Education

Film education is a positive, rewarding and vital element of ensuring independent film culture finds younger audiences and develops further interest in film in audiences of all ages.

Starting an education programme

Decide who you want to target first – adults, schools (primary, secondary, further and higher education), kids’ clubs, etc. Don’t try to cater for everyone at once: you may be unable to sustain lots of simultaneous activity and don’t want to disappoint people.

Try to develop contacts that will be honest about planned activities – eg teachers’ groups, regular customers, youth workers – and ensure that you are responding to gaps in local provision.

Make sure anyone working with young people has had a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check – it’s the law. Also check, if setting up out-of-school activities, the necessary ratio of adults to children.

Use suitable advertising methods – if it’s not an event aimed at the general public, be wary of putting it in your brochure and, if you do, make it very clear this is the case (be prepared – you may still have people trying to attend).

Above all, try to ensure that the activities you offer are enjoyable. In terms of developing future audiences for both independent film and independent cinemas, happy education campers are a great advert for your venue and will ensure your education programme goes from strength to strength.

Working with schools

Working with schools can be very rewarding - it can bring children and young people to your venue that may not otherwise attend. This is why it's vitally important to make sure that any films you screen for them or speakers you use will not only educate, but will also appeal - the last thing you want is for them to have such a terrible time they will never want to come back.

Getting a few key teachers on side is incredibly useful, and if you want to run a schools programme, a termly newsletter offers teachers the time they need to plan any trips in advance. Local authorities often do large mail-outs to schools, so it is worth finding out if your newsletter can be included in any of these.

Bear in mind that schools will all have access to their own DVD/video screening facilities, so it is up to the cinema to offer them experiences they cannot get at school. Daytime events using film prints you are screening in the evenings can work really well - it lowers print costs (and not just in terms of transport - some distributors charge less for educational screenings) and offers current releases that they cannot yet access privately. Accompanying industry speakers, introductory talks, etc are also appealing.

Make sure teachers (and, ideally, students) leave with information or study materials about how to integrate their visit into their follow-up teaching. There are many accessible resources available already via Film Education and BFI Education, as well as through MovIES (see below) . You will find that word of mouth spreads through the teaching community, so a good trip to the cinema for one group can have a great knock-on effect. Housing INSET (teacher training) days (which can be arranged with BFI Education or by you as a venue) can also be a rewarding educational strand.

For more in depth advice, the ICO's training courses for film exhibitors sometimes include sessions on working with children and young people. If you would like to be kept informed about future training courses, please email Tilly Walnes, Training and Development Officer.

Useful contacts and resources for education

See links to Regional and National Screen Agencies for information on each organisation's policies and funding opportunities for education.

BFI Education

Useful resources for cinema programmers and education officers include:

Film Education

Useful resources for cinema programmers and education officers include:

  • National Schools Film Week - a series of free screenings and talks all over the UK, which can be useful for accessing new audiences. (If you are taking part and your bookings are being taken centrally, check regularly for booking numbers to ensure your cinema is not being over-booked.)
  • Downloadable resources - free study guides, activity sheets and interactive online resources for a wide range of (mostly mainstream) films

Film Street

For 6-11 year olds, their carers, and teachers. Film Street is a place for children to find out, talk, and write about new films, and also a place they can send their own film work. It features ideas for adults on how to support children's film learning, and where to access workshops and screenings for children across the UK.

MovIES (Moving Image Education Specialists)

Collective comprising independent cinema Film Education Officers that shares good practice, launches initiatives and lobbies at a policy level. For practical, hands-on knowledge of working with audiences and running a diverse range of events, workshops and festivals, the collective has a wealth of experience. Attending MovIES meetings is a great way of meeting colleagues and sharing ideas. Contact Cathy Poole.