We’re delighted to announce that Future Leap Consultancy has secured funding from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority to deliver two cohorts of our acclaimed Skills Bootcamp on Sustainability in Business—a co-funded opportunity for professionals across the region to gain practical, actionable sustainability skills.
This initiative is part of the UK Government’s Skills for Life programme and contributes to the £11.3 million investment aimed at boosting skills across the West of England. It’s a powerful endorsement of the role sustainability plays in shaping resilient, future-ready businesses—and a recognition of Future Leap’s expertise in delivering high-impact training.
The Skills Bootcamp is a 10-week programme designed to help professionals integrate sustainability into their day jobs. Whether you’re in HR, marketing, finance, operations or procurement, this course equips you with:
All delivered by Future Leap’s network of expert consultants and changemakers.
We’ve already worked with teams at Pieminister, Lexus, Inside Travel Group, Priority Express, Gilcrest Manufacturing, Kelpi, Solutions for the Planet and Novotel—supporting them to embed sustainability into their operations and culture.
This Skills Bootcamp is ideal for:
We’re enrolling for two upcoming cohorts:
The programme is:
Eligibility is open to those employed or self-employed in Bristol, Bath, North or North East Somerset, or South Gloucestershire.
“I’m a complete beginner and have found the sustainability space so overwhelming! This bootcamp has given me a real grounding in all the different topics, themes and nuances and having it broken down this way has been really helpful.”
— Becky, Starling Bank
“Despite having worked in this space for over 10 years, there’s always more to learn and it can be really hard to think differently about challenges you’ve known about for a really long time. It’s been great having people from different backgrounds and companies to hear their view and we’ve had some really interesting discussions.”
— Jen, Solutions for the Planet
These testimonials reflect the programme’s ability to support both newcomers and seasoned professionals in deepening their impact.
By registering your interest, a member of our team will be in touch to:
Spaces are limited and demand is high—don’t miss out.
Earlier this year, Bristol Surf Cinema launched its very first event – a night dedicated to celebrating surf storytelling on the big screen. What started as a small, DIY project to bring people together around meaningful surf films quickly grew into something bigger, with almost 250 people buying for the inaugural screening in April.
The idea was simple: create a space to showcase surf films that go beyond the highlight reels, beyond the big brand edits – stories that dig into the social, political, and environmental threads woven through surf culture.
As a camera assistant working in film and TV and a lifelong surfer, I (Theo) set out to build something that connected those two worlds. In a time when the industry was unusually quiet, Bristol Surf Cinema gave me a creative project to get stuck into and a chance to pour energy into something that mattered. It was also a way to genuinely support filmmakers, every film we screen is fully licensed and paid for, and £1 from every ticket is donated to The Wave Project to help fund surf therapy for young people in the UK.
But perhaps what stood out most from the first event was how the Bristol surf community (and the wider ocean-loving crowd) showed up. Feedback from the night wasn’t just about the films, it was about the feeling in the room. People supported the event and made it clear they would like to see more. They wanted a space where all surf stories could be told, with better representation, better balance, and an even stronger connection to the community.
That’s where our second event comes in. On Saturday 12th July at Watershed Bristol, Bristol Surf Cinema returns with a matinee screening of Point of Change, a powerful documentary by acclaimed director Rebecca Coley. The film tells the story of Nias, Indonesia – a surf paradise that was ‘discovered’ in the 1970s and the environmental and cultural impact that unfolded for the local community as surf tourism in that area grew.
It’s a film that makes you think about the consequences of surf tourism — and we’re lucky to have Rebecca joining us on the day for a Q&A to explore those themes in more depth. Rebecca will be answering questions on her filmmaking process, handling delicate themes within documentary and the impact of tourism on the earth and native communities.
Alongside the feature, we’ll also be screening two UK-made short films:
Surfaced by Paul Stevenson, telling the story of Nick Corkill’s journey through addiction and mental health, and the grounding role that surfing and photography play in that journey.
Seb: A Surf Therapy Journey by Matilda Thompson, a beautifully observed short following a young surfer with ADHD and autism as he experiences surf therapy with The Wave Project Bristol.
