Film school comes to Penge as part of Clarion’s 125th anniversary celebrations
Last week saw a filmmaking school come to the Hawthorn Centre in Penge, providing training and career opportunities for local residents.
The course was organised by Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group which owns and manages more than 13,000 homes across Bromley, and forms part of Clarion’s 125th anniversary celebrations.
Clarion’s heritage stretches back to 1900 when entrepreneur William Sutton left his fortune to create some of the first social housing in London. Along with contemporaries such as Joseph Rowntree and George Peabody, Sutton’s original bequest transformed the lives of so many Victorian workers in towns and cities.
125 years later, this course delivered by Iconic Steps, a not-for-profit film production company dedicated to empowering young people with hands-on media industry skills, offered the chance to gain practical filmmaking experience, build confidence, and access mentorship to shape career aspirations.
The course began with workshops on career opportunities and building workplace skills like confidence, resilience, and identifying strengths and weaknesses, as well as CV development. The focus then shifted to filmmaking, exploring documentary types, brainstorming film ideas, and understanding social media strategies for promotion.
Technical training in camera work and sound recording was also included, as well as editing techniques, organising footage, and finalising the documentary for screening. Following on from the course, participants will benefit from 12 months of support from Iconic Steps, as well as employability coaching and guidance from Clarion Futures.
Councillor for Penge and Cator and Leader of Bromley Labour Group, Cllr Simon Jeal, dropped in on the last day of the course to meet with participants and enjoy a screening of the films they produced, as well as finding out more about the jobs and training support on offer through Clarion Futures.
Cllr Jeal said:
“It’s clear how much hard work went into the short films I had the pleasure of watching, both of which told powerful stories relating to the meaning and importance of home and community.
“I hope that this is just the beginning for all those who took part and that they carry on making films together, and pursuing careers in filmmaking or whatever this course has inspired them to do, with the ongoing support of Clarion Futures.”
Victoria Whittle, Head of Jobs and Training at Clarion Futures, said:
“We’re delighted to have teamed up with Iconic Steps to give residents a unique chance to tell their stories and learn new skills as part of our 125th anniversary celebrations.
“For anyone interested in igniting their inner filmmaker, becoming the next big social media influencer or just wanting to understand a bit more about how it all works, this free hands-on course has provided a fantastic opportunity for local people and I’m excited to see what happens next.”
Clarion resident Rebecca said:
“I just graduated from a Digital Marketing Masters, where I learnt the theory behind what makes successful content. I'm quite practical learner, so this course is a chance to get some hands-on experience in making films. My passion is music, I’d like to make content and work in the music industry.”
To find out more about Clarion Housing Group’s history and 125th anniversary, visit clarion125.com.