Local work experience crew - working from left to right Jack Purling, Ceara East, Anna-Marie Ramm, Zach Stanford, Beth Jex
Report and Photos by Stella Gooch
The BBC Blast team were in Hunstanton 8-10 July for three days of exciting free workshops aimed at opening up a world of opportunities and possibilities to our local youngsters within today’s media. The programme lined up for the three days was extremely comprehensive and I would even go so far as to say inspiring for young minds. I was lucky enough to get a personal tour by Matt Gallop who is the Lead Facilitiator for the BBC Blast Workshops where he has worked since 2007.
Matt explained that Elli Chapman was the local organiser responsible for recruiting the local work experience team (who are unpaid) who are a key part of the success of the event. The work experience recruits get a great opportunity to work with the media and gain an essential grounding in what its like to deal with people at all levels in a dynamic and ever-changing industry. Matt went on to say that there are 250 creative trainees (who start on expenses for the first month and then are paid a basic salary for 2 months) across the BBC as a result of BBC Blast within respected BBC institutions such as “Newsround” and radio. Matt also pointed out that BBC Blast had awarded bursaries to young filmmakers at the joint BBC Blast and BFI Future Film Festival, with the opportunity to enter their film for the chance to win at the new BBC BLAST hosted BAFTA. The Future Film Festival has been jointly run by the BFI and Blast annually since 2008 and offers young people the chance to engage with a range of industry professionals, and take their first steps into the film and television industry. It is also worth mentioning that BBC BLAST TOUR won the 2009 Outside Event Project of the year, and their work experience scheme won the 2010 Public Sector Work Experience Scheme of the Year – not to forget the Blast website which has just been awarded a 2010 Webby Award.
Local crew film the Showcase
The Events Organiser for BBC Blast, Elli Chapman, who runs an events business management company in Norwich called Culture Works had spent 12 weeks working with the local schools to help put this event together and had previously worked with BBC Blast in Yarmouth in 2009.
The BBC Blast tour runs from April to November and has been running for 4 years. Regrettably it has just been announced that the 2010 BBC Blast tour is going to be the last one owing to cost cuts at the BBC which is a real shame. In case you want to try and catch the remainder of this final tour check out the programme below:
July 2010
15 – 17 July, Blast in Paignton – Torbay Leisure Centre (England – South West)
22 – 24 July, Blast in Penzance – Wharfside Car Park (England – South West)
31 July – 01 August, Blast in Bristol – Harbour Festival – Mud Dock (England – South West)
August 2010
05 – 07 August, Blast in Southampton – Southampton (England – South West)
19 – 21 August, Blast in Whitehaven – The Harbour (England – North)
26 – 28 August, Blast in Ayr – The Low Green (Scotland)
September 2010
10 – 12 September, Blast in London – Thames Festival – Southbank Centre Square (England – East)
16 – 18 September, Blast in Perth – Perth Concert Hall (Scotland)
23 – 25 September, Blast in Southend – Village Green Festival – Chalkwell Park (England – East)
30 September – 02 October, Blast in Enniskillen – Enniskillen Castle (Northern Ireland)
October 2010
02 – 02 October, Blast & V&A – Big Create – London Fashion Event (England – South East)
07 – 09 October, Blast in Armagh – Armagh Cricket Club, Mall West (Northern Ireland)
13 – 15 October, Blast in Newtown – Coleg Powys (Wales)
21 – 23 October, Blast in Crawley – Memorial Gardens (England – South East)
November 2010
10 – 12 November, Blast in Wythenshawe – The Forum (England – North)
Compere for Showcase, Ryan Howes
Outlined below are the types of creative workshops that are being run here and you will see that it is a real shame that this programme has to be cut like this when it seems to offer so much inspiration for the personal development of our youth.
Hunstanton area teens aged 13 – 19 were invited to apply for workshops involving art, dance, film, music, games, writing or fashion and most of the workshops had been filled before the event started on 8 July. BBC Blast aims to inspire and motivate young people to develop their creative talents with free multi-media workshops and showcase events for teenagers. Participants can use the latest technology, share ideas, and learn from media-industry professionals. Young people can try their hand at workshops on Filmmaking, Fashion, Digital Media, Gaming, Dance and Photo Journalism! Here in Hunstanton they had the opportunity to learn how to create their own radio show, create and implement ringtones to their mobiles, using morphing software on their photos and many other subjects concerning the media. The youngsters were also introduced to filmmaking techniques with tips from an expert and encouraged to be part of the scripting, planning and shooting process. They were also able to work with Jim Davies, former member of Pitchshifter, session musician with The Prodigy to create the best electric guitar sound, play FX.
Some youngsters were invited to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the successful BBC soap “Eastenders” by making and recording their own scene inspired by classic archive footage. Others got to work with a leading dance choreographer to learn how to choreograph and perform their own dance pieces and there was even an opportunity to learn how the special TV magic works using special effects – the illusion of floating in space, falling through the sky or sitting on a desert island.
