Education, British Film Institute
Fun fact:
Mark taught Media, English and Film in the UK and now gets to work with people all over the world, including teachers in Greece.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do at the BFI?
I’ve worked at the BFI for a very long time… I started well before YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I used to be a teacher, of Media, Film and English, but I still find the most important things from those subjects 25 years ago are still true: find a way of saying something distinctive using the tools that are available to you – strong images, clear sound, good structure, and be as short as you can – you can always lose seconds of a shot, and a film will be better for it.
My job currently is looking after a big schools programme, but I also work with children and families outside school, and digital courses and resources. We have a small, expert and dedicated team of 7. What I love most is the range of people I work with – teachers in Greece, cinema programmers in Spain, primary schools in Aylesbury, young people on work experience. Peer to peer learning is successful because children seem to love learning from each other – the responsibility, the respect, the fun.