A new ‘ground-breaking’ partnership to nurture the future stars of TV and filmmaking in Scotland has been launched today.

Designed to pair budding filmmakers with local social enterprises and charities in Glasgow, the Applied Dissertation in Community and Collaborative Practice programme is a partnership between the University of Glasgow and GMAC Film

The new course aims to help students hone the craft of filmmaking while addressing important social issues in Glasgow.

For its inaugural year, 14 University of Glasgow students took part and worked alongside six community groups based in Glasgow including Plant Grow Share; Food Not Bombs; Dress for Success Scotland; Marie Trust; Simon Community Scotland, and Active Life Club.

The project is run by the University’s School of Culture & Creative Arts (SCCA) and GMAC Film – a charity dedicated to making the creative film and TV industry more accessible.

Professor Karen Lury, Head of School, Culture and Creative Arts, University of Glasgow, said: “This was a truly innovative course supported by investment from the College of Arts and Humanities as part of the school’s partnerships’ initiative.

(Image: UoG)

“It was wonderful to see the tangible impact that the course has had on the students and communities and charities who participated.”

Throughout the course of the academic year, the students participating attended workshops hosted by GMAC Film alongside community members and representatives from the charities and enterprises involved.

The task was to create a series of short films that would highlight the work of each charity and discuss the social issues that caused them to exist in the first place.

In the workshops, all parties discussed what they wanted for the project before the students directed, captured, and edited the footage for each project.

The films could then be used by the charities to raise awareness of social issues and build support for charitable and activist causes.

Among the charities involved was the Simon Community Scotland, who tackle homelessness on Glasgow streets and help those sleeping rough get their lives back on track.

Antony Fury, Kevin Buchanan, Billy McKay, and Megan McGee’s film on the Simon Community highlighted the 2023 housing emergency declared by Glasgow City Council in 2023 and covered the story of their We See You Project, which helps people with drug and alcohol addiction by giving them a safe space to go for food, social activities and support.

The film showcased the work of volunteers at the project and highlighted the funding challenges it faces going forward, as well as the lack of facilities for homeless people in Glasgow.

As well as giving the students the hands-on experience of filmmaking, it also gave Antony and Megan a different perspective on the subjects of the films and pushed them out of their comfort zone.

A still from the Simon Community We See You ProjectA still from the Simon Community We See You Project (Image: UoG)

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Megan said: “This course has been a transformative experience. It demonstrated the process and progress of filmmaking from initial concepts to finalised product. It equipped me with new skills like camera operation, and editing, as well as collaboration and communication. I've gained a level of confidence in my abilities that I never thought possible, opening doors to a career path I'm now certain I want to pursue.”

Antony added: “The blend of theory and hands-on practice in this course is truly unique and invaluable. It goes beyond just teaching the practical aspects of filmmaking – it immerses you in the industry, connects you with a supportive community, and inspires you to take creative risks. This experience has not only shaped my skills but also introduced me to professional avenues which I otherwise would not have considered.”

The films also had a positive impact on the staff working at some of the charities, including Dress for Success who help women towards self-sufficiency and financial independence by providing professional clothing and a network of support and personal skills.

Marion Menzies, Development & Operations Manager, Dress for Success Scotland, said: “Our staff that were involved with the project loved it. It’s inspired their creativity and their drive to learn more. The end result was a big plus. A film we can use to showcase what we do but multi-faceted enough that broken down into bite-size chunks so that each section can reach a different audience.”

Dress for Success Scotland helps woman toward self-sufficiency by providing professional clothing and support.Dress for Success Scotland helps woman toward self-sufficiency by providing professional clothing and support. (Image: UoG)

The course culminated for students with a celebratory event to showcase the co-created films and campaigns in front of an audience of community organisation partners, fellow students, friends, family, and University of Glasgow staff.

Carol Brown, Community Learning & Development Manager, GMAC Film said: “It's such a delight to celebrate our students and community participants at the end of the Applied Dissertation, having gained so much from the experience.

“Witnessing these individuals and communities collaborate so effectively and move forwards with their new-found skills and connections is exactly what we had hoped to achieve when designing the project.

“We send our congratulations to all of this year's participants and look forward to welcoming next year's cohort of students and community organisations."

The University of Glasgow says it is going to continue the course and is keen to keep building connections with social enterprises in the local community. Local organisations interested in joining the next iteration of the project are encouraged to contact GMAC Film at hello@gmacfilm.com