Boomsatsuma reframes Weston-super-Mare with young filmmakers' Director’s Cut exhibition

Young people from three North Somerset secondary schools – Worle Community School, Priory Community School and Broadoak Academy – took centre stage at Boomsatsuma’s Weston-super-Mare campus last week, premiering their own original films.

As part of  as part of Weston-super-Mare: Director’s Cut, students from three schools  explored Weston-super-Mare through cinematic themes: Movement, Fragments and Space, capturing everything from the town’s energy and architecture to the fine textures and details often overlooked.

Using professional equipment provided by Boomsatsuma, students were able to experience hands on filmmaking – creating an honest and heartwarming portrait of their sense of place.

The finished works were brought together as a synchronised installation and premiered at a special Director’s Cut screening at Boomsatsuma’s Weston campus, where students, families, educators and project partners gathered to celebrate the work.

Reflecting on the event, James Wilmot, Head of Careers at Priory Community School, said: “After getting home from the final Director’s Cut screening at Boomsatsuma, we were so pleased to have our students included in the project.” 

“They had an absolute blast taking part in it and it was really quite emotional to see them with their families watching their finished work.”

The project began with creative careers takeover assemblies, introducing students to opportunities in the creative industries and demystifying routes into film, photography and digital media. From there, selected student production crews took part in practical workshops led by Boomsatsuma alongside local filmmaker Will Terran and Boomsatsuma college and degree alumni Dan Tiley. 

For many participants, this was their first experience working on a film project or using professional equipment.

Supported through Culture West funding from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), the project brought together more than 500 young people through assemblies, hands-on workshops and a celebratory public screening, all designed to open up conversations about creative careers while empowering students to tell stories through film.

Jennifer Wakefield-Brosius, a parent of one of the pupils to take part, said: “Watching my teenager step into a world he’s so passionate about – with aspirations of becoming a cinematographer – has been incredible.” 

“It’s a world that was completely unfamiliar to me, which makes opportunities like this feel even more special.” 

“He’s already booked onto an open day at The Bottle Yard Studios. I had no idea where my place in the world was at 15, so seeing young people find that sense of direction so early is really inspiring.” 

The project gave young people the tools, guidance and creative freedom to document their environments using their own initiative.

The project also showcased talent across the wider Boomsatsuma community. Max Webster, one of Boomsatsuma’s supported trainees, edited together the final multi-screen narrative from hours of footage captured by the young people, while Joel, a Year 13 Photography student, documented the celebration at the screening through photography.

It was a project shaped by collaboration at every level — from students and schools to facilitators, alumni and staff — and a powerful example of how creative education can connect young people to both place and possibility.

The Director’s Cut installation will make its final appearance at the upcoming Culture West Summit at Bristol Beacon on 12 May, where audiences will have another chance to experience the work and explore conversations around creativity, culture and opportunity in the region.

Projects like Director’s Cut are all about helping young people see themselves in the creative industries, not as distant possibilities, but as real and accessible futures.

If this has inspired you to explore photography, film or creative production, find out more at one of our upcoming Further Education Open Days and discover where a creative education could take you.

Open days take place 19-21 May 2026. Book your place here.

All photos by Joel Smith – Year 13 Photography Student.