A weekend spent in Bristol usually suggests that your going to have a fairly good time, soaking up all the sights and culture that the city encompasses. Such a weekend can turn out to be even more interesting and worthwhile when spent with a group of young and aspiring producers at the Watershed.

Bristol has always been a bit of a mystery to me, having never really spent a huge amount of time there. Living in Devon, its an hour away from me up the motorway- Close enough to be accessible, but not a quick walk to the shops either, I’ve only ever taken the time to explore small parts of it when theres been a real reason for me to do so. I’ve always known it to be a hub of artistic and cultural energy in the south west, but a few brief glimpses of the harbour-side and Watershed was the limit of my experiences. I had the chance to change this however while taking part in the intensive opening weekend of Future Producers.

Over the space of two days, I found myself getting to know a varied and interesting group of strangers, working together to complete tasks and begin to discover our own unique strengths, interests and personalities while slowly but surely forming into a more cohesive group. By day we spent our time watching a series of short films, creating a programme to be screened, and developing our presentation skills through interesting and rewarding and insightful workshops and discussions. By night I had the chance to explore, delving a little more into the character of the city, seeing a few of the sights and experiencing the atmosphere (even a little involuntarily while trying to find my way to the M5).

By the time I got home on Sunday night I was thoroughly exhausted, but none the less enthused by the prospects that where laid out in front of me for the coming weeks. The opportunity to devise workshops and talks to support the film programme at Encounters is of particular interest to me, as is the chance to curate and develop the programme for Electric December.

I love film, and really enjoy being immersed in a more arts based atmosphere, having conversations and debates about anything from the pro’s and cons of London, to whether a visceral filmic experience based around eating disorders should be included in a programme for teens and young adults.

This weekend has left me enthused, and excited about the next few tuesdays that will be spent with this group, working further towards our goals. Even if my car might not be enjoying all the exercise.