United Kingdom: Arts Exploration, Travel and Discovery

This program is provided by

Location

England: Bradford, Liverpool, London

Description

Dubbed Cool Britannia for its flourishing film industry, music, and theater, modern Britain moves to the beat of a vibrant youth culture and arts scene.

Orientation in London and Derby

Using London as your storyboard, prepare for a unique journey across the UK through documentary film. After visiting Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, the Tower of London, and Piccadilly Circus, get ready for a hands-on introduction to filmmaking and multicultural British youth culture. Meet a British filmmaker who joins your group throughout the program. Your orientation concludes with five days of training and preparation at an independent film production studio and school in Derby.

Homestay

Spend a week living with a host family in a community surrounded by the verdant hills and green fields of the English Midlands. Visit the local chip shop, go hill walking, or stroll the cobblestone streets with new friends.

Sample activities:
Participate in a youth radio program; meet with students at a local high school; visit the city of Birmingham; explore Celtic and Roman ruins in Bath.

Sample host communities:
Worcester, Malvern

Filmmaking and Travel

Travel across the Midlands and Northern England, using cities and villages as your sets. Share activities with British youth while creating a documentary film about British culture and life. Voyage to Liverpool and Bradford, home of the National Film Museum and center of British-Asian culture. Explore diverse communities as a guest of local youth centers while working in small teams to produce your film. Return to the film school for three days of editing before unveiling your masterpiece. Complete your remarkable journey with an overnight in London.

Sample activities:
Take the Beatles Magical Mystery tour in Liverpool; spend the day at the Pleasure Beach Amusement Park in Blackpool; visit a mosque, Hindu temple, and Sikh temple with local students in Bradford; work with film editors in Derby.