And it doesn’t stop there! Learning how to find a news story and report on it live on the radio, action photography, video mixing, music journalism, learning how to be a scratch DJ (and become part of the Blast Hunstanton Scratch Band!), working with experienced animators to learn some of the modelling skills behind making an animated film were also part of the programme . “Be a Radio DJ” locally themed radio programme to be showcased on Blast’s very own radio station Blast Out Loud enabled the participants to report on local events, gigs and issues and find out how to put them together into a package suitable for radio and the web. Creating a hit single, learning the classic breakdance from a breakdance pro, delivering a slick piece to camera and recording a screen test were just some of the interesting workshops available to our youngsters during the three days.
For those unable to gain a place on the numerous pre-booked workshops there was a “Discovery Drop In Area” allowing taster sessions in everything from photo morphing to creating a comic, and playing Guitar Hero Live Electronic Dance Music Laptop Performance. Those who are already making their own music were encouraged to bring their own clips and arrangements and learn how to transform them into an exciting live set using the cutting edge Ableton Live performance tool.
Anyone wanting to find out about a career in the music business had the opportunity to meet top industry professionals in a Q & A session with Rick Lennox (A & R for major labels / band manager), Wendy Roby (Music Journalist), Ian Johnson (Access to Music Principal) and Adrian Cooke (BBC Norfolk Introducing Presenter/owner of Hungry Audio record label).
Sam & Becky singing "Here Comes the Sun"
I was given a ticket to the BBC Blast Showcase on Saturday afternoon to see the best work created by young people from Blast in Hunstanton!There were also performances from up and coming young artists. The “Guerrilla Physicality Theatre” Workshop run by the physical theatre company “Tangled Feet” taught the process of improvisation and play and encouraged the creation of a piece of original physical theatre. This was part of the line up at the BBC Blast Showcase that I was lucky enough to see. (The Stage is quoted as saying: “Probably the most accessible and original company working in the UK today…a must see” on Tangled Feet.) Having seen the final results of their workshop from BBC Blast I can only agree.
The Showcase was compered by Ryan Howes who is part of the “Encore Dancers” team. The “Encore Dancers” from Sheringham opened up the Showcase with a lively dance routine and were followed by Sam and Becky (also from Sheringham) who played and sang “Here Comes the Sun” on guitars (as a duo) and what a pleasure they were too. Sebastian introduced his film called “Lost and Found” to the Showcase audience. The film was made without any prior experience and was completed in 8 hours over a 2 day period at BBC Blast using Hunstanton as the backdrop. The quality was excellent and it was hard to believe it took Sebastian – a complete novice – such a short time to put together. “Spot” an animation film (along the lines of Wallace and Gromit) by Daniel – another complete novice - was introduced and played to us. Again the quality was every bit as good as you would hope to see on TV. Well done to our budding young film and animation creators of the future!
Billy the Kids "Rockin All Over the World"
Next up were “Billy the Kidds” – a band of three youths and a girl guitarist who came together in March this year. They entertained us with “Rockin’ all Over the World” and were great to listen to – hard to resist not bopping to though! A photo montage (also nicely put together) was then screened to the audience with the sounds of Paige Jordan of Smithdon High School filling the air. Paige had come along to see the Lifestyles Extreme Sports Festival and had brought her guitar with her and thought she would “drop in” to see what BBC Blast was all about and was invited to record the soundtrack to the photo montage which was compiled in just 20 minutes. Talk about “opportunity knocks”!
The "Jimmy Rockit" Band
Finally, the Showcase rounded off with the sounds of local up and coming band “Jimmy Rockit”. “Jimmy Rockit” is a 4 piece indie guitar band based in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. The band members are from Heacham and Kings Lynn and is made up of three brothers, Zach Stanford (lead guitar) Harrison Stanford (bass and lead vocals) and Frazer Stanford (drums) and a cousin Bradley Carr (rhythm guitar) and have played together since September 2007. Young Frazer Stanford is just 11 years old and can hardly see over the top of the drums – bless him – but he is no lightweight. Frazer was well into the groove with the band and obviously takes his role very seriously. The lads did a great job of rousing the crowd with “I’m a Believer” and “I’ll Walk 500 Miles” and boy do they rock. I am now a fan!
11 yr old Frazer from "Jimmy Rockit"
The band is now highly experienced in a very short time at entertaining at numerous functions ranging from wedding receptions, charity balls, birthdays and pub gigs to getting the sons of Lord Greville Howard dancing at their local! They have won the Prince’s Trust battle of the bands competition and opened the “Oscars” celebration at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange in front of 800 people, supporting Wilko Johnson at the King’s Lynn Arts Centre and entertained at the Snettfest music festival and Lifestyles Extreme watersports event during 2009. This year “Jimmy Rockit” have performed in front of 1,500 teachers at the pre-gala dinner for sports colleges across the UK at Telford’s conference centre.