BFI training for England and Wales Cricket Board teaches filmmaking skills to promote grassroots clubs

After a summer of weekly remote learning sessions, four of our five aspiring filmmakers visited Edgbaston for the opening day of the final round of the LV= Insurance County Championship game between Warwickshire and Somerset, meeting in person for the first time.

The students, Aaishah Amjad, Ashley Scott, Haseeb Bajwa and Holly White, were given behind-the-scenes and pitch-side access to film throughout the day. They also conducted interviews with the head coaches of both sides, Mark Robinson and Jason Kerr, Warwickshire CCC Director of Cricket Paul Farbrace and Warwickshire and England legend Ian Bell.

The opportunity to film at a live cricket match was a fantastic experience for the group, who showcased the skills they had developed throughout the course by creating a personal edit of their day. Their course tutor, Sa-Ra Zwarteveen, created a short film documenting the day using footage captured by the group.

Sa-Ra said: “I am so pleased that the students have enjoyed the day and also the course as a whole. More importantly they have all achieved their aim of learning filmmaking skills which they can put to good use encouraging others to enjoy cricket.”

Jess, who was unable to attend the day due to her job as a Club Development officer for Worcestershire Cricket Board, instead created an engaging piece about her life in and around cricket. She is looking forward to developing impactful social media campaigns to help her work.

ECB said: “We are delighted that the inaugural course has been delivered in such a positive way for all five students. The opportunity to film at a live cricket match was a fantastic experience for the group, variously describing it as “amazing”, “unforgettable” and a “fantastic way to round off the course together”.

All the students on this project have a passionate connection to cricket with clear goals in mind. Holly is a university student in Exeter who wants to promote her local club by creating engaging content to attract new players. Haseeb is a cricket coach from Middlesex who hopes to inspire passion for the game through his YouTube videos. Aaishah wants to attract more women and girls into her club in Liverpool, and Ashley aspires to promote his home club in Northampton where he is a junior coach.

Simone Pyne, BFI said: “First Run was conceived as part of the ECB and LV=’s impressive #Funds4Runs community fund. At a grassroots level, it’s been a powerful vehicle that has taught participants to communicate and tell powerful stories with the moving image. These are highly transferable skills which they can apply and benefit from across other areas of their lives and careers.”

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