Sheffcol Creates Festival

A large-scale collaborative project brought together students from Performing Arts, Fashion and Photography for a folk-inspired photoshoot in Hillsborough Park, developed in partnership with Vic Jay Art. The project encouraged students to explore Sheffield’s local landscape as a source of creative inspiration while working across disciplines in a professional collaborative environment.

The Sheffield College hosted the latest Connecting Creatives networking event in partnership with Create Sheffield, bringing together artists, freelancers, educators, cultural organisations and creative businesses from across the city.

The event focused on supporting young people into creative careers and strengthening connections between education and Sheffield’s creative industries. Graphic Design student Alfie Bradley attended alongside staff, gaining direct access to professional networks and conversations about careers and opportunities within the sector.

BBC professional Simon Thake joined SheffColCreates as a mentor, providing one-to-one support for a Journalism student at The Sheffield College.

Simon shared insight into his career journey, industry experience and professional practice, helping the student build confidence, develop their skills and gain a clearer understanding of progression routes within journalism and broadcasting.

Debbie Howard from Screen Yorkshire delivered an engaging industry session for students studying TV & Film, Journalism and Art at The Sheffield College.

Drawing on her experiences producing the award-winning short film Safe, Debbie shared insight into career pathways within the screen industries, while also discussing her role supporting young people through Screen Yorkshire’s Campus Connect programme and the Employer Skills Academy partnership.

Carolina Rodrigues, Volunteer Coordinator at Sheffield DocFest, visited The Sheffield College to speak with students from TV & Film, Journalism and courses across the wider college about volunteering opportunities connected to the festival.

Students learned about the professional, creative and wellbeing benefits of volunteering, including opportunities to build confidence, gain industry experience and develop valuable networks within the cultural sector. The visit generated strong interest from students, with several signing up to take part and two students securing volunteering opportunities with the festival.

Graphic designer Nicola Alexander-Lovell visited The Sheffield College to mentor a Graphic Design student as part of the SheffColCreates mentoring programme.

Nicola shared examples of professional packaging design projects and spoke in depth about the creative process, offering valuable insight into working within the design industry. The session gave students the opportunity to discuss portfolio development, networking and progression into creative careers.

Freelance illustrator Adam Thornton delivered a cross-disciplinary workshop for students studying Games Design, Art and Graphic Design at The Sheffield College.

The workshop explored ideation, creative thinking and professional illustration practice, encouraging students from different disciplines to approach problem-solving and visual development in new ways. Adam worked closely with staff to shape the session around student needs, creating an inclusive and engaging learning experience for a diverse group of learners.

Former student and industry professional Rebecca Mark-Lawson returned to The Sheffield College to deliver a workshop for students across multiple TV & Film courses and levels.

Rebecca delivered an industry talk that was live screened by students before leading smaller mentoring sessions focused on student ideas, creative development and constructive feedback. Students benefited from honest insight into industry practice while gaining confidence in presenting and discussing their own work.

Students from a wide range of Art courses took part in a specialist tattoo industry workshop designed to provide insight into creative self-employment and professional artistic practice.

The workshop explored career journeys, industry expectations and the realities of working as a freelance tattoo artist. Students also participated in one-to-one portfolio discussions, receiving tailored feedback and guidance on developing their creative practice and preparing for progression into industry.

Performing Arts students took part in a “Facilitation in Action” masterclass led by David Cartwright from DC Theatre.

The workshop explored facilitation as a career pathway within theatre, education and community arts, with students participating in practical activities designed to develop communication, leadership and creative facilitation skills. David also introduced students to inclusive and trauma-informed approaches to creative practice.

Students from TV & Film and Journalism courses attended the Hallé Orchestra’s Schools Concert at Sheffield City Hall in partnership with Sheffield Music Hub.

The visit provided meaningful work experience opportunities across multiple disciplines. Journalism students interviewed professionals from Sheffield’s cultural sector while exploring one of the city’s major arts venues, and TV & Film students live recorded the concert for the venue’s large screens.