Discovery Days

Ideal for Year 12 and 13 media studies students, this interactive Discovery Day will allow your students to experience three different media studies sessions. The sessions will expose students to the wide range of careers and specialisms open to them after college or sixth form, including virtual reality, photography, computer graphics and live broadcasting.

Session choices include:

• Pirate radio challenge
• Sound of story
• Introduction to VR and 360 film-making
• Studio photography
• Broadcasting a live event
• Treasure hunt using CGI and VFX to create pirate treasure
• Careers in CGFX
• Bringing mojo (mobile journalism) to life
• Mini crisis simulation

Please note, there are capacity limits for each session and institutions will be given places on a first-come-first-served basis. Please email Cleome Orrell with any questions at: schools.colleges@solent.ac.uk.

To see what happens at our Discovery Days, check out this short video and story about last year's event.

Book now

This one-day festival brings together artists and techies to explore opportunities and developments in the field of CGI, VFX and computer games.

Your Year 12 and 13 / Level 3 students will be able to:

• get hands-on with Solent's industry-ready courses through practical exercises, and
• hear from guest speakers about their experiences in different industry roles.

A full programme will be published here soon. For more details, please contact Cleome Orrell on schools.colleges@solent.ac.uk

Book now

Royal Caribbean International talk

11 February 2020
11am - 3.30pm

Students studying tourism, events and business will be especially interested in coming to Solent on this day to hear from industry speakers about a career in tourism and learn about our courses. 

The events and leisure industries continue to diversify in a dynamic and fast paced environment, fuelled by the changing demands of society and all of us as consumers. This provides exciting opportunities and a breadth of careers within events, festivals, hospitality, arts and culture as well as extreme and adventurous sports.

To celebrate the continued expansion of these industries, we would like to invite schools and colleges to attend a careers fair and engage in guest talks by experts on the future of the festivals and events industries, and established employers, who will talk about their organisations and the career opportunities available. More guest speakers from the likes of Royal Caribbean International will be announced soon. The careers fair will include opportunities to network with a range of employers from the adventure, events, festivals and travel and tourism industries. Solent staff and students will also be on hand to talk about the undergraduate courses on offer that maximise career potential in these exciting fields.

Event 1

• Exhibition with employers in the travel and tourism industry
• Talk from Royal Caribbean with Leah Finch (Events and Training Manager) 1.30-3.30

Event 2

• Exhibition with employers in the outdoor, events and adventure industry
• Talks from employers in the outdoor adventure field

Bookings

If you would like to bring along a group of students who are in Years 12/13, please email sophia.basi@solent.ac.uk with the following information:

1. Which event/s you are interested in from above (1, 2 or both)
2. How many students you would like to bring
3. How many staff might be attending the event with the students
4. Which course/courses these students are currently studying
5. Which year group these students are in
6. How you might be travelling to Solent

Due to capacity issues, we may limit student numbers on some of the talks to 25 students per session, for example. We will, however, try our very best to accommodate all where possible. This will be communicated to you once we have your expression of interest.

We are pleased to announce the Front 2020 Discovery Day competition - a student-focused make-up, hair and special effects design challenge created to celebrate talent and innovation, and provide aspiring artists with the opportunity to showcase their flair. The competition is open to students from a range of levels and experience, and provides the opportunity to showcase talent and abilities in a live competition format. Contestants will have access to Solent's industry-standard facilities, as well as technical support and mentoring from key members of the Solent make-up, hair and SFX team.

This is for full- or part-time make-up students in FE, art foundation students, and level three diplomas across art and design and make-up and hair design.

We are looking for contestants willing to push the boundaries and challenge the understanding of the body, beauty and hair styling. Before students apply, they are advised to find a partner to work with. Joint applicants can choose to create designs from one of the following four categories:

• Fashion and editorial beauty
• Radical body and special effects
• Structural hair and styling
• Foundation and college

Artists will be marked on their technical skills, professionalism and hygiene. Final looks will then be judged on creativity and technical proficiency. The winning teams will be announced on the day and presented with an exciting range of prizes. The judging process will take place during the live competition, which will be held at Solent University on Friday 21 February 2020. The judging will have three stages:

• Live creation
• Presentation
• Photoshoot

If you would like to participate, email schools.colleges@solent.ac.uk with team members' names and two examples of previous work. You must clearly state which level of experience you are applying for, and which category you have chosen to enter. If you are unsure of the level or category you should apply for, please get in touch.

Deadline to apply is 24 January 2020.

13 March 2020
10am - 3pm

Explore university-level engineering, computing and design technology courses and careers through this hands-on Discovery Day. In addition to computing and engineering sessions, there will be opportunities to discover alternative career paths in media technology and the maritime industry, using STEM skills.