For those who can’t make the main event, we’ll also be running a catch-up screening on Wednesday 16th July — same films, just without the Q&A.
Both events will offer the opportunity for networking and drinks at the Watershed bar after the event so you can minglew with like-minded film or ocean enthusiasts.
Bristol Surf Cinema was never meant to be a one-off. The ambition is to keep this platform going – to continue curating thoughtful, story-first surf films and to keep building a space where filmmakers feel supported and audiences feel connected.
Looking ahead, there are exciting plans for a national tour to bring these kinds of surf screenings to other UK cities and coastal towns. The vision is to grow Bristol Surf Cinema into a national platform, while always staying true to the ethos: supporting independent surf filmmaking, elevating underrepresented voices, and creating community-led spaces where ocean & surf centred stories, of all kinds, can be seen, heard, and shared.
Want to come along?
Tickets for the July screenings are available now via the Watershed website: https://www.watershed.co.uk/whatson/13320/bristol-surf-cinema-point-of-change
To stay up to date with future screenings or to get involved, follow @bristolsurfcinema on Instagram.
Last week, 20 learners across a range of Creative Arts subjects came together for a week-long, sustainability-focused, visual skills ‘Nurture’ project. This was a collaborative project delivered by the North Somerset Production Arts company, Trigger, where groups of students from Fashion, Media, Art & Design, and Music worked together to bring a themed visual concept to life.
Trigger is a company that aim to interrupt daily life by reimagining and reviving public spaces, as well as amplifying local voices and issues that are important to them and the community. They are made up of a diverse team of artists and creatives who want to push the boundaries of art by creating large-scale, live events and imaginative spaces. They have worked on a range of projects across North Somerset, and the ‘Nurture’ project with our students is just one of them.
Throughout the week, students were split into three groups containing a mixture of courses in order to bring different skills to the group, each exploring a theme. Two groups explored the theme ‘Nature & Tech’ in different ways, with one group focusing on different seasons of a tree and the emotions they elicit, whilst the other looked into how nature and technology can work together to create a positive outcome. The final group chose something a bit different, deciding on the theme, ‘A Choice to Die’ where they discussed assisted living and created an emotional scene of a hospital room.
The students were introduced to the brief of the project, outlining the creative challenge where they were asked to spend the week creating a live performance, installation, or exhibition based on a chosen theme. They had to run through marketing strategies including budgets, time management, possible future improvements, and their target audience to establish the thoughts and meanings behind their projects.
The week began with students planning and brainstorming their ideas before beginning their designs and visiting a scrap shop to collect their chosen materials. They set off with creating their unique projects, each using their knowledge and expertise to create a collaborative, cross-disciplinary piece which was presented in the final showing on the last day of the project.
This collaborative project had many benefits to the students’ personal and professional growth. It allowed them to work with a range of industry professionals, as well as with other students who specialise in different mediums which enhanced their ideas. They also got to explore and research different issues which gave them more awareness and engagement with the community.
Additionally, students got to manipulate the powerful medium of art outside of a classroom setting, using it to create visual pieces that attempt to combat issues and make a meaningful difference in the community. It refines their techniques without outsider perspectives and boosts their confidence by getting them to present their work to others.
Lynsey McKinstry, the Strategic Business Partnership Manager at Weston College, said: “Collaborating with local visionary production arts companies like Trigger brings our Creative, Media and Music curriculum to life in the most powerful way. Opportunities like the ‘Nurture’ project provide our learners with invaluable enrichment; immersing them in real-world, industry-led experiences that reflect the pace, creativity and cross collaboration required for careers in the creative industries.”
“We are incredibly grateful to Phoebe Stringer and Natalie Skidmore at Trigger, along with our dedicated faculty teams for their work in guiding and inspiring our students throughout this intensive week. Projects like this underpin our Creative Careers Excellence Hubs; where talent is nurtured and where the creative professionals of tomorrow begin their journey into industry.”
A huge thank you to Trigger for spending a week with our students, developing their skills and helping them to create the meaningful projects that were shown to the public. Your efforts have positively impacted the students and given them practical experience of working with an external company.
