The filming course strengthens essential life skills such as motivation, persistence teamwork,, public speaking and confidence.
HeyDay was founded in 2013 with the help of Bright Ideas Trust, a charity that works with young people in London who aren't in education, training or employment, or who wish to secure a startup loan, start up their own business and learn essential business skills.

 Jack talks about how HeyDay has helped young people, who have not had the same opportunities as everyone, else learn in a manner which is different from traditional classroom-based lessons.

"A lot has changed in the past year. I previously wrote a blog where I discussed the film courses I had been running for the children's charity Glue. In it, I highlighted the importance of working with students at risk of exclusion from mainstream school through project-based group work, and how we respond to this need by offering a ten week film programme. 'Glue' has morphed into 'Heyday UK' - a company I set up with my friend Sean in April in order to continue the work that Glue had started".

HeyDay UK film courses attend to the needs of students who struggle to participate in class, display inconsistent attention and an inability to plan ahead in order to achieve a stated goal. We have worked with students who are truant (externally and internally), arrive late to school, display destructive behaviour and who are often the subjects of bullying. In partnership with schools, we deliver term-long programmes with young people who are either at risk, or who have been excluded from mainstream school. We have been working very closely with schools in Lambeth, Wandsworth and Croydon to help reduce the number of exclusions, and the feedback we have received from pupils, parents and teachers has been overwhelmingly positive. One school alone has reported a reduction in Free School Meal fixed-term exclusions from 7.76% to 3% on the current school roll. This neatly coincides with our involvement with them.
Additionally, we are also conducting a pilot scheme with a primary school in Battersea to see if focusing on motivation, conscientiousness and persistence with Year 6 students can assist with the transition to secondary school. Film naturally lends itself to the strengthening of these non-cognitive skills, so we will keep you informed as to the success of the pilot. Furthermore, we are working with an SEBD school in Croydon in order to offer an alternative, extra-curricular subject in design and technology, hair and beauty, and boxing.
Since the beginning of this term, Sean and I have worked with 33 students and helped to create 35 short films; from a girl's fear of medical injections, to a story involving a boy who finds himself alone in an empty school. Our students have been working hard to see their visions transformed from the page to the screen and they are well on their way to achieving either a Bronze or Silver Arts Award.

Not content with these accomplishments, the students would now like your feedback. The Day have very kindly offered to help promote these films by featuring one a week on their website. They have all been made by young people between the ages of 10-15, and for many of them this will not only be their first attempt at acting or camera work, but the first opportunity they will have had to share anything they have created with the general public. What I'm trying to say is, go easy on them. As Walt Whitman once said, "to have great poets, there must be great audiences".
Is this still current?

If you'd like to know more about us, or you simply can't wait a week to see the next film, please visit our website at www.heydayuk.com, or email me at jack@heydayuk.com.

About Bright Ideas Trust

Bright Ideas is a charity that helps young people in London who aren't in employment, education or training or who haven't had the same chances as the rest of society to start their own companies and learn business skills that will stay with them for life. It helps by providing funding as well as advice and support from a team of dedicated business mentors and expert advisors. It works with youth organisations throughout London to spread the word about what they do and encourage young people to share their ideas with us.