BBC Radio 1’s Academy inspires local students
Students at Gower College Swansea’s Gorseinon Campus have had an early opportunity to take part in BBC Radio 1’s Academy 2018.
The Academy is coming to the Swansea Grand Theatre in May to give young people aged between 16-24 the tools, information and inspiration to succeed in a creative career.
Students got to experience a Q&A workshop with BBC Radio 1’s DJ Katie Thistleton and Newsbeat presenters Steffan Powell (originally from Ammanford) and Roisin Hastie. The presenters talked about life as journalists at Radio 1, the famous people they have interviewed and how to spot ‘fake news’.
“It was great to come back home to Swansea and share my experiences of working for Radio 1 Newsbeat and my life as a BBC journalist,” says Steffan Powell. “Growing up around the corner in the Amman Valley, I felt like jobs like this weren’t meant for people like us from South Wales and so it was great to talk to students and explain that they can achieve anything they set their minds on. They’re such a bright bunch who asked some top questions. The full BBC Academy in May will be a great way for them to put the things we talked about into practice and get some real hands-on experience.”
“This was a fantastic opportunity for our creative arts learners to hear more about the media industry,” adds Learning Area Manager Lucy Hartnoll. “They were certainly inspired by the Radio 1 presenters who gave them a real insight into the industry including the challenges they face, as well as the more glamorous side of their jobs. It was exciting for us as a College to host this event and we will certainly be encouraging our learners to participate in the Radio 1 Academy at the end of May.”
“I had a great time at Gower College Swansea talking to students about getting into radio and journalism,” says Katie. “They were so enthusiastic and asked some fab questions.”
Katie will return to Gower College Swansea on 21 April for another Academy warm-up event open to both students and the public. She’ll also co-host a Radio 1 Life Hacks session with DJ Cel Spellman on the theme of confidence with live music performances from Tom Grennan plus other special guests.
Also dropping in will be fellow Radio 1 DJ Matt Edmondson who is broadcasting his Saturday afternoon show live from the Tycoch campus at the same time. Matt will already have hosted a workshop the day before giving Gower College Swansea students an insight into the radio production process and the chance to get some of their ideas on air.
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to Gower College Swansea with Tom as I know there are some budding musicians in the college,” says Katie. “It’ll be ‘all go’ at the Tycoch campus so see you there!”
Photos: Daniel Thomas