Well done to all the students who got involved, you created some fantastic pieces of work and represented Weston College with maturity and professionalism.
Following a creative and collaborative inaugural event, I’m running the second in my series of small group all-day in-person PR workshops for small business owners on 4 July, and I’d love to see some BCI members there!
BOOKED IN A DAY 🎉
📅 Friday 4 July 2025, 10am – 4pm
📍 Tobacco Factory, Bristol
🎟️ Only 6 spaces (4 left)
🔗 Details + tix: https://bridiehinson.co.uk/bristol-pr-workshop
Designed for small business owners, I’ll help you reach more people with your mission and message, build trust, and put yourself forward for new opportunities.
It’s a chance to learn how to position yourself, craft key messages and stories, and pitch for opportunities such as guest podcasts, guest workshops, speaking gigs, press features, collaborations, partnerships and more!
You’ll gain skills, confidence and resources to promote yourself beyond social media 🎉
The day will be informative and interactive with time to action the learnings during the workshop itself, you’ll also get mini 1:1s with me and peer support in a small group (around 6)👌
You’ll leave with:
💎 what you do, your expertise, and experience shaped into PR hooks and stories
💡 exciting ideas to promote your business beyond social media
💪 confidence to put yourself out there and pitch
Abi said: “Booked in a Day was just amazing. Bridie’s expert advice combined with the networking and peer support was the best. I feel so inspired and energised from the day. I would highly recommend it.”
Morin said: “Booked in a Day was transformative. It expanded my understanding of where my voice belongs and needs to be heard. Having my ideas and approach validated by a PR expert has completely shifted how I feel about pitching myself and my expertise from ‘ick’ to ‘yay!’”
The event takes place on the top floor of Tobacco Factory with a spacious balcony and spectacular views 😍
BOOKED IN A DAY 🎉
📅 Friday 4 July 2025, 10am – 4pm
📍 Tobacco Factory, Bristol
🎟️ Only 6 spaces (4 left)
🔗 Details + tix: https://bridiehinson.co.uk/bristol-pr-workshop
Walking through the halls of SXSW London this year, I couldn’t help but reflect on how dramatically the conversation has shifted since my last visit to the festival’s original Austin home in 2019. Back then, I was there with Funnel Music, the company I co-founded, and the industry was consumed with one word: copyright. Panel after panel dissected rights management, streaming royalties, and the complex web of music ownership in the digital age.
But here’s what struck me most about 2019 – while the conference rooms buzzed with legal debates, the real magic was happening in the venues. Acts like Fontaines D.C., Black Midi, and Squid were tearing up stages, creating sounds that felt genuinely revolutionary. These artists weren’t just following algorithms or trends; they were forging entirely new paths through raw creativity and human intuition.
Fast forward to SXSW London 2024, and the pendulum has swung dramatically. The dominant theme wasn’t copyright – it was AI. Every other session seemed to explore how artificial intelligence would reshape content creation, marketing strategies, and audience engagement. The enthusiasm was palpable, and admittedly, some of the possibilities are genuinely exciting.
Yet something felt missing. Where 2019 had those breakthrough musical moments that made you stop in your tracks, this year’s festival felt notably light on those serendipitous discoveries. Perhaps it’s coincidence, or perhaps there’s something deeper at play about how we’re approaching creativity in the age of AI.
The Homogenisation Risk
This shift from copyright concerns to AI fascination has me thinking deeply about our industry. As Director of Growth at Mostly Media – a top 50 independent media planning and buying company – I spend my days hearing our team’s strategies that cut through the noise to reach the right audiences with the right message at the right moment.
The promise of AI in media planning is undeniable. It can process vast datasets, identify patterns human analysts might miss, and optimise campaigns with impressive precision. But here’s the critical question we need to ask: if everyone has access to the same AI tools, analysing the same data pools, and following the same algorithmic recommendations, where does differentiation come from?
