September 2017

Archive for September, 2017

Change Creators: XLR Collective Graduation Rehearsal

For this week, we had to make sure that we were all up to speed and on the same page while we planned for the launch event scheduled for Monday the 25th of September. Everything from the (relatively) minor details to what would make up fundamental sections of the event needed to be discussed and locked in, so that we didn’t have to leave anything down to chance and ensure that the event will be successful on as many fronts as possible.

We decided to mix together all of the different elements of our campaign with a varied running order, with talk-based sections punctuated by live performances of songs. One of the key parts that needed to be organised was the talk-based segments; every team member had a subject matter relating to the campaign that they had to discuss in a brief but comprehensive fashion using the data and analytics that the group had previously gathered. As well as this we had to decide on a multitude of intriguing options, such as how to set up the chairs and tables, and what equipment was needed for the launch- hopefully it will all come together relatively flawlessly a week from now!

Written by Jerome Bishop

If you would like to attend Hack a Heckle’s graduation you can sign up here!

Follow us at:

www.hackaheckle.org.uk
www.facebook.com/xlrmusicuk/
@xlrmusicuk @change_creators
#xlrcollective
Insta: @xlrmusicuk

Opportunity for gamers, gaming artists and game designers

Take over our Gaming Test Space: 13th November – 15th December

This winter Knowle West Media Centre will be showcasing exciting new talent in the gaming industry – and we want to hear from you!

For two months, the Gaming ‘Test Space’ will offer a place for individuals and groups working and playing in the gaming world to come together, particularly those who are currently under-represented in the field.

Issues around representation are widely recognised: earlier this year, the Guardian reported that “the latest figures from games industry trade body, TIGA, show that just 14% of people working in the UK games industry are women.” A 2015 Creative Skillset Media Survey found that the industry has a lower proportion of female employees than any other part of the Creative Media Sector and in 2015 just 4% of employees in the games industry were from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups (BAME).

On 4^th and 5^th November we’re hosting the third annual South Bristol Gaming and Anime Expo, which will be followed by a week-long take-over of the space by Grrrl Games – a Bristol-based group for women making games.

After this opening fortnight, what happens in the Test Space from 13th November until 15th December is up to you…

Get involved!

We’re looking for groups to take over the Gaming Test Space for up to a fortnight each between 13^thNovember and 15^th December.

You can use the space however you like: as a studio to develop a new game, as an exhibition space, for an event…whatever you fancy!

During your take-over you must work with the young people involved in our Wednesday Creative Hub session in some way and/or deliver one event, activity or workshop for people over 18.

Your group must also create something to be left in the Test Space – this could be an object, an image or some game instructions. In this way we will be collectively creating a growing exhibition and showcase for your groups work.

We will provide:

A materials budget of up to £500 depending on scale of proposal

Access to the KWMC exhibition studio (Test Space)

Promotion of your activities

Support from our young people’s team to create and deliver Creative Hub sessions

Access to a range of technical equipment. Groups will be provided with a menu of tech to play with – please contact us in advance if you need to see a list of technical kit available before sending your proposal.

If you’d like to pitch for a Test Space take-over slot please send:

Your name and short description of your group
A one-page outline proposing including:

How you would use the space
Your ideas for working with young people and/or for an adult event
How this opportunity would be useful for your group
How your take-over will contribute to championing or increasing diversity within the gaming industry.

Please also include your preferred dates / times, a copy of your CV or links to past group work and projects, a completed Equalities Monitoring Form and an e-mail address.

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 10^th October, 5pm
Interviews: Tuesday 17^th October

For more details contact Jess Linington: jess.linington@kwmc.org.uk or 0117 903 0444.

Change Creators: XLR Collective Prep for Their Graduation

The XLR Collective were back this week for another session of prep for their Campaign Celebration which will be on Monday the 25th of September. It’s hard to believe that the course is nearly over but with so much hard work put into the project there’s much to be excited about.

After recording the majority of their EP last week at dBs Music College the team took this week’s time together to organise the workings of what their graduation celebration will look like. Still having a few bits to record to polish off their EP the group took turns to record at KWMC as well. I remained with the majority of the collective and facilitated the planing session that allowed the team to work out everything that needed to be thought about regarding the event.

The great thing about this week’s session is that the team came in fully prepared. A member of the group had drafted a PowerPoint document that outlined almost everything that was needed for the content of their presentation. After giving it a read the team then divided up the work load of typing up the stats they had collected over the past few months.

Another highlight of the night was at the end when we played what had been recorded of the EP over the past week. Smiles were left on everyone’s face at the end, a beautiful sense of accomplishment in the air. Less than two weeks to go for this cohort of Change Creators:XLR Collective, exciting times ahead!

