a variety of skills related to filmmaking, which develops transferable skills and enhances their wider education, building cultural capital. These skills represent a versatile set of capabilities that the young people can carry with them throughout their education and career development, including communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, adaptability and critical thinking. These workshops empower young people to approach new challenges with a well-rounded skill set, enhancing their resilience and effectiveness in the ever-changing landscape of work. The five schools are Archbishop Holgate, Fulford School, Joseph Rowntree School, Millthorpe and York High School.

Education Pathways

We are making use of the city’s UNESCO status to develop a wide-scale programme centred around skills development in media production, embedding it within the city’s ecosystem for education pathways and preparedness for 21st century employment. The project will run for 10 weeks, from after the summer term until the end of the school year. It will be a Media filmmaking workshop and the goal is for each school to make a 3-5 minute film that will be premiered at the Aesthetica Film Festival on Saturday 9 November at City Screen cinema. Students will develop a variety of essential filmmaking and transferable skills, which will enhance their wider education and be applicable across different contexts, industries and roles. These all-important skills represent a versatile set of capabilities that the young people can carry with them throughout their education and career development, including adaptability, communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and time management. These skills will empower young people to approach new challenges, boosting their resilience in the ever-changing landscape of work.