About the organisation
Launched in Scotland in 2012, the Bauer Academy is a centre of excellence, innovation and inspiration in creative media education. The Academy delivers UK wide training, providing skills and talent development opportunities for individuals and businesses from inside the biggest media group in Europe.
The Bauer Academy is uniquely resourced. Its team of qualified academics work with leading industry professionals at seven Scottish sites (based at Radio Clyde, Radio Forth, Radio Tay, Northsound Radio, MFR and West FM) to design and deliver new multimedia projects. These projects provide valuable new skills development opportunities, whilst generating multimedia content to help individuals, groups and communities promote themselves, their ideas and their activities.
Students of all ages have commented on how refreshing the learning environment is, it doesn’t look or feel like a college or school. This active, industry based teaching focuses on developing relevant media skills but also transferable attributes; communication, confidence, creativity, enterprise etc. As a result, courses are valuable stepping stones to further studies and work.
The Academy’s approach to education has proven to work well with marginalised groups and we have great examples of those who have a history of not engaging with traditional learning at school but who have excelled at our academy courses including those from the care system and those with additional needs.
Our courses and projects feed into our talent programme which has identified talented individuals and developed them further. Our innovative 12 week mentor programme has proven hugely successful – we have created 9 jobs at Radio Clyde in the past year with five of our students now on air.
Enterprise activity in schools
The Bauer Academy has delivered a number of projects and activities within schools and with school age children – both those in primary and secondary education. Everything we do can be customised to suit your needs but as an example of some of the things we do and have done:
Media Maker Sessions
One of the main things we do with schools, particularly primary schools, is our media maker sessions. This is where we help them to create a radio show using their class project as the subject. We do an initial session on what a radio show entails, writing for the ear, assigning roles (such as presenter, producer, reporter etc) and planning how they will put together their show. We then leave them with some tasks to do and go back the following week to record the show which we then edit (adding in sound effects etc to bring it to life) and send out so they can listen to it together in class. It’s a great way to get pupils to effectively revise what they’ve learned (but it doesn’t feel like that to them) and in doing the show they’re also learning transferable skills such as confidence, communication, creativity etc.
Media School
We can run customised week long media schools at our radio stations for high school pupils. For example, we currently do this each year for pupils from high schools across Glasgow City. This forms part of the Glasgow City Council Enterprise and Employability ‘Determined to’ programme which is a week long multi media course covering radio, television and print journalism. Each day focuses on a different thing and at the end of the week pupils create group radio shows.
Bonhill Primary – Creating a Radio Advert
We teamed up with Young Enterprise Scotland to bring a group of pupils from Bonhill Primary School into Radio Clyde to create radio adverts around their enterprising activity at school. They learned about radio advertising, got a tour of the station, met some of the presenters and then wrote and recorded their own radio adverts (they chose to do these adverts around the schools chickens and the eggs they sell in the local community) in the Radio Clyde studios which were then produced and sent out to them to listen to and share with their families, friends and the wider community.
Supporting images, videos, audio
Listen to a sample of our media maker projects here – https://soundcloud.com/bauer-academy/sets/media-makers
Testimonials
Gary Condie, Employability and Enterprise Manager, Glasgow City Council
Funded thirty high school students to do a customised five day course
“This was an incredible opportunity for our young people. We were able to offer the coveted places to pupils who are looking pursue a career in the media and the feedback from both the young people and the staff at the media academy has been extremely positive. Our hope is now to consolidate this partnership and see the training become a more frequent development within the Determined to Report project.”
(this course has run in 2013, 2014 and is booked to run again this year. In 2014 two students were given fully funded places on other courses as part of our Talent Programme and in 2015 we ran a bespoke broadcast journalism weekend for the most talented students from the previous cohort)
Natalie McCartney, Primary School Teacher, Springfield Primary
Funded a Media Maker activity
“The Media Maker activity was remarkable – students thrived on the unique type of learning activity. It was so much more than media training – it was a truly valuable learning experience that developed a range of skills that align with the Curriculum for Excellence. The approach was refreshing and all types of learners engaged well. When the children presented their work to the assembly it was clear they were very confident learners and rightly proud of their radio show.”
Lisa Douglas, High School Teacher, Bellahouston High
Funded Media Maker Activity
The Media Maker activity was excellent, very well prepared and it developed teamwork, confidence, and made students more ‘media aware’ It opened their eyes to possibility of working in broadcast media. Informative, fun, engaging, topical and hugely motivating!
- Dr Bill Maxwell, Chief Executive Officer, Education Scotland
(Customised activities to support a conference)
“I offer my sincere thanks for the very thorough preparation you provided for the young people to enable them to host the ‘Opening Up the Futures’ conference. They carried out their roles with great self-belief and professionalism. Colleagues spoke very positively about their delivery. Sincere thanks.”
Fiona McAuliffe, Young Scot
Funded various Media Maker activities
“We’ve been working with the Bauer Academy to offer young people various taster sessions in the media industry. The feedback we’ve received from young people has been overwhelming positive with participants discussing how the experience offered a relaxed and creative environment, which allowed them to learn a wide range of transferable, practical and technical skills. Courtnay and the team have been an absolute pleasure to work with and do an excellent job in making their sessions as tailored and engaging as possible. We look forward to working with them closely in the future.”
Gillian Robertson, Vocational Training Officer, East Dunbartonshire Council
Funded places for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including Jack who has spent much of his life in care.
“Jack was one of our pupils who was at risk of moving into a negative destination. When Jack was told about the Bauer Academy at Clyde 1 he was keen to get started. Jack showed a great deal of self-motivation when attending the course during the October school break, independently travelling to the studios. It is clear to see the impact the Media Academy made on Jack, when he returned to school he was keen to share his experience with guidance teachers. Jack’s feedback suggests he was well engaged with the group he was working with and was keen to participate in all aspects of the programme. The tasks set out allowed Jack to develop his confidence as well as developing his team working, creativity and communication skills.”
Andrew McAleese , Social Work Department, Glasgow City Council
Funded TT and TK (15 year twins from disadvantaged backgrounds) to attend our Media School
“The Media School Course was excellent. TT and TK advised me that they learned so much and really enjoyed this course. Based on what they achieved during the course, I would suggest they learned the importance of expressing their true feelings and potential, being part of a team, utilising their sense of humour and individuality. The course prepares young people for further education/careers.
” TT and TK said they made many new friends on this course, which of course is good for their confidence and self-esteem, being valued and knowing that they contributed very well throughout the course. The gained a greater insight that if you commit yourself and are prepared to do some hard work then you can achieve your goal. I believe that this course raised their confidence levels and an understanding that if your work you will receive rewards through your efforts. “
TT said:
“It is really, really amazing. It has opened big doors for me. Now I know what to do, it’s fantastic. It was amazing to learn such a lot. It’s not like school. It is like actual, proper learning.”
TK said
“I learned a lot! We were working with professionals that know more than anyone else out there. They are so talented, so inspiring. I don’t know how to describe it – it is just really amazing”
(Following on from this course TK joined GMAC Film)
Contact information
Michelle Hunter, Regional Manager
Michelle.hunter@bauermedia.co.uk
