Behind The Curtain: Creative Media Camp Winners Get Insider Experience at The BBC

In October, The Ideas Foundation, BBC Creative and The Manchester College joined forces to host a BBC Creative Media Camp aimed at nurturing students’ creative skills and preparing them for the world of work. Students were tasked with a live brief, pitching a social media campaign, out of home posters, trailer, and slogan to a panel of BBC professionals, under the guidance of Ideas Foundation facilitators Ben Worth and Peter Bakare. 

It was great to see game art and development students in the winning team. It shows how a dynamic modern game art course can equip students with wider employability skills, so they can take advantage of opportunities like this, that take them out of their comfort zone.

Ben Elson (Lead Tutor - Game Art Development)

In February, winners from The Manchester College were invited back to the BBC for an enriching follow-up experience. Led by Kate Dinsdale, Senior Audio Creative at BBC Creative, the day began with an in-depth exploration of the creative industry. The students were encouraged to chat with professionals and get curious about the inner workings of creative professions.

It was exciting to win and spending a day at the BBC was really good. It was very educational, and I learned how to use Linked to get in contact with professionals. I think this experience will help me to break into the industry

Kylie Fung (Level 3 Game Art and Development Student) CMC Winner

Students had the opportunity to talk with professionals like Tamara, a Junior Creative, who provided valuable insights about her own employment journey. Students also reconnected with Steve and Aron, the judges from the Creative Media Camp, who shared their work, expertise and guidance on working as a creative pair. Discussions between the students and employees ranged from industry tips to the significance of networking and authenticity in creative careers, highlighting gaps in the traditional education curriculums.  

As well as gaining practical advice, students also learnt why networking is so important through many personal career anecdotes. Throughout the experience, students were treated as budding professionals, fostering confidence, and immersing them in the industry environment.  

I really enjoyed the bootcamp and winning with my teammates was great. It was amazing to get to talk to industry professionals... and the opportunity to ask questions specifically related to my future was something I'd never normally get to do... I was just grateful to get to take part, it was better than a college tutor just vaguely talking about options, because the people there actively work with different job roles. It was really nice and the day itself felt really smooth.

Lily Curbishley (Level 3 Motion Design and Animation Student) CMC Winner

The students left Media City with a wealth of knowledge and a new-found sense of self-assurance, a testament to the valuable learning experience provided by staff. The real-world experience and direct conversations with industry professionals offered young creatives support, advice and a welcoming experience.

We are so proud of all the students who took part in the BBC bootcamp. It was a wonderful week where they learned loads and developed their employability skills. The bonus experience day for the winning team was a brilliant opportunity and the students got the chance to find out more about the creative industries and prepare for their future options. Thank you so much

Katy Rushton, Lead Tutor Motion Design and Animation