We’re at risk of creating an echo chamber of strategy. When every media planner is using similar AI models trained on similar datasets, we inevitably converge toward similar solutions. The nuanced understanding of brand voice, the intuitive grasp of cultural moments, the ability to spot emerging trends before they’re reflected in the data – these uniquely human capabilities become our competitive advantage.
The Human Edge in Media Planning
The best media planning has always been part science, part art. Yes, we need the data, the analytics, the performance metrics. But we also need the human insight that recognises when a TikTok trend is about to break mainstream or understands that a particular audience segment responds to authenticity over polish – or spots the cultural moment that makes a brand message resonate.
At Mostly Media, we’re embracing AI as a powerful tool, not a replacement for strategic thinking. We use it to surface insights, automate routine tasks, and optimise performance. But our value lies in the interpretation, the creative application, and the strategic direction that only comes from human experience and intuition.
Learning from the Music Industry
The contrast between those 2019 SXSW breakthrough acts and this year’s more muted musical landscape offers a valuable lesson. Fontaines D.C., Black Midi, and Squid didn’t emerge from algorithmic recommendations – they came from scenes, from human connections, from the kind of organic cultural movements that happen when creative people push boundaries without knowing exactly where they’re going.
Similarly, the most effective media strategies often come from understanding the human stories behind the data. It’s about recognising that behind every click, view, and engagement is a person with complex motivations, cultural context, and emotional needs that can’t be fully captured in a dataset.
Moving Forward
As we navigate this AI-powered future, the key is balance. We should absolutely leverage these powerful tools to enhance our capabilities and deliver better results for our clients – and in truth, we’re on an AI train which is not for turning. But we must resist the temptation to let AI think for us entirely.
The future belongs to those who can combine AI’s analytical power with human creativity, cultural insight, and strategic intuition. Those who can use technology to amplify their uniquely human abilities rather than replace them.
Just as those breakthrough artists at SXSW 2019 didn’t follow formulas but created something genuinely new, the most successful media strategies will come from planners who use AI as a springboard for innovation, not a crutch for conformity.
The question isn’t whether AI will transform our industry – it already is. The question is whether we’ll use it to become more human in our approach, or less.
🌿 Festival of Sustainable Business 2025: Unlocking Net Zero Growth in Bristol
The Festival of Sustainable Business returns to Bristol Beacon on 9–10 June 2025, offering a vital platform for businesses to drive action on climate and sustainability. Organised by Future Leap, this event features an energising Conference designed to inspire practical change, alongside a free Exhibition with over 70 organisations showcasing sustainable innovations.
Don’t miss our session Engaging Across the Divide to Drive Impact interactive session will explore the tensions and polarities in climate action, offering strategies for listening, bridging divides, and fostering collaboration on Day One of the Programme.
From creative agencies to digital startups, FoSB offers the tools, connections, and inspiration to accelerate your sustainability journey. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling your sustainability strategy, the Festival will help you explore realistic solutions that align with your values and goals.
🌱 What to Expect
🎤 Conference Highlights
Explore the full programme here
Day One will cover:
Day Two is your chance to ‘Hear from the Horse’s Mouth’, directly from businesses who’ve been there—who’ve faced the challenges, made the changes, and are now reaping the rewards of sustainable transformation.
🔍 Free Exhibition
Explore a curated showcase of over 70 sustainability solutions, featuring innovative products and services from across the region. This exhibition is designed to connect you with the right knowledge and partners to support your business’s transition to net zero.
Opportunities to connect, learn, and lead are at the heart of the festival, making it a must-attend for businesses ready to make a meaningful impact in the South West and beyond.
🤝 Why Attend?
👉 Learn more and register at festivalofsustainablebusiness.co.uk
📍 Join Us in Bristol
As the green capital of the UK, Bristol is the perfect backdrop for this transformative event. FoSB is more than just a conference; it’s a movement towards a sustainable and resilient future. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this pivotal moment in business sustainability.
For more information and to register, visit the Festival of Sustainable Business website.
Weston College is proud to announce the launch of its brand-new T Level in Media, Broadcast and Production, starting this September. This exciting qualification is designed to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience to thrive in the fast-moving creative and media industries.
