Reflecting on our story as we write the next chapter

This last summer, I’ve been reading a book that was given to me called ‘Do / Story’ by Bobette Buster (yes, that is possibly the best name ever and when I finally get my puppy - that may well be her name). The book was given to me because I’d been thinking about how we make culture that lasts and this book looks at the importance of story for creating shared vision and perspective.

ESA begins it’s 10th year this September. I want to reflect on this great story over this coming year, but more crucially, I want to actively write the plan for the next chapter. One of the things the book talks about is how the best stories have a ‘gleaming detail’; An image that embodies both the emotion and the central idea of the story - a powerful moment of symbolism.

The gleaming detail of ESA is the creative tool. The camera / the brush / the 3D Printer / the nail gun / the light / the microphone / the pen in the hand of a focussed and fully attentive student who is wielding their tool. There is a look - it is the look of empowered making and it is magic. Picture the 14 year old who, together with their family has made a brave move to start a new school. Sometimes they have been switched off by education, sometimes they have even been damaged by it. Sometimes they have been bored or misunderstood, sometimes they have been inspired to find a new environment and a specialist provision but whatever the reason, good or bad or both, they are starting out looking to ‘find their thing’. Picture that young person - all full of hope and wonder and good intention… now fast forward 5 years and see that same youngster with their tool of choice fully present to their creative moment as they shoot their film or build their prop or design their set or write their article or programme their control desk - look at their concentration, their attention to the script, their careful thought and precise execution - look at the tool in their hands - that scale ruler, that metal file, that wide angle lens - that’s the gleaming detail. that’s the moment when they are doing their thing. That. Is. Magic.

They own that moment. They are adding themselves to a task, they are contributing their own unique thumb print. It’s alchemy, it everything right at that moment - it’s the books they read and the research they did, it’s every lesson they attended, it’s the gallery they visited on that year 10 trip, it’s the extra homework, it’s the conversations with friends when they geeked out on that new tech, its those podcasts they listened to, the youtube tutorial they studied - all those moments right now in the way they use that tool. That’s the gleaming detail.

We’re all about that magic moment at ESA and this year we start a new day of further expansion. There is more to follow but ESA is building on our story… now, as we begin our 10th year, we are building on the integrity we have established in cultivating that magic instant when a young person unfurls their creative wings and ‘owns’ their own creative moment. We are launching our new drive on industry training and establishing ESA productions as a credible student run independent media production company. These two development to the ESA brand will ensure that we take a leading position in responding to the skills shortage in the creative sector and provide talent opportunities for our trainees to become the pipeline of future professional creatives to our great culture industry.

Watch this space… we have some grand plans that I’ll tell you about very soon. We have more students and partners than ever before. It’s a brilliant new chapter and the story (already a great journey) is gaining yet more momentum!