Coventry learners express what Britishness means to them, as part of collaboration project
July 26, 2022

Coventry learners express what Britishness means to them, as part of collaboration project

Please note: This article was published on July 26, 2022 and may contain information that is no longer current or up to date.
Student holding piece of paper with the word future written on it

A short film created by students in Coventry has revealed the role that being British plays in the lives of young people studying in the city

A group of 50 students at Coventry College have expressed what Britishness means to them as part of a short film created in collaboration with The University of Warwick, The Lord Mayor’s Peace Committee and Coventry Prevent.

The ‘What does it mean to be British?’ exhibition, which features the film, materials, and photography produced as part of the project, was featured at FarGo Village’s Market Hall as part of a summer arts festival developed by the College’s Creative Arts learners.

The project asked students across the College to give their thoughts in response to the question ‘What does it mean to be British?’ after participating in two 30-minute tutorials created by Curriculum Managers and Leaders before being rolled out to all curriculum areas.

Around 50 students with thought-provoking responses and passionate viewpoints were then invited to feature in a film which documented the findings of the project, with a group of seven learners helping to produce the film.

Learners where English is their second language compared their countries of origin with Great Britain when considering what being British meant to them.  Elsewhere, learners in Health and Social Care and Childcare explored the subject within the context of their industries, looking at equality for adult patients and how children pick up British values.

Photography students also visited classrooms to document learners actively exploring the material and generating their answers.

Laura Johnson, Director of Service and Creative Industries, said: “Learners from all departments took part in tutorial sessions and gave their thoughts on the notion of Britishness, which often expanded into discussions of equality and diversity and revisiting fundamental British values for the creation of this film.

“I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in creating some insightful, thoughtful, and timely work that we want to share with as many people as possible.

“We are looking into other possibilities for sharing this work, including touring the exhibition at a second location before it takes up a residency at the College for the Academic year. We are also exploring the idea of a virtual exhibition to be set up online to ensure even more people can access this and interact with the project.”

The short film, funded and produced in collaboration with The University of Warwick, The Lord Mayor’s Peace Committee and Coventry Prevent, is available to watch on YouTube.