What is Widening Participation and Outreach?

Our department is committed to enhancing access to Higher Education. . We work closely with the central outreach team in order to deliver a range of activities giving young people an insight to the university experience. These activities are typically in the form of an academic session tailored to the experience and abilities of your students, and delivered on campus . For more information see the "Our Sessions" page or download our brochure

These sessions are offered free of charge to groups from non-fee paying schools and colleges. Our events are organised in accordance with the Widening Participation policy of targeting those students “most able, least likely” to attend university. Priority will be given to non-selective schools and those where a high percentage of pupils are eligible for Pupil Premium.

All our sessions are delivered by members of staff with

experience of teaching Film and Television Studies in the higher education sector. Our sessions draw on the academic expertise of the department and can feature contributions from members of staff and the postgraduate community with particular knowledge of a subject. We also work closely with the university’s central outreach team and are involved with the UniTracks project “Shooting the Past”.

Why Film and Television Studies?

The moving image plays a central role in our society, and yet students are rarely afforded an opportunity to engage in the study of media unless taking it as an option for GCSE and A Level. Our work concentrates on introducing students to the academic study of film and television, and in enhancing the understanding of those already studying the subject by bringing them into contact with academics doing cutting-edge research in the field.

Our sessions are designed to encourage students to engage critically with a range of film and television texts. We introduce students to the close analysis of audio visual texts, and guide them through the use of technical vocabulary and critical concepts. Sessions are tailored according to student experience and level, with many options designed specifically with current curricula in mind. We have delivered sessions for groups ranging from Years 6 to 13 and we are always interested in working with teachers to put together a bespoke event for their students. If you have something particular in mind please do get in touch with us using our online booking form. For more detailed information about the sessions please see the links below.

Booking a Session

We regularly run sessions at events organised by the central outreach, If however you have a specific session in mind then please get in touch via the booking form so we can discuss your requirements and suggest a suitable option. We encourage booking a session in the department as this gives students an opportunity to experience the university first hand. We are also able to arrange study skill sessions making use of the wide range of material available in the library. While we do not currently offer sessions in practical filmmaking, you may be interested in taking part in the “Shooting the Past” project. This is a collaborative project between the departments of History, Film and TV, and UniTracks where students make short documentaries based on their own archival research. Contributions from previous participants can be seen at the "Shooting the Past" page.

Information about the sessions have run in the past can be found on the Our Sessions page, alterantivly you can download our outreach brochure here. We are also more than happy to design bespoke outreach sessions, so please get in touch if you have any ideas!

If you are interested in booking a session with us, enter your details on our booking form and we will be in touch to discuss details.

Additional Details

These sessions are offered free of charge to groups from non-fee paying schools and colleges. Priority will be given to non-selective schools and those where a high percentage of pupils are eligible for Pupil Premium.

Please note that as a small department we are unable to cover the costs of transport to and from the University. Due to staff availability, we may not be able to meet every request for outreach activities.