Sir Phil Redmond CBE shines a spotlight on Creative Industries at Hugh Baird College
Hugh Baird College recently welcomed renowned television producer and screenwriter Sir Phil Redmond CBE when he joined staff and students in a virtual employer-focussed seminar called ‘Spotlight on Employment’.
Sir Phil is a passionate advocate and ambassador for the creative industries and welcomed the opportunity to share his career journey with students as they prepare to forge their own career paths in the sector. His insights included a reflection of his own career which has seen him create ground-breaking drama series such as Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks.
Through his promotion of arts and culture Sir Phil has been a driver for positive change when highlighting creative subjects as viable career options. In 2008 when Liverpool was ‘European Capital of Culture’ he used his high profile to build support for arts and culture, not only within Liverpool, but across the UK and Internationally.
Sir Phil’s seminar attracted students from across the whole college including its 14-16, A-level and University Centre cohorts. The ‘Spotlight on Employment’ series links students with a variety of leading figures from across a range of sectors. Speakers engage with students through sharing anecdotes and advice to get them work-ready by helping them to develop the key attributes and skills that employers look for when recruiting.
Hugh Baird College and University Centre offer an array of creative courses such as Visual Merchandising, Graphic Design and Fashion and Textiles and Sir Phil’s seminar particularly resonated with these students.
Speaking after the ‘Spotlight on Employment’ event, Sir Phil Redmond said:
It was a real pleasure to be part of Hugh Baird’s College ‘Spotlight on Employment' programme, to both spend some time with tomorrow’s talent, and share some of my own industry experiences. College and University is just the beginning of the journey and students should grasp opportunities to engage with creative practitioners whenever they present themselves. I wish them all the luck with their studies and their future careers.
Students at the Hugh Baird University Centre shared their thoughts on Sir Phil Redmond’s talk.
Harry Shane, Foundation Degree in Moving Image and Production student, said:
I thought the talk with Sir Phil Redmond was extremely valuable and knowledgeable especially for myself. I've now learnt things and got the answers to questions I've been longing for. I extremely thank Sir Phil Redmond for the eye-opening talk and hope to work with him in some capacity in the industry.
Claire Eccles, Foundation Degree in Mental Health and Wellbeing student, said:
I really enjoyed the spotlight on employment with Sir Phil Redmond. He is someone I’ve looked up to for many years and watched many of his shows such as Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks. It was interesting to hear how he made it in the industry his past experiences and advice on getting your foot in the door. I am studying Mental Health and although not Film/TV related I found the talk to be motivating and inspiring.
Joyce McKeown, Foundation Degree in Fashion and Textiles student, said:
I feel really honoured to be part of the teams meeting with Sir Phil Redmond. Sir Phil’s talk has proved to me that we are our own barriers and there is nothing stopping us from getting on and getting ahead in our creative pursuits and to be open minded and to see where our own journey takes us. The key is to get out there and try and not to be afraid and I like that Sir Phil drew on inspiration from real things that are happening. We all have a story to tell, it’s how we tell it that will make the difference and set us apart and as creatives, don’t pigeon hole ourselves and be diverse in all our creativity especially with our known strengths. I am specialising in Interior Design, so set designing is an area I didn’t think of until today!
Colette Mawdsley, Dean of Higher Education and Access at the Hugh Baird University Centre, added:
Our ‘Spotlight on Employment’ series enhances our well-established Careers Advice and Guidance service in which we strive to ensure our students leave us ‘career ready’.
It was great for our creative students to hear from such an inspirational figure and someone who is such an opinion leader in the creative industries. This is what the ‘Spotlight on Employment’ programme is essentially about, students hearing first-hand meaningful sector-based advice from major figures working in the Liverpool City Region.
I would like to thank Sir Phil for taking the time to talk to our students today as they prepare to enter into the world of work.
The creative degree courses are all approved by the University of Central Lancashire. For any further information on the degree level courses we offer please visit www.hughbaird.ac.uk/subject-area/creative-industries or call 0151 353 4444 for more information.
