Read through our previous workshops to get a feel for what we've been up to. Our workshop series for 2023 will be announced in February next year.

On 8 June 2022 we welcomed a small group of young men onto campus at AUB for a three-hour workshop focusing on a practice-based exploration of documentary. The workshop, led by film maker, researcher and lecturer Lorena Cervera, looked at methods, processes, research techniques, and storytelling devices involved in the development of documentary projects from initial concepts to distribution. The exploration encouraged the group to explore distinctive voices in the making of documentaries, that are shaped by our own personal experiences but that can also reflect the forces –cultural, social, political and/or economic – that shape the world we live in.

Ultimately, the purpose of this workshop was for the students to be able to participate in the decisions behind the making of the How to be a Boy documentary.

Workshop Overview

• Practice with camera and sound equipment (including mirrorless cameras, lenses, sound recorders, and microphones)
• Documentary making is a collaborative process that involves co-creation, whether with a crew or with participants. Participants were encouraged to learn how to work within a team, and to gain the different skills that this entails, from negotiation and compromising to conflict-resolution and resilience.
• The knowledge acquired was put into practice through the making of a two-minute documentary portrait of one of us that will include an interview and b-roll footage.
• The participants continued to be involved in the filming of the How to be a Boy documentary.

Inside every single one of us, there is a story, and it is so important to ensure every story is heard. We were pleased to welcome a group of young men onto campus at AUB on 21 June 2022 for a full day workshop, Empower, a creative writing workshop supported by an experienced facilitator and author of the 392 and Your Show, Ashley Hickson-Lovence. The workshop aimed to equip participants with the tools to create confident, bold and thought-provoking creative pieces.

Previous experience of creative writing wasn't necessary.

Irene Smith, CIAG Lead at Iford Academy said, “what an amazing day where confidence was grown in abundance!’.

Workshop overview

• Explored themes surrounding masculinity and identity, and how they impact on our daily lives
• Worked both independently and collaboratively to build confidence in producing bold, exciting and thought-provoking creative writing pieces
• Worked with the support of an experienced practitioner to evolve their skills and confidence in creative writing
• Broaden existing abilities and develop new skill focused on expression and storytelling.

If a picture if worth a thousand words, what is it you want to say? We were pleased to welcome a group of young men onto campus at AUB on 12 July 2022 for a full day workshop, Capture. In this workshop participants engaged with an art form which encourages experimentation, open-mindedness and a risk-taking approach to creativity. Led by our expert Commercial Photography Team, Conrad Tracey, Carri Angel and Martin Coyne.

Previous experience of photography wasn't necessary.

Claire Barnett, Art and Photography Teacher at The Quay School said “Ideas were ignited, and quality work was produced as a result of purposeful and thought-provoking activities. Prior to the workshop, our students would have not been able to imagine that university attendance was something within their reach. By the end of the day this assumption had changed, and they were keen to repeat the experience.”

Workshop Overview

• Explored themes surrounding masculinity and identity, whilst learning how to capture what it means to be a boy
• Experimented with a wide variety of photography techniques and skills
• Engaged with a new art form and gain transferrable skills in a creative field
• Develop the ability to engage independently and explore your own art style.