As part of our commitment to connecting education with industry, we are inviting local employers to two key events in partnership with Business West. These events will showcase our campus facilities, explain the structure of the T Level programme, and highlight how businesses can benefit from offering industry placements.
Whether you’re a small business or a large organisation, the need for high-quality media content is growing and we have the talented learners who can support your goals.
Learn more at our upcoming events:
Workforce Ready: Media T Levels and the Future of Creative Talent
Wednesday 18 June 2025, 12:00 PM
Book your place here
Weston College Faculty Tour
Thursday 3 July 2025, 11:00 AM
Book your place here
With every business increasingly relying on high-quality media; whether for digital marketing, brand storytelling or internal communications; Weston College is offering access to enthusiastic learners ready to make a real impact.
“We believe this T Level will not only shape the future of the creative workforce but also provide immediate value to local businesses,” said Lynsey McKinstry, Partnership Manager.
Join us and discover how T Level learners can contribute to your business, while helping to shape the next generation of creative professionals. For further information, contact [email protected].
Project Management Bootcamp
This course is designed for people that are looking to upskill their staff and covers a wide range of topics to grow their skillsets, this includes:
Delivery Method: Face-to-face 10 Week Course (requiring day release one day each week), Bristol Training Institute
Start Date: 16th May 2025 or 7th November 2025
For employers wishing to upskill their employees, this course will be discounted by 70% (large employers contribute 30% of the cost of training with SME’s contributing 10% of the cost). (Eligibility criteria applies)
If there are people in your team you would like to upskill, please register your interest we can discuss dates, as well as next steps.
All enquires to come to [email protected] or 01934 411 796.
On the evening of April 3rd, students from a range of fashion and creative courses at Weston College came together to showcase their talent at Elevate, a spectacular fashion show held in the Regency Suite on the Grand Pier. This event gave learners the chance to present their work on a professional catwalk in front of friends, family, and the public. Also, the £321 raised from ticket sales will be donated to Weston Hospicecare.
The show featured collections and designs from A Level Fashion and Textiles students, Extended Diploma Fashion, Business and Retail students, and Fashion, Theatre, Special Effects and Media Make-Up students. Hair and makeup were also provided by learners from the HE Hair, Makeup, Prosthetics and Production course. We also had a range of volunteer models from across different subject areas, showcasing the amazing collaboration of the entire college.
Each collection was the result of months of creativity, research, and technical skill, developing initial ideas, conducting visual and factual research, experimenting with illustrations and media, and refining their concepts before constructing their final garments in chosen fabrics.
The Extended Diploma in Fashion, Business and Retail students explored themes such as Contrast, Refabrication, and Nostalgia, allowing for various interpretations and unique outcomes. Some examples include explorations of the architectural contrast within the National Trust’s Tyntesfield House, designs focused on the healing potential of flora, and investigations into the psychology of nostalgia through brain scans and synaptic imagery. Others took a more cultural approach, drawing on rock music from the 1970s to early 2000s.
A Level Fashion and Textiles students brought an equally diverse range of ideas to life, exploring cultural heritage, mental health, and ethical issues in fashion. From intricate Sashiko-inspired patterns to visual critiques of the denim industry’s environmental impact, these students demonstrated powerful, individual visions that reflected deep personal engagement with their themes.
The creativity didn’t stop at the garments. Students from the Extended Diploma in Fashion, Theatre, Special Effects and Media Make-Up created stunning looks that carried strong environmental messages. Their work responded to themes such as climate change, the ozone layer, California wildfires, and human impact on the planet—resulting in dramatic, thoughtful, and visually compelling headpieces and makeup designs.
Pat Jones, Principal and CEO of Weston College, expressed her gratitude to both the students and the community for making this event possible, adding, “The Elevate Fashion Show was a true celebration—not just of the incredible creativity and talent of our fashion learners, but also of the community spirit that made it all possible.
