Co-designing inclusive and accessible distance learning film and media curriculum at Level 1

• Project Team: Kaya Davies-HayonMark Fryers
• Subject Discipline: Arts and Humanities
• Theme: AssessmentEquality, diversity and inclusion
• Project Aim: Improves and enhance the learning experience of studentsPromotes equality diversity and inclusion including reduction of degree awarding gap
• Status: Live
• Date: March 2024

This project originates from the new Department of Film and Media and aims at designing a new Level One curriculum with diversity and inclusivity embedded as its core principles.

Recent research commissioned by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Creative Diversity suggests that arts degrees are amongst the least diverse (in terms of ethnicity and disability) in the UK. As is widely known, inequalities are rife in the creative industries, with recent reports (supported by the BFI and ScreenSkills) highlighting that BAME groups face exclusion from the film industry and that the screen industries remain inaccessible for people with a disability. Only 3.6% of film and media executives are disabled and disability representation behind and in front of the camera is disproportional to the number of people living with disabilities in the UK.

Thus, this project will seek to engage with students from these under-represented backgrounds and, with FASSTEST’s support, include them in designing the Level One curriculum for Film & Media via designated design workshops and focus groups. This will enable us to not only ensure that the first stage of the new Film & Media degree is as widely accessible as possible but will also allow us to embed best practices at Levels Two and Three and to begin to address some of the inequalities in education and industry.

Going forward, it is our aim to disseminate the research as widely as possible, both within the OU and academia but also publicly and especially with industry partners, through talks, presentations articles and other outputs.