COLLEGES WEEK: Media students make a positive difference in global Creative Conscience Awards

Colleges Week is a celebration of students, staff and skills from 17-21 October #LoveOurColleges

Short films by media students from Westminster Kingsway College have been named among the best animations in this year’s international Creative Conscience Awards.

Ben Dullea and Raiam Koroma were both recognised in the competition, which encourages students to use their creative talents to make a positive difference in the world.

The competition was open to individual students or teams of up to five enrolled on further and higher education courses in the UK and abroad.

Entrants were asked to come up with a project to tackle an issue of their own or one under a series of themes set by Creative Conscience – health and wellbeing, social issues, climate crisis, the natural world and education and learning.

They had to choose from 16 creative disciplines including film and photography, animation, graphic design, fashion and textiles, illustration and motion graphics.

Ben, 21, was among the winners in the animation section and was highly commended for his film highlighting the need for better mental health and wellbeing in the hospitality industry.

Raiam, 20, drew on personal experience for her film about sickle cell anaemia, a genetic condition that is particularly common among African and Caribbean people.

Several students from Korea visiting WestKing and other colleges within Capital City College Group also took part in the competition and were named among the winners.

Creative Conscience is an Islington-based not-for-profit organisation focused on using creativity and innovation to make positive change across the world.

It aims to empower, mentor and reward creative communities using their talents by running change-making workshops, training programmes, events and its annual awards.

The shortlisted projects were judged based on the entrant’s creative approach and their potential impact, by a panel of industry experts.

Ben and Raiam entered the competition while studying an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Creative and Digital Media, which they completed in the summer.

Access courses are one-year study programmes for adults who may not have the usual entry requirements to get into university or other higher education course.

Katy Milner, Lecturer in Creative Media and Digital, said: “Big congratulations to our Access Media students Ben Dullea and Raiam Koroma in this year’s Creative conscience awards.

“Ben was a winner in the animation section and was highly commended overall and Raiam also did so well to be shortlisted. Ben’s success is an even more remarkable achievement when you consider all the other winners were second and third-year university students.

“It just shows that Access students can punch well above their weight on an international stage when given the appropriate incentive, support and opportunity.”

Find out more about Access to Higher Education Diplomas and apply here.

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