A series of free workshops run by BBC Blast at West Suffolk College on VQ Day (23 June 2010) gave students a first-hand chance to find out about working in the creative industries.

VQ Day is a national campaign to promote and celebrate vocational courses and students’ achievements.

Blast trucks set up a mobile creative village in the College car park, complete with digital workshop spaces and a separate performance area.

Over a three day period [June 23/24/25], young people met industry professionals, learned new skills, shared ideas and used the latest technology to get creative.

Workshops, which were all fully booked, covered a range of skills from fashion, music and photography to video, animation and digital sound techniques. Anyone who had not booked a workshop could join drop-in sessions at lunchtime.

Synergy students (on a programme which helps young people prepare for the world of work or further training) took part in a Street Sculpture and Graffiti Workshop, creating a three dimensional sculpture of the word ‘blast’.

Participants in a Super Chip Tune Samba Band workshop learned how to make music from sampled sounds on computer. Students gave their imagination free rein in a recycled fashion workshop, where they could make new garments out of old clothes.

BBC Radio Suffolk broadcast live from the site on VQ day, both on their Breakfast show and on the Drive Time afternoon slot.

The Blast Talent Showcase, on the Friday afternoon, presented a selection of films, music, dance and radio pieces created over the three days.

BBC Blast

BBC Blast is the BBC's creative learning initiative for young people interested in a career in film, fashion, music, dance, writing, art or design. It provides access to industry professionals and mentors, both online and in free events and workshops across the UK, and also offers hundreds of media industry work placement opportunities each year. For more information, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/blast

The creative industries are one of the UK’s biggest, earning the country billions of pounds and providing jobs for over two million people in Britain alone, making the arts a very viable career option for today’s teenagers.

The BBC is committed to education and BBC Blast is just one of the many unique and varied offerings from BBC Learning. For more information on all other learning programmes offered for Adults, Teachers, Parents and Students, visit www.bbc.co.uk/learning