Will Sadler 16/06/2024 Will Sadler 16/06/2024

Making Creativity Works

Making Creativity Works was a training initiative delivered by Beacon Films and Signpost Productions, two North-East production companies that work with Deaf, hearing, Disabled and non-Disabled screen creatives.

Making Creativity Worksprovided over 100 hours of FREE hands-on training, and equipped learners with the skills and knowledge they needed to develop a career in film, television or video production.

They may have some experience of working on a film or in television, but also no experience was necessary to apply to take part.

We were particularly interested in encouraging a diverse range of applicants, including those who:

identified as Deaf or Disabled
were not in work
were a student approaching the end of their course

29% of those on the programme lived in areas within areas ranked 1-4 in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

39% of those who attended the programme achieved a positive change in economic status, and 78% of learners achieved at least one outcome related to employment or ongoing learning.

Behind the Scenes film about Making Creativity Works

Will Sadler 16/06/2024 Will Sadler 16/06/2024

Virtual Visionaries

Created alongside twenty students with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities, VIRTUAL VISIONARIES was a large scale immersive video installation that was exhibited at Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle.

Shortlisted for a Digital Culture Award 2023

The project partners includedDryden School, Sir Charles Parsons School, Beacon Hill School, Hedley’s College, Great North Museum and Novak. The project was funded by Arts Council England and Sir James Knott Trust.

Beacon Films worked on a one-to-one basis with each student, with the support of school staff. The team filmed the young people taking part in activities they enjoyed and then showed the material back to them to see what visual or audio cues they responded to most positively.

Through this gradual process, the team created 20 individual films, which took it in turns to focus on the unique personalities of each young person. These visuals were connected together by a creative soundtrack which was also made collaboratively with the students. Musician: Simon Tarrant worked with small groups of young people to create a mesmerising score.

All this work culminated in a two-channel video installation at Great North Museum, which exhibited between 22nd October and 4th November 2022. This included a projection onto one of the gallery’s walls, and a synchronised circular projection onto its floor.

The young people came from the schools to experience their exhibition. It was the first time that any of them had their own work shown in a museum or gallery space.

In particular the floor projection was very popular because many young people's natural posture is to look downwards. Some may find 'looking up' quite challenging. The ground projection was also easy to interact with. The young people enjoyed walking on it, and some even got out of their wheelchairs and lay on their projection too.