Teachers looking for artists/creatives, and artists/creatives looking for schools to work with, are finding the Opportunities section of the A2:Connect website a great place to meet their perfect match. Sometimes the ‘match’ gives you even more than you’d hoped, as Chris Ready, of Just Druid, tells us.
What is Just Druid?
We’re a not-for-profit ideas, research and development company for the film and internet industry. We make short films for schools, colleges and universities that they can use in their teaching – and if one of those films has potential to be developed further, we do just that.
For example, we made a short film for schools, about the 100th anniversary of the World War 1 Battle of Passchendaele. It was about a soldier from Pontypridd who’d written a letter for his Dad from the trenches. It was designed to inspire school children to research and create memories of local heroes, including former pupils, who didn’t survive the war. Read more about the Our Glyn schools project here. Watch the film by Pontypridd High School pupils (Glyn’s former school), published online at People’s Collection Wales. We’re now developing the story into a TV series.
What opportunity did you advertise on A2:Connect?
It was for a cameraman who could come in and work with us to film the pupils in the schools that we were rolling the project out to, starting with St Monica’s in Cardiff. We were using the soldier’s film as inspiration, and then we work alongside the pupils to help them make script and create a film, and then add it to the People’s Collection Wales.
Did you find it easy to sign up and create an opportunity?
Yes very easy.
Were you pleased with the response?
Yes! We didn’t even do anything to promote the opportunity, we just listed it. The response was fantastic. We had one response initially, then it all went quiet, and then a flurry of responses, and we even had one weeks afterwards.
One of the great things was the range of people who got in touch. I had emails from people who also do cartoons, animation, music – so the unexpected bonus is that I’ve collated quite an interesting network of people who I may well call on in the future. I think we had six in total.
But most importantly, we found someone who exceeded our expectations – Glenn Powell, from SBS Studios in Pontypridd. He’s originally from the music industry and supplies film and sound recording services so that was great. So we not only found a camera man, but potentially an outlet for some of the music ideas we have.
Glenn had worked with schools before, and charities, he wasn’t phased by anything because he’d worked with such a range of people in the music industry
Would you post an opportunity on A2:Connect again?
Yes, definitely, there are lots of win-wins for posting an opportunity!
Have you found your perfect match on A2:Connect? Get in touch and we can write up your story. You’ll also be promoting your services to a wide network of teachers and creatives!
*Create and discover opportunities for your school and pupils, or your creative business*
Whether you’re a teacher looking for a creative person to share skills and inspiration with your pupils … or a creative person looking for teachers and pupils who can benefit from your input: make sure to CREATE as well as SEARCH for opportunities on the Opportunities section of the A2:Connect website.
