University News Last updated 29 July 2009
This July, Birmingham City University is giving 16 aspiring young radio DJs the opportunity to capture and produce their ultimate summer soundtrack.
Driven by the West Midlands Excellence Hub, Sound It Out is the stimulating and innovative new summer venture for the ‘Young Gifted and Talented', a government project to raise standards in teaching and learning.
Angela Morris, Excellence Hub and Gifted & Talented Coordinator, said: "The West Midlands Excellence Hub aims to provide gifted and talented youngsters with a wealth of opportunities designed to stretch and challenge them outside the classroom. Birmingham City University's Sound It Out programme is a fantastic example of the exciting and innovative events available in the West Midlands."
Sound It Out is giving 16 gifted pupils the opportunity to become part of production team learning to create, produce edit and stream their own radio feature online. Each student will gain hands on experience of a specific role whether it be that of producer, DJ/Presenter, news reader or in charge of adverts and jingles. The pupils will identify with these different roles and tailor them for a specific audience whilst pitching and presenting concepts.
Pupils have access to technical studio time which will include; Script writing, Producing, Sound Design, Audio Editing and Mixing, Commentary-to-picture, Voice over, sound effects and Podcasting. Some of the studio time is being spent at the Blue Whale, a high quality digital music studio based in the vibrant Custard Factory, where the teams had the chance to create and produce their own music to accompany the end radio feature.
Jordan Jennings, aged 16 from Hagley High School in Stourbridge, commented: ‘Visiting Blue Whale and being able to create music was brilliant as we had the opportunity to work alongside music professionals in an exciting way and with our own individual roles.'
Alongside this, the budding radio stars have had the privilege to meet aspiring DJ's such as Danielle Perry, Kerrang radio's resident DJ and presenter. She said: "I started working in radio because of my passion for music. It's so engaging to work around other people who share the love and excitement about our music heritage and the current scene. It's important to totally immerse yourself into your work, and spend as much time as possible listening, gigging, reading and meeting as many contacts as you can. It's also important to believe that anything is possible, and if you want to work in radio and understand the medium then there is no reason why it cannot happen...of course with a huge amount of work, dedication and a little bit of luck."
The summer school has offered an invaluable experience that not only exposes these gifted pupils to technical media skills, but also encourages them to enhance their leadership skills and ability to work within teams whilst unleashing their creative talent.
Abigail Gittins, aged 15 and from Shire Oak School in Walsall commented: ‘This has been such a fantastic learning experience and taught me so much more about media. Working as a team and delivering interviews has built my confidence massively.' Fellow pupil Benjamin Williams, also 15 and from Shire Oak School agrees: ‘It has been so different from school because we have been able to work collectively as a team, having responsibility and being able to input our own creative ideas without any competitiveness.'
Media professional Sam Coley, who lectures in Radio at Birmingham City University and delivers the workshops, recognises the significance of the course in developing creative awareness within media pupils. He said: ‘The real strength of the course is that students produce features that reflect their own interests and understanding. They were involved in every step of the production process and encouraged to consider "real world" issues such target audiences, copyright, meeting deadlines, through to pitching a concept. It's provided an insight into the skills they need to develop further and hopefully given them the confidence to consider future in audio production.'
Enterprise projects such as these recognise that radio is emerging as an invaluable part of the curriculum and an alternative outlet for students to develop literacy and experiment with digital technology skills. Within this arena, pupils are encouraged to discuss current affairs and expand their cultural horizons. It's the development of these creative and transferable skills that can ignite entrepreneurial flare within talented young people, and go some way to helping them realise the potential of a career within the creative industries.
Screen Media Lab (SML) is responsible for project coordinating the Gifted and Talented Sound It Out Summer School and is part of Birmingham City University's Department of Media. SML specialises in delivering externally funded projects to assist local businesses and graduates in their entrepreneurial elements of business development.
Oliver Williams, Director of SML said: "The enterprise team at Birmingham City University's Screen Media Lab recognised the huge benefits the radio Summer School would provide the region's digital media industry and youngsters involved, targeting a specific age group (13 to 15) that can be influenced to determine their future career path, whilst offering first hand experience of life within the creative sector.'