Students from the Great Yarmouth area are being given an opportunity to work alongside a former BBC presenter to produce films centred on the Broads. Fifteen young people aged between 15 and 20 will produce five documentary programmes which will be screened at a mini film festival during 2012.The concept, which has attracted joint funding from the Broads Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund and the Broads Society, was devised by a Norfolk school’s media department head and former BBC broadcaster Ian Masters. Ashir Abbas of Lynn Grove High school, Gorleston, had been working with Ian Masters on a schools video diploma project when they came up with the idea of teaching a group of students documentary filming making skills to produce a series of picturesque features about the Broads. Ian, who used to present BBC Look East, said “This will be a wonderful opportunity for these young people to become involved with both the skills of film making and the beauty of our treasured wetlands that we call the Broads. Young people are a delight to work with – their ideas are often innovative and unique. The programmes will come from their ideas, their research and their hands-on production skills”. The Broad’s Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund has given a grant of £7,400 while the Broads Society will donate £4,800 to get the £12,200 project under way. The students will be chosen during the summer and training will start at Lynn Grove High School in September. Ashir Abbas will lead the selection process for suitable candidates. Ashir Abbas said: ”The work will be hard, demanding and will be done out of school hours. But the experience will be something the young producers will remember for the rest of their lives. And, who knows, it might even provide a gateway into the professional world of film making.” Former BBC East journalist Mark Wells will join Ian Masters and Ashir Abbas to train the students. Both Ian and Mark are trustees of the Broads Society.