“Thanks must go to Michelle Michael and the team at the Grand Pier for so generously providing the Regency Suite free of charge, giving our students the unique opportunity to showcase their work in a truly professional setting. Thanks to this support, every ticket sold will go directly to Weston Hospicecare. We’re also grateful to St John’s Church for their kind loan of a lighting system that helped the show come to life. This event is a great example of what happens when education and community come together to lift up the next generation of creatives.”
Elevate is a great example of how Weston College’s Career Excellence Hubs give our students the career-preparing opportunities to gain first-hand experience in presenting a collection within a professional setting, developing their confidence, communication skills, and understanding of the production and logistics behind a runway event. The evening also offered invaluable exposure to peers, industry professionals, and potential employers which is essential for anyone pursuing a future in fashion or performance industries.
For many of the student models, walking the runway was a transformative experience. Stepping out of their comfort zones, they rose to the challenge with bravery and confidence, contributing to the energy and spirit of the event and supporting their peers on a night that celebrated creativity, courage, and collaboration. Elevate was an amazing reflection of the talent and dedication of our Weston College students, enhanced by community to bring this event to life for a great cause.
Well done to all our students who got involved in designing, creating, and modelling—this night wouldn’t have been possible without your efforts! Also, a big thank you to our fantastic Photography students: Harrison, Ethan, Cerys, Annabel, Taylor, Ellen, Toby, and Cameron for capturing the night perfectly!
Our failures keep us humble. While basking in the sunset of a conference well-hosted last week, a shape appeared on the Bristol skyline as if to remind me that things didn’t always go so well…
It was an old foe, a silhouette of shame, the scene of my worst hosting nightmare many thousands of sunsets ago. I was a student at Bristol University, no more than 19 or 20. As the boffin of our student radio station (and the only one with a real bow tie), I was asked at the eleventh hour if I’d step-in as MC of a charity concert to be held at Clifton Cathedral. The time for rehearsal had passed, but the organisers had faith – and seemingly meticulous notes – so, surely, I’d be fine?
I’d actually been compèring concerts since secondary school and fine I was… until the star piece of the night, performed by a young child with the proverbial angel’s larynx. She was clearly accomplished and the audience was spellbound by her performance – I could see them from the wings, wide-eyed and visibly moved. As her last, long, lingering note faded away into the sugar-funnel roof of the cathedral, I waited for the inevitable applause to bridge my return to the stage… but applause there were none. I paused for a moment longer before spontaneously starting my own enthusiastic applause from the wings, hoping others would follow.
Still there was silence from within in the cathedral. The little girl looked over to me, flushed with embarrassment. I marched onto the stage to mount a rescue, still clapping (and now cheering) as I went, like something from Hi-De-Hi. As I did all I possibly could to whip the audience into the requisite frenzy, the girl calmly and professionally turned away from me… to carry on with her performance. The second movement of her piece…
More than two decades on, I revisit this horror of ill-judgement before every live event I host – and whenever else I need to bring myself to ground. Hosting events has become a major part of my portfolio career, especially since leaving the BBC to become freelance in 2023. Since then I’ve been hosting corporate events, moderating conferences and presenting awards ceremonies alongside broadcasting, podcasting and voiceover work. Last year I hosted more than twenty events, all over the UK – and, let me tell you, every single one was, in some way, fenced-off from potential disaster by the many lessons I learnt that day in the sweet funnel of failure.
Last week’s more triumphant event was Great Western Railway’s Safeguarding Conference in Bristol, which I hosted as their voice of safety (mine is the voice on GWR’s trains and stations which tells you to “Mind The Gap”, amongst other announcements). Although no child performers were present to sing, there would have been plenty of opportunities to, erm, slip up. The subjects were emotive, some of the case studies were tough and we had an unexpected tear or two alongside me on the stage. But my time on both the stage and the radio has taught me how to navigate all of this, how to react when the unexpected happens. As somebody very kindly put it, “you make all this look so easy, and yet I know it’s anything but”.
So, if you’re looking for an experienced (and, these days, dependable) host to bring polish to your event, to give direction to your conference, or to take the pressure off whoever normally catches the mic at your functions, drop me a line. I have a string of successes to my name… but more importantly, I’ve survived a couple of movement-inducing failures, too.
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