The Young BAFTA Roadshow with Place2Be arrives in Scotland

20 September 2024

Children at St John Vianney RC Primary in Edinburgh and St Monica's (Milton) Primary School in Glasgow were surprised with Young BAFTA Roadshow visits this week, hosted by presenters Ben Shires (Dig Detectives, Officially Amazing) and Robyn Richford (ITV’s Scrambled!, Capital FM).

A group of students from St Monica's (Milton) Primary School standing with presenters Ben Shires, Robyn Richford (left) and Andrew Miller (Fuse Games).

Games studio Fuse Games also joined the Roadshows, with Scottish based Co-Founder Alan McDairmant and Animation Director Andrew Miller hosting game design workshops for pupils.

“It has been a wonderful week visiting the talented pupils from St John Vianney RC Primary and St Monica's Primary RC School! The children were so engaged and loved learning about possible career paths in the screen industries. It was excellent watching their confidence grow in the presenting workshops!” Robyn Richford, Presenter (ITV’s Scrambled!, Capital FM)

The Young BAFTA Roadshow exists to champion children’s creativity and teach important life skills through film, games, and television.

Each Roadshow includes a variety of interactive elements, including competitions and roundtable discussions, classroom meet and greets, as well as a games design workshop and a presenting masterclass, enabling the children to build their confidence.

Students from St John Vianney RC Primary standing on school grounds with presenters Ben Shires and Robyn Richford (centre), alongside Place2Be School Project Manager Veronika Medne.

“This week has highlighted the importance of equipping younger generations with creative skills. Pupils in Edinburgh and Glasgow were curious and excited, taking all the new knowledge they gained in their stride. What an inspiring bunch of children. I can’t wait to see what they do with their skills in the future!” Ben Shires, Presenter (Dig Detectives, Officially Amazing)

The activities on offer grant children access to creative talent and positive role models, while raising awareness and encouraging the diversity of young people interested in a career in arts and media.

BAFTA has been partnering with Place2Be since 2016. This year the Young BAFTA Roadshow will visit ten Place2Be partner schools across Scotland, Wales and England.

“Inspiring the next generation of budding creatives, designers and content creators is central to BAFTA’s purpose, so we are thrilled to partner with Place2Be on our national roadshow, bringing talent to regions across the UK to showcase the power of our brilliant screen industries. Nurturing children’s creativity is crucial for mental wellbeing and also offers a huge variety of transferable skills and we believe it has a vital place in the school curriculum. This wonderful initiative champions a more inclusive screen industry by providing aspiration from an early age and highlighting the variety of career opportunities available.” Lisa Prime, Head of Children & Young People’s Programmes at BAFTA

The selected schools in Scotland have high proportions of pupils from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) most deprived areas.

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