Many special needs students find language a difficult means of communication. Fortunately there are alternatives.

There are many special needs students who respond particularly well to working visually rather than verbally, and for such students film can be an ideal medium to allow them to explore and express their thoughts and feelings.

Yet there can be a problem: because self-evidently the teacher needs to feel comfortable with and experienced in the medium of film before teaching it to others.  Which is why we are writing to you today.

Supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, with the BFI’s Film Forever National Lottery funds, The Film Space is offering a two day workshop introducing film making skills to teachers of special needs students aged 14 to 18.

Also available are a limited number of bursaries to contribute towards the cost of attending.

The course focuses on developing transferable skills in film making, via a series of techniques and approaches to film making which can be passed on to your students.

At the end of the course participants will have learned the key strategies for involving students in creative moving image production, and how framing, lighting, sound and editing work together to create film.

At the heart of this is the development in the students of an awareness that film making is a series of choices from the different options available just as spoken language involves making choices between phrases to express a meaning.

Issues relating to cinematography, lighting, mood, sound, editing and planning are all covered in the course, which is taught by experienced film makers including producers, scriptwriters and film developers.

The course will take place at the University of Birmingham from the evening of Friday 13th to lunchtime on Sunday 15th of January 2017. The cost is £250 (excluding VAT), which covers not only the course content but also 2 nights accommodation and all meals.

There is more information about the course and registration at http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-film-space-8001470950

If you have any questions relating to the course and bursary please email ianwall66@gmail.com