A promotional film produced for Newcastle Education Authority and presented by BBC Look North reporter Simon Willis about a project that helps develop links between education and industry. Pupils in both primary and secondary schools across Newcastle work with professional artists and designers on a number of projects to help develop their skills in packaging and graphic designs. Teachers, pupils and professionals explain what each gain from these initiatives. The project will work at all...

A promotional film produced for Newcastle Education Authority and presented by BBC Look North reporter Simon Willis about a project that helps develop links between education and industry. Pupils in both primary and secondary schools across Newcastle work with professional artists and designers on a number of projects to help develop their skills in packaging and graphic designs. Teachers, pupils and professionals explain what each gain from these initiatives. The project will work at all educational levels and have a broad ongoing strategy from classroom to industry. The film follows a number on assignments within the project run by primary and secondary school in the Newcastle area where local industries have participated. A montage of still images meant to show the disconnect between industry and the school classroom, in voice-over presenter Simon Willis says what is needed is ‘Real Connections’. Title: Real Connections In a classroom Simon Willis explains that both industry and education have suffered because of this isolation. Prospectuses for the governments Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) Certificate of Pre-Vocational Education (CPVE) laid out for the camera changes to a young man heading into the office of the Newcastle Architecture Workshop. Sitting at a drawing table the younger man speaks with an older man, a tutor. Title: Coming Next. Proctor and Gamble Visits School with John Fowler: Art Manager, Harry Trainer: Director Sitting around a conference table a group of primary school children listen to John Fowler offscreen answer questions they have written about becoming Packaging Designers. A group of children rush past heading into Ravenwood Junior School. Standing at the front of a class John speaks to the children about packaging design. Around the class pupils sit listening, on the desk in front of them some of the designs they have been working on. John speaks with two of the pupils about their designs and offering his opinion and suggestions. Title: Coming Next. William Messer Walbottle High School Sitting on a desk in a classroom William Messer explains that in recent years industry has only been too willing to be involved in such educational initiatives. He goes onto provide details of two projects in which pupils from Walbottle High School have produced posters to help promote health initiatives that have gone on to be used nationwide. As Mr Messer continues to talk about how these projects have benefited the school, around the classroom pupils working on their artwork or printing them into posters. Mr Messer goes onto talk about a design competition with the school pupils in Art & Design producing works on the same theme which then would be judged by a company brought into the school. Around the classroom pupils working on various fashion designs for said competition. Title: Coming Next. Valerie Morris West Denton High School In a printing workshop at West Denton High School, Valerie Morris explains that the students working around her are Sixth Form CPV pupils on a one-year Arts and Design Enterprise Course. On the walls around them early examples of screen printing produced by the students. Valarie provides details on the skills learned and about an enterprise business project in which they designed, manufactured, and sold around the school boxer shorts with some of their design printed on them. Valerie goes onto provide details of what the student gained from this course and project. In another room a student using a computer to help with his designs, Valerie Morris talks about what benefits the software brings to students. Title: Coming Next. Keith Barratt (sculptor in residence) The Walling School Sitting in a classroom with children working behind him, wood sculpture Keith Barratt talks about who he is and this project working with both staff and pupils at the school. Examples of Keith’s sculptures around the school. Keith goes onto to explain how he works with teachers to develop their woodwork skills and is currently working with the children building various animal houses. Keith helps a small girl cut a piece of wood with a saw, around a table blocks of wood are glued together by the pupils to make a rabbit hutch and a fox den. Title: Coming Next. Curriculum Development Meeting Four female teachers from The Walling School discuss the works produced by their pupils as part of their time with Keith Barratt. They talk about what they believe the children gain from such projects. On the table in front of them some of the animals’ houses seen being made previously. In another part of the school other woodwork sculptures based on the theme of the Normans. One of the women holds up a waterwheel produced by one of her pupils. She goes on to talk about the initiative of that child wanting to carve blades into the wheel itself so it could spin. Title: Coming Next. Mrs Nancy Elliott Snr Inspector of Schools (Primary) Sitting in a classroom Nancy Elliott states that as well as the children learning new skills in Art and Design, teachers are also learning more about their children. The children are gaining knowledge and experience of using tools and materials as well as in English, math and sciences. They are learning to put ideas into practice, developing personal skills in innovation, investigation, and imagination. As Mrs Elliott speaks a teacher helps a group of pupils who are making something with blades, possibly a waterwheel similar to the one seen previously in the film. As Mrs Elliott continues to explain that pupils are also learning to be independent thinks as well as co-operating as a group, outside a girl uses a piece of sandpaper to sand down something in a vice while nearby a boy uses a screwdriver to tighten a screw joining two pieces of wood together. Title: Coming Next. Real Connections Project In a classroom surrounded by sixth form students working at drawing desks, Simon Willis provided details of a design project undertaken by sixth formers in most secondary school to design a ‘Real Connections’ logo. Around the room students continue to work on their designs. Title: Coming Next. Simon asks a few Questions Simon Willis speaks with two groups of sixth-form students about how they have benefited and what they have learned from taking part in Real Connection. Simon Willis ends the discuss by stating that Newcastle Education Authority is beginning to offer industry what industry needs. Title: Coming Next. The Telephone Project Standing beside display boards containing various artworks produced by children, Simon Willis talks about a project in which British Telecom Newcastle worked with primary schools of ‘The Telephone Project’ in which pupils learned stills and experience in design, awareness of the environment, and aspects of communications. Examples of these works are showing. Sitting at a drawing table Simon provides details on a new project with community links and consideration of the environment. Title: Coming Next. Alan Garbutt British Telecom (NE) To a group of sixth-formers Alan Garbutt provides a history on the telephone box or kiosk before giving them a brief to design a kiosk which is suitable for all forms of environment and is accessible to the disabled. Title: Coming Next. Simon asks a few more Questions Simon Willis asks Alan Garbutt what the benefits to BT are of working with these pupils, it gives the company the benefit of younger generation ideas. Alan explains that he has also asked them to come up with future designs for telephones, it helps the company forge community links. To camera Simon Willis asks the viewer what he or she do to promote ‘Real Connections’ in the industrial sector. Details are provided through a montage of still images. Title: Thanks to all the organisations and individuals who contributed to the programme Credit: Presenter Simon Willis Camera Neil Armstrong Lighting Michael Slawski Sound Shaun Chapman Computer Graphics Picture This Facilities School of Art and Design, College of Art & Technology Produced and Directed by Clive Bishop End title: CB Associates