If you would like to attend Hack a Heckle’s graduation you can sign up here!

Follow us at:
www.hackaheckle.org.uk
www.facebook.com/xlrmusicuk/
@xlrmusicuk @change_creators
#xlrcollective
Insta: @xlrmusicuk

This Week at JUMP Studios (Autumn Programmes)

With Summer soon coming to a close we are gearing up for a great season of youth programmes at KWMC. Starting next week we’ll be opening our doors once again to another collection of creative young people ready to grow in a variety of different media forms.

XLR Sessions. Tuesdays from 5-7pm. 10-19 year olds. Open Access.

12/9: For the opening session, young people will learn to artistically write lyrics and create music to accompany them. More info here.

Creative Hub. Wednesdays from 5-7pm. 10-19 year olds. Open Access.

13/9: Session will include: Stick Bots, Wack On tablets, Photoshop skill development, Mini Keyboards. More info here.

Jump Into Manga. Wednesdays from 5-7pm. 10-19 year olds. Seasonal Course.

13/9: The beginning of our Jump Into Manga course will start with an introduction to the programme that will outline learning different storytelling techniques and launching their own comic at the Gaming and Anime Expo in November. More info here.

Change Creators: XLR Collective Start to Record!

Hack A Heckle hit up the studio in this week’s session. We came together at DBS to get the instrument tracks down for 5 original songs.

We started with re-recording Hide, our main single. This song entered the world from our previous studio session in Barcelona, back in March. With a border-line melancholic tone, Hide reflects the issues around street harassment and how it makes people feel. We have altered the ending slightly to work better with the vocals.

The next song we got down was Take Back The Night with Courtney leading the vocals. A more bouncy song with elements of rock and dub style beats. If you like Paramore, then you’ll like this song as Courtney rocks it up!

We then moved onto Millie’s song, Lady. A very jazzy and bluesy style song with a melodic vocal line. Millie’s vocals are sure to blow you away on this one.

Beth’s song Not About That, like Courtney’s, covers a few different styles of music. We start off with an Artic Monkey vibe verse which leads to a disco-like chorus followed by a rockier second half of the chorus. We also hear a soca rhythm breakdown before finishing where we started. Beth’s lyrics keeps the theme of our campaign well with the catchy vocals. This track has it all going on!

The very last part of the session we had a jam with Milo’s hip-hop track. Although it’s a rough version at the moment, we managed to capture different elements of the song so we can hopefully mould it into a full track. Milo’s rap will punch through nicely when we finally nail this one.

At the end of the session, we all packed down and ran over some things for the following session as we are edging towards the end of the course. Our vocalists will be adding their vocals properly as this time was for the instruments and Mikey will be adding extra guitar parts. We are also playing with the idea of getting other local musicians to help shape the tracks with violin, saxophone and extra vocals. Hopefully our songs will be mixed and mastered over the next two weeks so they can be added with Liv and Jerome’s electric tracks to our EP, which Liv will be designing the album art as her art work is AWESOME!

Written by Molly Perryman

Follow us at:
www.hackaheckle.org.uk
www.facebook.com/xlrmusicuk/
@xlrmusicuk @change_creators
#xlrcollective
Insta: @xlrmusicuk

Freelance and intern roles available for young creatives

Do you want to work in an exciting fast-paced environment? Do you love the creative industries and have a desire to work with filmmakers, animators, photographers and web designers? Eight could have the role for you!

Eight is our supported employment platform for emerging creatives and the Eight team are looking for web developers to join them on a project-by-project freelance basis, and an Admin & Marketing Intern to support the delivery of commissions.

Eight champions diversity in the creative sectors and aims to break the cycle of creatives needing work experience to get a job – and not being able to get a job because they can’t get any experience! Clients commission Eight to undertake a range of projects, including shooting videos, building websites, designing flyers and taking photographs. Recently Eight began delivering immersive workshops and providing Virtual Reality/360 video too.

As part of any commission Eight provides paid ‘on-the-job’ training for emerging creatives by partnering them with experienced professionals. Clients receive high quality work at competitive rates, while emerging creatives learn, earn and develop their portfolios.

No previous job experience is necessary to work with Eight, just a portfolio of work demonstrating your ability.

Find out more about both roles on our Jobs page and contact Jen or Noomi if you have any questions.

Please note: the Admin and Marketing Intern role is offered through the UWE / Santander Graduate Internship Scheme and is only available to graduates of the University of the West of England.

Contact Us

Knowle West Media Centre
Leinster Avenue
Knowle West
Bristol
BS4 1NL
+44 (0) 117 903 0444
enquiries@kwmc.org.uk

Look Around