Education policy

Introduction

BFI Education and Learning exists to reach out to audiences new to specialist, independent, archive and art film and other forms of moving image media throughout the UK.

The Education and Learning team at the BFI aims to:

• Educate audiences about the historical, formal and geographical diversity of the moving image, while developing their critical and creative skills, and, where appropriate, training educators who work with audiences.
• Facilitate engagement with BFI programmes for our audiences - from the core to the marginal - through our cinemas, Mediatheque, Gallery, and online.
• Advocate for the moving image in education, and for education in film, through public debate, lobbying and campaigning, where possible backed by evidence from research which we either conduct, gather, or disseminate.
• Innovate by developing, trialling, and evaluating new ways of engaging audiences in education about film.
• Collaborate where possible with partners locally and nationally, in film, culture and education.

Above all we value experiences with film that are transformative: that is, that change people, ideas, and organisational approaches and practices.

We are a national advocate for film in the education sector and are lead partners in the development of Film: 21st Century Literacy: A Strategy for Film Education Across the UK

Read bfi Education's Policy in full.

Audit of archive film education

This Audit of archive film education forms an important first step in demonstrating the educational value of the UK's screen heritage. It presents a clear picture of what is going on in screen heritage education in England, along with the needs and opportunities for developing education with, and about archive films.

Audit of archive film education (PDF)

What Education does

Activity	Audience	Rationale
Advocacy	Policy-makers at national level	Ensures that the evidence and outcomes of moving image education activity are recognized and incorporated in statutory provision and funding
Resources	Teachers, advisers, trainers and other providers for 3-18s in formal education	Extends access, raises standards, provides exemplars of practice, informs advocacy
Teacher Training	Teachers of 3-18s in formal education.	Raises standards, extends range of content and pedagogy, consolidates impact of resources.
Events	Learners of all ages, in formal and informal sectors, mainly in London and SE	Extends access to BFI Southbank programme; develops audiences; develops new content and pedagogy; showcases events for other venues and tutors.
Research	Policy-makers; national educational agencies; trainers; teachers doing action research.	Provides evidence to support our claims for the value of moving image education; helps to set standards.
Building networks and partnerships	Regional and national Screen Agencies; exhibitors; LEAs; national education agencies	Helping to building UK-wide infrastructure for development and support of moving image media education.