The day will include an opportunity to use Solent’s state-of-the-art facilities, such as our maritime simulation centre and towing tank.

This day is suitable for students currently in year 12 or 13, studying science, design technology, engineering or computing at either BTEC or A-level.  

To book a group on to this Discovery Day, please email John Wilson on schools.colleges@solent.ac.uk. 

March 2020 - date TBC
11am - 4pm (includes a one-hour lunch break)

Solent University's third year television studio production students invite your students to participate in a new quiz show, ‘Top of the Class’. 

In this exciting show we test your students’ school knowledge. Working in teams of five, there will be a series of games for a player to take part in based on their ‘good’ old school days. At the end of each game the losing team will have a member sent to detention. Students should grab those school books and brush up on their knowledge to give their team the upper hand in the final game, ‘The Exam’ where a prize awaits. During the day those who are not playing become the audience to support their team and give them a boost.

Your students will work with current Solent ones, shadowing a crew member to learn how to put a show together and be part of a crew, recording in a state-of-the-art TV studio. Those who are not competing on the show will get a real taste of some of the amazing facilities and opportunities students can grasp at Solent.

While this day is likely to be of real interest to media, film and drama students, any student is welcome.

Please email schools.colleges@solent.ac.uk to find out more.

Solent Sound

Build your students’ skills in creative industry subjects such as music, media, and writing, with expert support from our lecturers and students, and hands-on experience with the University’s state-of-the-art professional production equipment.

Students attend an intro day, then develop their music performance, technology, promotion and journalism skills between over a period of time, before taking part in our Solent Sound live event – either performing, promoting and/or producing music with a live audience and a panel of industry professionals.

Previous prizes have included:

• A support slot for a respected act at the Ageas Bowl , following a NatWest Blast T20 cricket match.
• A professional studio or location photoshoot and wall vinyl for the college.
• Two support slots at legendary local venue The Joiners.
• A full recording day at the University.

Our staff and students will work with your learners throughout the programme, monitoring their efforts, contribution and development – all of which impacts on the judges’ final decision! 

The programme offers a range of activities related to creative performance:

• Music performance
• Production
• Live sound
• Promotion and journalism

Dates for 2020 will be announced soon - please check back for more information.

Your students will gain a fascinating insight into studying psychology, sociology and social work at university by experiencing each of these subjects on the day as shown below.

Example programme

Bookings

If you would like to bring along a group of students, please advise angie.randall@solent.ac.uk and sam.daughtrey@solent.ac.uk of:

1. How many students you would like to bring to this event
2. How many staff might attend
3. Which course/courses these students are currently studying
4. Which year group these students are in
5. How you might be travelling to Solent
6. If any of your students have any dietary requirements

We can accommodate a maximum of 60 students in total for each of these events and are looking for colleges to bring a maximum of 20 students each (places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis).

Once we have the information requested, we can look to confirm your places and provide all the further details with you.

Further information on our health, psychology and sociology courses

We are inviting colleges to bring students to an engaging and informative health Discovery Day.

This event allows students to gain a fascinating insight into studying health related subjects at university. Each student will have the chance to experience taster sessions in nutrition, nursing and biomedical science.

Example programme

Bookings

If you would like to bring a group of students, please advise angie.randall@solent.ac.uk and sam.daughtrey@solent.ac.uk of:

• How many students you would like to bring
• How many staff might attend
• Which course/courses these students are currently studying
• Which year group these students are in
• How you might be travelling to Solent
• Any dietary requirements

We can accommodate a maximum of 60 students in total for this event and are looking for colleges to bring a maximum of 20 students each (places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis).

Once we have the information requested above, we can look to confirm your places and provide further details.

Find out more about our health, psychology and social sciences courses

Our media technology Discovery Day will give your year 12 and 13 students the opportunity to learn more about progression routes at university in the subject areas of media technology and broadcasting. 

This event is ideally suited to students undertaking STEM subjects, or with a strong interest in the technical side of media, including media and TV production.

Subject sessions

During the day, students will be able to engage in three short media sessions using our industry standard equipment and facilities. These sessions will be confirmed as soon as possible, but are likely to include experiences in our TV studios, sound production for live events and audio engineering.

Programme

1pm - Arrival and registration
1.30pm - Panel discussion: What is media technology and what is its future?
3pm - Subject sessions for student (3 x 30mins in carousel)
4.30pm - End

Please note, this programme, including the exact content of subject sessions, is subject to change. A final version will be emailed to booked attendees prior to the event.