Students at North Yorkshire independent school, Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate (QE) had the opportunity to gain first-hand experience from experts at the forefront of the creative industry,
as they collaborated on a day of workshops with global production company NM Productions. NM Productions are responsible for some of the most iconic and memorable advertisements in recent years, led by Executive Producer and founder Anissa Payne – a former QE student.
Through a series of workshops, students had the chance to learn directly from industry-leading experts in all aspects of film production, including award-winning directors, storyboard artists,
photographers, make up and special effects artists, set designers and many more. Industry experts included Charles Whiteway, Production Designer; Michael O’Connor, Director of Photography; Mark Cant; Michael J Ferns, Director Samantha Helen, SFX Body Artist; and Gani Malaba, Founder of Permian World – the final two also being former QE students.
Making up the names on this list was also SVP of Creative AI at WPP, Perry Nightingale, and Kat Sullivan, VP of Interactive Design who spoke to students about how AI and developing technologies are revolutionising his industry. A live demonstration of the awe-inspiring Boston Dynamics Dog in the King’s Theatre was an amazing experience for everyone, from our youngest students to the staff and parents!
Overall, the workshops and talks provided a 360-degree view of the range of careers and opportunities available in the creative industries and how modern technology is changing the world of work.
Kevin Oldershaw, Academic Director at Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, said ‘We are really grateful to NM Productions for delivering such a diverse and exciting set of workshops to our students. They were able to link with some inspirational industry experts, learn about possible careers and get hands-on experience of the technology used in the creative world. Opportunities like this really support our aim to ensure students are well prepared for their future and build the skills that employers are looking for.’
Anissa Payne, Founder and Executive Producer said “As we push into our sixth year of business it feels great that we are able to give back to the next generation. This creative workshop is just one of the charitable initiatives we have rolled out this year.
A special thanks must be passed to all our clients, vendors and crew who gave up their incredibly invaluable time to travel to York and support this day. With the funds raised from activities such as this one we are able to further support programmes such as Creative Mentor Network and 10,000 interns who main focus is on socioeconomic diversity and breaking the class ceiling.”
Merchandise sales throughout the day raised money for the Creative Mentor Network, a charity supporting young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Categories: Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate School News
