Courses

The development of easy to use blogging software such as Wordpress and Tumblr, and the popular appeal of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace mean that many young people will already some experience of creating their own basic web sites and promoting themselves online. On this course they will learn how to plan and develop their site, including learning elements of graphic design and planning content. As well as being a stand alone course, web design makes a great extension to other courses, allowing students to learn how to promote their skills online.

Encourages:

* Teamwork
* Planning & design
* Literacy and written communication skills

RollingSound pioneered the development of computer game design courses for young people, and are still leaders in this field, having created bespoke games for clients including Channel 4.

The UK video game design industry is a rapidly growing sector, outstripping the film industry and has great appeal for young people. The industry employs a large array of talents, from game designers to 2D and 3D artists and coders and the RollingSound video game design course allows young people to explore some of these key roles. Depending on the length of the course they can try their hand at story development, character and concept art, level creation and basic coding, all the way through to creating a soundtrack and the game cover, to help them understand the breadth of roles in the industry.

The course develops skills in:

* Teamwork
* Planning
* Numeracy
* Presentation skills
* Careers research

Digital photography is one of our most popular courses. Many young people are already actively engaged in taking and sharing photographs through camera phones and social media and will already have an interest in the subject. Our skilled tutors will teach the basics of composition, lighting and camera operation, as well as photo editing using industry standard Adobe Photoshop CS4.

Photography encourages:

* Teamwork
* Personal reflection
* Awareness of local environment

Numeracy & Literacy are a major problem for many young people and can be a barrier to accessing higher level education. RollingSound can provide numeracy and literacy tutors to work alongside our subject tutors. Young people will study the subject in a fun environment but with extra emphasis on activities that require maths or English. For example, a music production course might include exercises such as:

* Confidence
* Budgeting a gig or recording costs for an album
* Writing a press release about an artist or event
* Lyric writing workshops, exploring why words rhyme and building vocabulary
* Exploring the maths inherent in music and rhythm, through beats, bars, phrases and tempo

RollingSound DJing projects provide young people with the opportunity to learn and engage all aspects of DJing, from the essentials of setting up the equipment and beat matching to the advanced techniques of scratching, beat juggling, recording and editing.

Our DJing courses use the latest in DJing technology; Serato, an MP3 based technology which allows a DJ to manipulate CDs and MP3s from a remote laptop using the decks with two specially crafted vinyl discs, as well as traditional vinyl techniques.

RollingSound Tutors are all practicing DJs, many with residencies at major London clubs and radio stations, this gives young people an invaluable insight into the industry.

DJing helps promote:

* Confidence
* Communication Skills
* Planning

On this course, young people will learn how to use industry standard Adobe Creative Suite 4 to create their own eye-catching designs and typography. Whether they want to create CD covers, posters, flyers, this course will give them useful skills on a popular software platform, as well as helping them engage and understand the world of design that is all around them. Graphic design works well as both a stand alone course and as an extension to our other courses, allowing young people to create packaging for their music tracks, video games, films and other creative work.

Graphic design helps promote:

* Confidence
* Literacy and communication skills
* Design and planning skills

RollingSound film courses allow young people practical, hands on access to the world of film making, be it drama or documentary. Ideal for group work, film projects allow young people to try out different roles of director, camera operator, sound recordist and editor, as well as acting, interviewing. Film projects are particularly good for promoting teamwork, planning skills and other collaborative group skills can be tailored to fit any theme or interests the young people may have. Past RollingSound projects have produced everything from documentaries about serious issues such as self harm and drugs, to comedy dramas and even a promotional video for the David Beckham Academy.

Film production promotes:

* Teamwork
* Scheduling and timekeeping
* Project planning and budgeting
* Communication skills
* Presentation skills

RollingSound was initially created to run mobile music production courses and these remain one of our most popular offers. Working on portable workstations, young people will explore the world of music production, including the use of sequencers, sampling, audio recording and VSTs. Young people will be able to record their own lyrics and learn the basics of mixing and mastering to produce their own finished tracks. Many of our tutors have a strong background in UK grime, Hip Hop and Urban music, but we can accommodate all styles and genres, including specialised songwriting, MCing and vocal performance workshops. On longer courses, young people can create CD covers for their tracks and explore the use of online promotion.

Music Production courses can:

* Promote reflection on personal situation and lives of others through lyric writing
* Build self-confidence through performing to peers (not compulsory!)
* Help groups consider topical issues, such as gang culture and develop positive messages through songwriting

We believe that helping build basic personal skills is key to young people taking control of their own learning, development and ultimately future. RollingSound courses, with their focus on creating personal career/College based portfolios, are designed to build & help evidence skills in:

* Written and oral communication
* Presentation skills & confidence
* Self-assessment
* Goal setting and review
* Careers research skills
* Teamwork

Animation is a very popular subject with young people. As well as the more traditional applications, such as computer games and film, animation is now a core part of the online experience, with most website using Flash and having animated content, so there is a real demand for skilled animators now. On this course, young people will explore the principles of animation using Flash, and create their own projects. The animation course helps promote skills in:

* Planning
* Design
* Communication

Social media sites are increasingly an important way for people to showcase and promote their creative work, be it music, film, photography or other artform. This course, developed in conjunction with professionals from MySpace, helps young people explore how to get the best out of these forms of sites and how to market and promote their work online. This course can be taught both stand alone or incorporated into other subjects.