We’re delighted to announce our third Skills Bootcamp in Virtual Production!
Starting Wednesday 17th December 2025, these fully funded courses offer an incredible opportunity to gain cutting-edge skills that are transforming the future of film and media production.
We are offering two specialist courses:
• Virtual Production with Unreal Engine
• Virtual Production with Sony VENICE 2
These bootcamps are free to learners, funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WEMCA) and led by the University of Bristol in partnership with MARS Academy (MARS Volume), Gritty Talent, and accredited trainers in Unreal Engine and Sony VENICE 2.
Virtual production is revolutionising the screen sector by blending live action, visual effects, and real-time 3D environments into a seamless creative process.
Applications close at midnight on Wednesday 12th November 2025, please share with your wider audience.
Gritty Talent’s Skills Bootcamp – Inclusion Accelerator, launches on the 14th January 2026 in the South-West of England. Book early to avoid disappointment….
Engaging, practical and designed for change, the Inclusion Accelerator has been thoughtfully developed to turbo charge inclusivity in the creative industries.
The Skills Bootcamp is open to 20 leaders, hiring managers & EDI leads within creative sector organisations and companies in the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WEMCA) region. This dynamic, guided learning bootcamp, with the outcome of creating a company specific implementation plan, will be delivered by Gritty Talent’s own senior leaders who are creative industry professionals and EDI specialists.
What’s more it’s HEAVILY subsidised by WEMCA, who fund up to 90% of the cost for learners
For full information on funding, eligibility criteria and application details. Follow the link below.
https://www.grittytalent.tv/skills-bootcamp-inclusion-accelerator
Every autumn, the air shifts. Shadows stretch, lights glow earlier, and people start hungering for something beyond routine. They want meaning, magic, and connection…a story they can step into.
That’s why seasonal immersive events aren’t just popular; they’re unstoppable. Each year, they grow bigger, bolder, more ambitious, because they speak to something universal, our need to feel part of something shared, fleeting, and extraordinary.
And the truth is, the spaces that haven’t embraced that yet are already behind.
This isn’t about pumpkins and fairy lights. It’s about transformation and turning your existing space into a living, breathing story that people can feel in their bones.
The public appetite for immersive experiences has exploded. Seasonal events are selling out months in advance, driving new audiences, and dominating social feeds. People aren’t just attending, they’re participating. They’re hungry for connection, emotion, and atmosphere and they’re willing to travel and spend for it.
And here’s the thing: the places that already have character, story, or natural atmosphere, the ones sitting dark for half the year, are the ones that often might be the perfect venue.
Seasonal immersive programming can turn a quiet month into a sell-out. It can reframe how a space is seen, pull in new audiences, and create stories that live far beyond the season itself and build brand new audiences.
So the question isn’t should you do a seasonal immersive event. It’s why aren’t you already doing one?
Immersive design is no longer just for purpose-built attractions. It’s the future of how people experience the world around them. Every space has the potential to hold story.
Seasonal events give you a perfect excuse to unlock that, to reveal another layer of your space and make people fall in love with it all over again.
It’s not about building something new. It’s about seeing what you already have differently.
The right lighting design can make the familiar feel mythic. A single scent cue can shift memory. A piece of sound can transport a visitor before they even realise what’s happening.
This is where transformation starts, not with scale, but with imagination.
Emotion is built in.
Halloween and Christmas already carry universal feelings: fear, joy, nostalgia, hope. Immersive storytelling amplifies them.
They drive visibility. They’re PR gold, visual content magnets, and community anchors.
They make financial sense, one strong seasonal programme can sustain engagement through your quieter months.
These events are not side projects, they are cultural touchpoints, powerful, repeatable frameworks that keep audiences coming back year after year.
They create loyalty, seasonal traditions make people return.
“We do this every year” is the strongest possible brand statement there is.
Right now, the market is wide open. Audiences are ready. The appetite is proven. Technology and design tools are accessible. The question is who will seize the moment. and who will let it pass?
Spaces that act now will set the benchmark. Those that wait will be catching up.
