A key objective of the dMEC is to encourage teachers and pupils to use digital technology creatively. A particular focus for this strand of our work has been the formation of Devon Youth Film (DYF) to complement the county’s other youth companies for Drama, Dance and Music. We aim to encourage and give practical support to film making on a wide front. We also use our close partnership with the Exeter Picture House to ensure that any films made are shown to a real cinema audience. Thus DYF productions are given week-long screenings in the trailer and advertisement slot before major films as a natural part of the cinema programme.

Since its formation in 1998 DYF has produced over 40 films made by groups of pupils from both primary and secondary schools across the county. These have ranged from documentary films about their locality through to ambitious poem-films to animated shorts using our professional grade animation system. We have recently developed a link with the University of Exeter Screenwriting course to further our creative work. If you are interested in making films with your pupils we would like to help.

We run Media and ICT summer schools for Devon pupils which focus on the creative use of digital media with children. The finished articles included images, video and audio material and have been published on the BBC website.