A free creative project for 15-18 year olds across Bristol this summer that's a genuinely unique opportunity.
A chance to learn from and work with passionate creatives, create something truly original from scratch, then have your work showcased at one of Bristol's biggest public events.
THRESHOLDS is for everyone,
especially if you wouldn't normally consider
something like this.
Any questions or suggestions? Contact elliot@boomsatsuma.com
What is Thresholds?
A golden opportunity to get creative over the holidays:
1. Choose one of four creative disciplines.
2. Work with people who do this professionally.
3. Make something original.
4. Show it publicly at one of Bristol's biggest events of the summer.
It runs in July and August: an evening session near where you live to find your idea,
then two sessions at Boomsatsuma to develop it,
then three days of open studio access to make it real.
Completely free. No experience needed.
The Disciplines
Photography
If you already shoot - on your phone, a disposable, borrowed kit, anything - or if you've always wanted to. A series of images that doesn't show what this moment looks like, but how it feels. We bring the equipment. You bring the eye.
Film
For people who watch films and can't stop thinking about how they're made. Storytellers, editors, people who already shoot on their phone. A short piece - 90 seconds, two minutes - that makes a stranger feel something they recognise. Not a story. A feeling, captured.
Visual Art and Design
Illustrators, designers, people who fill sketchbooks, work in Procreate, or have never been sure which category they fall into. Posters, prints, zines, typography, hand-drawn or digital - or somewhere in between. Turn what you already do to a finished and meaningful idea.
Game Design and Digital Art
Concept artists, world-builders, 3D modellers, people who design characters or environments just because. A world, a character, a place that holds a feeling. You don't have to build a playable game - but if you want to we'll show you where to start. How far you take your idea is up to you.
The Brief
Most creative work about being 15, 16, 17, 18 gets made by people who aren't any more - looking back on it from somewhere further along. We want you to show us what this age group are capable of.
There's no right answer and no style we're looking for. The only thing we're after is something honest - made by someone who actually means it and wants to create something.
How it Works
1. Session One - an evening near you
An early evening on Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd or Thursday 23rd July - attend whichever date works for you. Venue details will be confirmed directly once you've signed up.
This is where you find your idea: a small group, a facilitator, and no cameras or software yet - just the thinking. You'll leave with something to develop before Session Two.
2. Session Two - get into it!
Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th July, at Boomsatsuma.
3. Open Studio - make it!
Wednesday 29th, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st July, at Boomsatsuma.
The studios are open across these three days. Come for an hour or stay all day - there's no register, no required attendance. Space, kit, software and support are there whenever you need them. This is the time to make the work.
4. Submit
You'll work to a 1st August submission deadline through the sessions and open studio days, to have your work proudly exhibited at one of Bristol's largest Summer events
5. Final Showcase
Everything made across all four disciplines comes together as a single public exhibition at one of Bristol's biggest events of the summer. Thousands of people - most of them there for a completely different reason - stopping at your work. Not polite applause. Actual recognition.
Kit, software and support are all provided. No portfolio needed, no prior experience - the first session is designed to find your idea before you pick anything up.
Places are Limited
Curious? That's enough. Sign up.
Places are limited, and they'll go to the people who put themselves forward. If something here has caught your eye, that's the signal.
We're actively looking for people from different parts of the city, different backgrounds - including people trying a discipline they've never touched before. Groups are small so everyone gets proper time and support. You won't be left to figure it out alone.
Founded in 2008, Boomsatsuma is an independent creative education provider based in Bristol, offering college diplomas and degrees in filmmaking, photography, game design, art and design and media.
Rooted in the belief that everyone deserves opportunity, and agency over their own future, Boomsatsuma began in community reengagement and has grown from a handful of students into one of the West of England's largest specialist creative education providers. Through an inclusive, industry-engaged and practice-based approach in hubs across our region, students leave equipped and ready to thrive.
Find out more at www.boomsatsuma.com.
Enquiries: elliot@boomsatsuma.com