Seasonal immersive events are no longer a luxury; they’re the smartest creative and commercial move you can make.
The best seasonal immersive events don’t rely on gimmicks or budget. They rely on intention.
They have a clear emotional journey.
They use their environment as part of the story.
They surprise people, not just entertain them.
They end on a note that lingers.
Audiences don’t remember everything they saw. They remember how it made them feel.
And that feeling, if designed well it can shape how they see your space forever!
At Immersive Ideas, we don’t do cookie-cutter Christmas lights or predictable Halloween thrills. We design experiences that transform space into story. Our work blends psychology, design, and emotion to create worlds that connect deeply, memorable, meaningful, and made for your audience.
Wondering if your space has potential? This is the moment to unlock it.
Even if you’re only exploring what might be possible, let’s start the conversation and see where it leads?
Worried about timeframe? Budget? Don’t be. Already this year our clients are testing the waters, preparing the ground work now for going big next year.
Let’s have a chat, reach out at [email protected]
Together, we can shape the kind of seasonal experience people will still be talking about long after the lights go down!
This week, our Music and Production students got the chance to sit in on a live performance from the band, ‘The Peripheries’, and help them record an album within our Michael Eavis Performance suite, which links directly to the HE Recording Studio at Loxton Campus.
The Peripheries are an Italian New Wave band with 1980s influences and experimental sounds. With connections to a member of staff at the college, they visited our students and performed for them, giving them the chance to hear a new variation of music that they may not have previously discovered.
Our students are trained on top-of-the-range equipment to ensure they are fully equipped with the skills and knowledge required for working in the industry. They not only learn to set up for performances and gigs, but they also learn what to listen for when recording so they can make the correct adjustments. Students were taking charge of the settings on the music decks while other students were behind in the recording studio ensuring that all aspects of the gig were recorded smoothly.
Giving students the chance to help record an album for the band gives them fantastic, real-world experience and practice working with clients. Not only this, our Media and Photography students also got involved with filming the performance so the band will have a professional album with a high-quality music video created by our students. This provides them with great hands-on experience and allows them to build their portfolio with a new and dynamic project.
Some students will also assist in editing the raw materials to create the final album. This is a great opportunity to see how to fine-tune recordings to ensure high-quality products that are ready for external audiences.
Within our Music faculty, students are encouraged to get involved and learn the trade wherever possible. They will often perform at local gigs and festivals with students helping with the set-up and production, acting as sound technicians to ensure to event runs seamlessly. Also, by inviting a range of musicians into the college who have different requests and preferences to enhance their sound helps to broaden the students’ knowledge base and better prepare them for working with clients in the industry.
Whether students are interested in playing music or working as a production technician, our Music courses enable students to be versed in every aspect, so they gain a holistic understanding of Music Production. This makes them an integral part of any gig or show as they have a level of experience working behind the scenes.
Thank you to The Peripheries for joining us on campus and working with our students to give them hands-on experience in the industry. Also, well done to our students for taking on all responsibilities with professionalism and maturity!
This live performance forms part of the Music and Media Careers Excellence Hub. Weston College’s Career Excellence Hubs are designed to be the launching pad for our learners’ careers. In a world where connections and relevant skills matter more than ever, these hubs offer a holistic approach that prepares learners to thrive in their chosen industries. With the support of these hubs, our learners are well-equipped to make a significant impact in their professional journeys.
Progress to the next level in Music! At University Centre Weston (UCW) our students give us impressive feedback, with our latest National Student Survey results putting us above average in all nine areas! Find out more about our exceptional teaching, wellbeing services and learning resources by visiting our website. Click here!
The next date in my series of small group all-day in-person PR workshops for small business owners is on Wednesday 24 September, and I’d love to see a BCI member there!
There’s just ONE spot left.
BOOKED IN A DAY 🎉
📅 Wednesday 24 September 2025, 10am – 4pm
📍 Tobacco Factory, Bristol
🎟️ 6 spaces (Only ONE 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👌
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
Kate said: “A brilliant, energising day packed with practical tools, inspiring ideas, and expert insight that made PR feel not just doable, but exciting. Bridie delivers the course with warmth and expertise. I left with a clear plan and much more confidence.”
