Solent students shine at Camp Bestival

31 July 2024

For over 20 years Solent University has been offering students the work experience of a lifetime – where they have the chance to form part of the media crew at a range of music festivals throughout the summer.

Through Solent Productions, Solent University's in-house production company, students can apply to work at festivals including Glastonbury, Bestival and Boardmasters. Hot on the heels of Camp Bestival 2024, where 27 students had the opportunity to gain experience, we caught up with technical instructors, Ian Williamson and Steve Middleton to find out more about the roles students had – and how Steve even had a guest DJ slot on the infamous Bollywood stage.

Hi both, tell us more about the types of roles students got involved with at Camp

Ian: We’ve been working with Bestival for over 14 years, and took 27 students this year, from courses including TV production, film and tv, film, journalism and photography to name only a few – they took part in roles such as camera operators, tech supervisors, production manager, production co-ordinator, photographer, editor, doco team and vision mixing. We also had four students shadowing the professionals on stage, two working with the sound company and two on lighting.

What was your highlight from this year’s festival?

Steve: Working with the students on a professional level is always a highlight. Teaching them at uni is one thing but seeing them get the experience with such passion and excitement is something else. I think this type of real-world experience gives students such a head start; it doesn't get more 'real world’ than this. After an event like this, students become more like work colleagues.

Ian: The highlight for me is always seeing the students develop, we set up on the Thursday and train the students on all the cameras. Friday, I'm in the van quite a lot working with the students and guiding the camera work, encouraging creativity and shadowing where necessary. Later on Friday and then Saturday and Sunday we start to step back and let the students manage the whole show which is a brilliant experience for them. Sunday evening, as soon as the stage finishes, we then pack down all the Solent kit.

How are opportunities like this preparing students for their future careers?

Ian: This kind of experience is gold dust. The amount of hands-on time with the kit and running an outside broadcast for a festival is amazing - the students have to hone their skills but also work as a team and communicate during the weekend. It's also great for them to create new contacts with the other companies working at the festival, including the screen company, PA company, and crew on the stage. Last year, for example, a couple of students got jobs following their work experience at Glastonbury Festival.

Steve: Giving them this type of work experience speaks volumes - it doesn't only prepare them but gives them a taste of what life could be like if they aim high, work hard and make themselves known.

Steve, how did the opportunity come about for you to play on stage and how was this experience for you?

I got chatting to the Production Manager and it turned out there was an extra DJ slot available on the Bollywood stage. Having been a DJ for over 20 years I jumped at the chance.

Ian and the students were all so supportive; they came over, took photos and videos, and Minami, a BSc (Hons) Live Event Technology student, even ran the lighting while I was performing. A total team effort and again shows how professional and talented our students are. The gig was absolutely brilliant; I had a blast and can't thank Chris, Jemma, Erin, and the Bollywood stage crew enough. What a gig!