UK Muslim Film’s The Young Imaginators being piloted in Welsh schools

UK Muslim Film (UKMF) have developed The Young Imaginators, a school programme which pairs unconscious bias and stereotyping awareness along with filmmaking workshops for school children. With support from stakeholders and partners including The Welsh Government, Islamic Relief, Watch Africa, Cardiff Council’s Curriculum Team, Into Film and Screen Alliance Wales, a pilot programme commenced with Year 6 students (age 10-11) in schools throughout Cardiff in September and continues until February 2025.

Run by media professionals from the screen industry and funded by charitable organisations, the aim of these Young Imaginators workshops is twofold. First, UKMF wants to raise children’s awareness of the stereotypes and tropes present in TV and film and society at large, helping them understand why these can be harmful to society. Second, UKMF aims to give children hands-on experience with various roles involved in creating a film or TV show. By working in groups, they can explore content creation and potentially spark a lasting interest in the field.

Each workshop beings with activities on stereotypes in the media, followed by a hands-on content-making session. Students will learn to film on iPads and high-tech equipment and gain basic editing skills, working in groups to experience different roles in content creation. The session concludes with the excitement of a film premiere, enabling all participants to immediately see the results of their hard work and creativity.

Participating schools in the Cardiff area include ILM Primary School, Pencaerau Primary, Severn Rd School, Albany School, Kitchener School, Coed Glas Primary, Hamadryad Primary (tbc), Stacey Primary (tbc), St Bernadette’s (tbc).

The aim is to expand this pilot programme to schools across the UK, including more advanced sessions developed especially for secondary school students.

UK Muslim Film (UKMF) is a charity that champions underrepresented talent and voices, both onscreen and behind the camera: challenging misconceptions by ensuring authentic portrayals of Muslims on screen. UKMF is creating a culture where Muslims on screen are recognised, embraced and celebrated by audiences worldwide. UKMF support the next generation of filmmakers to navigate the entertainment industry, believing that film and television have the capacity to transform, revolutionise and broaden minds.

Making sure Muslim stories are portrayed accurately, UKMF have previously worked with C4’s comedy drama Screw, ITV’s Good Karma Hospital, and C4’s Hollyoaks, UKMF also served as on-set consultant for Columbia Pictures’ Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, advising on cultural and faith-based aspects of characters and storyline.

Sajid Varda, Founder and CEO of UK Muslim Film said “As the Founder of UK Muslim Film, I’m thrilled to bring The Young Imaginators program to Wales. It’s incredibly important for young people to understand what true, positive representation looks like, and these workshops are a unique way for children to learn about inclusivity, appreciate diverse backgrounds, and foster mutual respect. We’re also delighted to introduce kids to the world of film and TV through our filmmaking workshops, which have been a huge hit with students. This experience not only builds their confidence but also opens doors to creative possibilities they may not have considered before. A special thanks to our supporters and funders, including the Welsh Government’s Culture Grant Scheme, Cardiff Council’s Curriculum Team, Into Film, and Islamic Relief, whose partnership has made this program possible. We’re excited to expand The Young Imaginators across the UK, offering this inspiring experience to many more schools and communities.”

Yeota Imam-Rashid, The Young Imaginators Project Lead said “The Young Imaginators workshop is a unique and much needed addition to any school environment. With the recent race riots taking place across Britain, it is now more important than ever to get young children aware of stereotypes that exist all around us. By being able to identify stereotypes and knowing how to stand up to them in these challenging situations will empower young minds. The children’s responses in the workshops so far have been incredibly insightful, and we hope the learnings from these sessions will impact them in their day-to-day life. The creation content section of the workshop hopes to give children an insight into the behind-the-scenes of the TV and film world. The ‘wow’ factor kicks in when the children visit the film studios, at a later date, where the magic happens which aims to spark an interest in them, to work in this industry in the future. We ultimately hope this will create the much-needed diversity this sector is battling with. This workshop has been a labour of love and collaboration with important Welsh media and school organisations, Islamic Relief and the Welsh Government where all those involved understand the importance and need for this kind of work.”

Welsh Government’s Minister for Culture and Skills, Jack Sargeant, said: “The Young Imaginators programme provides a fantastic opportunity to educate young people about unconscious bias and stereotyping while equipping them with valuable filmmaking skills. This initiative aligns with our commitment to fostering inclusivity and diversity within our communities and supports our vision of becoming an anti-racist nation.”

Tufail Hussain, Director of Islamic Relief UK said “We are honoured to be supporting The Young Imaginators programme. This is an extremely important school programme to raise children’s awareness of the stereotypes in TV, film and society. It is crucial to understand that these stereotypes can be harmful to society. It is also important that the programme will allow young people to create their own stories creatively through workshops. We welcome this much needed initiative.”

Alan Thomas-Williams, Lead Curriculum Officer for the Expressive Arts Curriculum for Cardiff Council said “As Lead Curriculum Officer for The Curriculum Team in Cardiff, I am proud to support The Young Imaginators workshops delivered by UK Muslim Film, which empowers learners to challenge stereotypes and embrace diversity. By offering positive representations of individuals from the global majority, this initiative helps shape inclusive narratives that resonate with the values of the Curriculum for Wales. It is a vital step in encouraging creativity and fostering a more equitable society for all our learners.”

Non Stevens, Into Film Programme Lead said “Film can very often be the tool that can most effectively connect with young people; enabling them to explore and respond to new stories and perspectives – driving and developing their empathy, understanding and respect of others, in addition to providing them with the platform to share and amplify their own stories and experiences. By working in partnership with UK Muslim Film and Cardiff Council’s Curriculum Team, teachers and pupils from across the city have been able to see the positive impact of film in education.”

Rhys Bebb, Welsh Language Education and Training Manager for Screen Alliance Wales said “It has been excellent to be able to link with The Young Imaginators project. Collaboration has proven to be a vital way to reach out to new and wider audiences, that our team could not be able to do on our own. The project shares similar goals as ourselves in seeking to inspire those who may not have considered a career in the creative industry previously. As a consequence, we were only too happy to facilitate studio tours for schools who have been through the Young Imaginators workshop, to gain first hand experiences of the world of TV and Film.”