Bath Spa University and Lord Puttnam’s company, Atticus Education, are set to host an innovative series of seminars, with the support of Pinewood Studios. The initiative will see Lord Puttnam, the Oscar-winning British film producer and educationalist and chair of Atticus, deliver six seminars to Bath Spa Undergraduate and Postgraduate students.
The series starts on 19 February with a lecture on ‘Let’s Talk About Creativity’, and will be broadcast via a live, interactive format from the Atticus studio in Ireland, using Cisco video-conferencing technology.
Throughout the lectures, Lord Puttnam – whose films include Chariots of Fire, The Mission, the Killing Fields and Local Hero – will draw up his own distinguished career as a film producer to discuss the varied aspects of the creative process. The series will culminate with an in-person lecture on 18 June at the University on the subject of ‘An Ever Changing Marketplace’.
Lord Puttnam believes that harnessing young people’s creativity and ambition is key to a more secure, sustainable and imaginative future for all of us. He said: “Thanks to the generosity of Pinewood Studios, I’m delighted to be working with a group of gifted students at Bath Spa University. It’s important that as large as possible a cohort of students gain an understanding of the growth potential of the creative industries, and benefit from practical work experience. The association of Atticus, Pinewood Studios and Bath Spa is designed to make a meaningful difference to these students at an important stage in their careers.”
Andrew Smith, Corporate Affairs Director at Pinewood Studios Group said: “We are delighted to be working with Lord Puttnam and the University to support the next generation of filmmakers. This partnership is an important way to open up access to the industry and help forge connections with up and coming talent.”
Dr Susan McMillan, Head of the School of Creative Industries at Bath Spa University, said: “The main aim of the School of Creative Industries is to develop the next generation of talent in collaboration with industry. Our partnership with Pinewood Studios and with Lord Puttnam connects our film and media students directly with the UK’s top movie studio. The series of lectures provided by Lord Puttnam also means students get the opportunity to learn from an Oscar winning producer, who knows the film business inside out.
“Our creative students will benefit from Pinewood’s generous support and from Lord Puttnam’s thought-provoking lectures. It is a great honour for Bath Spa University to be working with such prestigious partners.”
Students who graduated from Bath Spa University and attended previous lectures by Lord Puttnam have gone on to secure positions within production companies working on titles such as ‘The Only Way is Essex’ and ‘Geordie Shore’, in addition to roles at Drummer TV based in Bristol who make children’s documentaries.