The non-profit organisation Collusion is holding a series of talks to inspire students from the College of West Anglia (CWA) to pursue careers within the creative industries.
The organisation, in collaboration with the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk (BCKLWN), is behind the dazzling light projections – including interactive games and illuminated manuscripts – on iconic landmarks around King’s Lynn, such as Greyfriars Tower and the Custom House.
Over forty media and film studies students listened to a talk by the director of Collusion's latest project, King’s Lynn–based Gavin Toomey, who has over 25 years’ experience within the industry, directing and producing drama, documentary and music videos. Prior to directing his own films, Gavin cut his teeth in feature film visual effects, which included work on set as a VFX supervisor for the film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s bestseller, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He discussed his career so far, the intersection between storytelling, art and technology, as well as offering practical advice to students who want to enter the industry.
He said: "I enjoyed the opportunity to chat with the CWA students about my own experiences working in film. Navigating a path in the creative industries can often feel daunting, so we hope taking part in these talks and hearing our range of perspectives may prove useful."
Tom Narramore, CWA level 3 Creative Media (TV & Film) student, attended the talk.
He said: "I found it incredibly interesting as I could find out from an experienced filmmaker what it’s like in the film industry. I was so grateful to be given the opportunity to ask questions, and I can now take the knowledge he gave us and input it into my own work."
Michelle Brace, Collusion's Engagement Coordinator, has planned a series of six talks for CWA students focusing on different job roles within the creative industries, including graphic design, games design, sound design, creative communications and production.
She said: "It was fantastic to see so many students turn up to our first session. Collusion has assembled such a great team of creatives for this ‘real world’ project so, with all teaching now being online, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring the team to students. We hope this series can help inspire the next generation of CWA graduates!"
Collusion and CWA media and games design students are currently working collaboratively on an interactive game and TikTok Challenge, both due to be released as part of the new project in October 2021.