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 balcony and spectacular views 😍
BOOKED IN A DAY 🎉
📅 Wednesday 24 September 2025, 10am – 4pm
📍 Tobacco Factory, Bristol
🎟️ 6 spaces (Only ONE left!)
🔗 Details + tix: https://bridiehinson.co.uk/bristol-pr-workshop
If you’ve always been curious about voice acting and voiceover (VO) but don’t know where to start, BRAVA’s Foundation Course is designed for you.
Taught by BRAVA’s CEO and principal coach, Melissa Thom, this low-cost, accessible group course is the perfect introduction to the art and business of VO, giving you a solid introduction to the foundational skills, techniques, and knowledge you’ll need in order to take your next steps with confidence.
Whether you’re completely new to VO, coming from acting, broadcasting, marketing, advertising, or another creative discipline, or even an experienced VO artist who has never undertaken any specific training, this course offers a friendly, live, and bespoke learning experience.
What to expect
Over three live, interactive online sessions, you’ll:
You’ll also get a taste of BRAVA’s professional, personalised coaching style. By the end of the course, you’ll know exactly what’s involved in taking your training further.
This course also serves as your direct entry into Stage 1: Narration – our intensive one-to-one coaching programme that prepares you to record your first professional narration demo and enter the market.
Course details
Not sure if VO is right for you? That’s exactly why this course exists.
In just three evenings, you’ll understand how the VO world works, get live feedback on your voice, and find out if this is something you’d love to pursue.
The group is limited to just 12 people, so you’ll have space to ask questions, get feedback, and feel supported.
Dates: 9,10 and 11 September 2025 (Tues, Weds, Thurs) – 7pm | Online
Price: £180 (inc VAT)
Why BRAVA?
At BRAVA, all of our training is live and tailored to you. There are no pre-recorded modules and we work with people of all ages and experience levels from 20 yrs+, with backgrounds in acting, broadcasting, marketing, advertising, and more.
You’ll benefit from the expertise of professional coaches who understand the nuances of the craft and the business. Many people are surprised by how much there is to learn and how much they can grow, even in just three weeks.
To book, please visit: https://www.brava.uk.com/voiceover-foundation-course
We’re thrilled to bring back The Artist’s Way—a 12-week facilitated creative challenge, curated and led by the brilliant Natasha Bergg, Creative Facilitator and all-round inspiring human. After a hugely successful members-only course last year, this time we’re opening it up to the wider creative community of Bristol.
Never heard of The Artist’s Way? It’s a transformative ‘creative recovery’ programme based on Julia Cameron’s bestselling book, designed to help you reconnect with your creative flow. Whether you’re a professional artist, budding creative writer, or you’re trying to achieve a specific goal, this course will challenge you to find fresh perspectives, figure out what’s blocking your creativity and how to get out of your own way.
Each week, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate, reflect on and discuss the book’s weekly creative provocations as part of a small group – all guided by Natasha’s unique, playful and supportive approach to creative exploration.
This autumn, we’ll be hosting the workshop weekly and in-person for 13 weeks from Wednesday 8th October to 21st January, 5:30-7pm in our Production Space at Brunswick Square. This includes an introductory session followed by the 12-week course itself, including a break over the winter holidays.
Each week brings a new theme, along with prompts and exercises that might have you unearthing childhood dreams, rethinking your relationship with time and money, or trying something out, just for the joy of it.
As well as lifting the course off the page and bringing it to life in the room through hands-on collaborative and individual activities, this year’s course will also have a natural theme – whether we’re drawing wisdom from nature or using natural materials in our work.
It’s up to you how much time you invest in the course, but we recommend that you set aside at least a few hours each week to complete activities that we don’t cover in the sessions. Trust us, you won’t regret it!
We’re super excited to be opening this up to a wider audience this year and can’t wait to meet you.
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.
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