SUN Festival of Industries at Arts University Bournemouth

Delivery Group BLOG | May 2024

By Beth Hartless, SUN Project Coordinator & Charlie Forshaw, SUN Project Leader

On Thursday 21st March, SUN welcomed 55 Art and Business students from Testwood School, Bishop of Winchester, and Oak Academy onto the Arts University Bournemouth’s vibrant campus to partake in our Festival of Industries event.

Students had the opportunity to engage with local employers, Studio Wood, and Beaulieu Candle Company, in two creative workshops. They were given a design brief and in teams, worked together to design, and present their product using inspiration from the employers’ presentations. Students were also given a tour of AUB’s specialist campus and facilities by AUB Ambassadors, giving them an insight into life at university.

Both companies showed the students some of the unique careers available within the creative sector and shared their experiences of working in their respective industries. Students gained insight into the pathways and opportunities available to them through creative careers.

The day helped students to explore their creative skillset and apply them to a real-world scenario. Many groups came up with innovative ideas, such as, a reusable sandwich bag that could be folded out into a plate. Another group of students created “Re-Condition” a reusable hair product company selling reusable bottles to prevent the mountain of plastic discarded each year.

The workshops gave students the opportunity to explore marketing through creating stand out designs for their products. In the Beaulieu Candle Company workshop, a group created, “The Bees Knees,” having been inspired by nature, the group utilised their inspiration as their unique selling point. Students were challenged with pitching their ideas to the group, helping them to grow confidence in their communication and teamworking skills.

Whilst being fun and engaging, it is events like these that give students an insight into the world of work, seeing how companies come up with their game changing ideas, utilising their creativity, teamwork, and problem solving.

This event highlighted just some of the possibilities within the creative industries for young people to aspire to. We hope that students reflect on their experience when choosing their future options. Teachers that attended the event were particularly impressed with the focus on employability skills, with the majority of students noting their confidence had increased in the following skills:

• Teamwork

• Listening

• Problem Solving

• Presentation

We look forward to hosting our next Festival of Industries events over the summer term!