The Young BAFTA Roadshow visits Pear Tree Community Junior School

On Friday 17th May, children and staff at Pear Tree Community Junior School in Derby rolled out the ‘red-carpet’ treatment for the Young BAFTA Roadshow team. The children eagerly welcomed stars from the worlds of broadcasting and gaming, including popular BBC Newsround and BBC Radio 1 presenter Shanequa Paris, TV presenter and YouTuber Joe Tasker, and acclaimed game developer Brendan Cheung. This highly anticipated event was made possible through the collaboration between the school, children’s mental health charity Place2Be and BAFTA.

BAFTA explains the idea: “Each roadshow includes a 'behind-the-scenes' assembly featuring positive role models from the TV, film and gaming industries. The children are encouraged to use creativity to explore and express their feelings and aspirations. The presence of famous faces in the school halls ensures that each roadshow is a memorable and enjoyable experience for pupils and teachers alike.” The BAFTA roadshow team included Ellie Rudge, Children and Young People Coordinator, and Lisa Prime, the Head of Children and Young People's Programme at BAFTA, who guided the children through the day's activities.

Shanequa Paris shared her insights from the world of broadcasting, Joe Tasker talked about his experiences in presenting and content creation, and Brendan Cheung showcased the fast-moving world of game development. The trio were highly relatable, causing much excitement among the audience, who listened intently to the various roles and work opportunities that exist within their industries, bringing potential future careers to life.

Hanif (Year 5) expressed his excitement about the guests. "Having Shanequa visit my school means a lot. I love Newsround. I watch it every day. Shanequa is the one person I have always wanted to meet. It makes me feel really special, and it's been an amazing experience."

The day was filled with engaging activities to inspire and educate the children. These included competitions, roundtable discussions where the children could share their interests and ideas, and classroom ‘meet and greets’ with the guest speakers. To encourage the children to think about their communication skills, Shanequa Paris and Joe Tasker led a presenting masterclass.

The inspired game design workshop hosted by Brendan Cheung and Ellie Rudge fostered creative and critical thinking. Aspirational Brendan Cheung was just 15 when he was a finalist - top 3 from 5000+ entries - in the 2015 BAFTA Young Game Designer Awards. He came up with an idea for a game and developed it from scratch. This formed the basis of his workshop with Pear Tree’s children – showing them how to think creatively and demonstrating how their ideas can develop.

Communication played a big part in the day’s theme, which was particularly relevant for Pear Tree School as, for many of their multicultural children, English is their second language. The school is proud of its rich diversity which includes children from an extremely wide variety of cultures.

BAFTA’s Lisa Prime described their involvement. "We love to shout about all the roles and opportunities that exist within the creative industries. Creativity is great for children; it's crucial for their emotional well-being and self-expression. By developing these transferable skills, we are helping to equip the children for brighter futures.

“I have to say that today has been one of our best roadshows, and I've been doing it since 2016. We have been so warmly welcomed by all the staff and children, who have been engaged with everything we've done. The roundtable session is always one of my favourites as it allows the children to really explore their interests, like art or acting. This time, we were joined by the Year 3, 4 and 5 children who serve as mental health ambassadors and school council members. They couldn't wait to show us their ‘Pear Tree Podcast’ where they talked about their hobbies and interests. The children obviously picked up on the enthusiasm from the teachers, and it was great to feel their energy during the day."

Hannah Donnan, Pear Tree’s Project Manager and Place2Be representative, reflected: “It was special for me and the staff to see our children’s faces light up when the hosts took to the stage. The roadshow allowed our children to open their minds to what possibilities could await them in their futures. It was incredibly moving. It’s amazing to see the positive impact of this experience, hopefully leaving many inspiring memories for the children.”

Arvinder Badwal, the acting Head of School, commented: "We are fortunate to have such opportunities for our children thanks to our Place2Be partnership. Place2Be has been involved with BAFTA for eight years, and the partnership they have is incredibly beneficial to schools all over the UK. Our school is part of Transform Trust and, as a group, we prioritise these experiences. Such events benefit our children in so many ways - instilling a sense of purpose and broadening their horizons. They also link with our school's personal development themes of aiming high, reflection and enquiry. The children and staff all had a fantastic, memorable day."