BAFTA winner and Pet Shop Boys' drummer in the spotlight at West Suffolk College event in Bury St Edmunds on creative industries
A BAFTA winner and a drummer working for the Pet Shop Boys were just two of the speakers at an all-day event in Bury St Edmunds that championed creative industry careers.
Jamal Green, who recently won a BAFTA for his composing role for the game Toem and Affy Green, who first gigged at Pot Black in Bury St Edmunds before headlining Glastonbury this year with the Pet Shop Boys, supported the WOW (World of Work) Festival at the University Studies centre at West Suffolk College.
Jamal and Affy, both former students of the college, were joined by their sister, award-winning journalist Tamika Green, who works for SuffolkNews and the Bury Free Press. They all gave advice and reflected on their journeys during an occasion that also included around 20 exhibitors, practitioners and organisations offering advice and mentoring for students pursuing careers in the expressive industries.
Jamal said: “I used to study music at West Suffolk College. It [studying at the college] taught me a lot and it was cool to come back. My message to others is to get started right away and don’t be afraid.”
Affy, who studied music performance at West Suffolk College in 2006, said: “We need creative people so my advice would be to stick with it and believe in yourself.”
In addition to the Green family, other speakers included Lee Strickland, a photographer who has worked for Vogue, Jake Mehew, an artist and musician who has just completed a residency at Snape Maltings, Forward Prize-winning poet Rachael Boast - along with numerous commercial and charitable organisations including Benton End House and Garden Trust and Screen Suffolk.
Another of the visitors was Rebecca Harper from Suffolk Archives. She said: “I came along as I think it’s important to engage with lots of different people.
“In relation to advice, I’d say I believe volunteering is a big part of getting into careers. I volunteered in museums and I learnt much from other people and networked. If you volunteer you also have your ear to the ground when jobs come up.”
Claire Wallace is the curator at the Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Regiments Museum. Claire, who also attended, said: “I explained to young people what we do in museums and suggested that it’s good to find a passion and never pass up an opportunity.”
The event was initiated by the Eastern Colleges Group (ECG) curriculum initiatives manager, Jonathan Boast.
Jonathan, who used to be a roadie for The Rolling Stones, said: “We had over 300 students from across the Eastern Colleges Group and more from further afield.
"It was a phenomenal event. My highlight was the level of engagement and inspiration students gained from interacting with such incredibly talented and diverse creatives of such a high professional calibre.”
Charlie Saunders, 16, from Bury, who is studying on a film and media level three course at West Suffolk College, said: “I found (the event) really informative. It’s good to hear what to expect and not be thrown in at the deep.”
The WOW (World of Work) Festivals, which take place every month at the University Studies centre, are thanks to the European Social Fund (ESF) Higher Place project.
The next WOW event will take place on January 12 with a focus on health, education, psychology and social sciences. If you would like to get involved you can email the event’s organiser caroline.margarson@wsc.ac.uk
