School pupil who attended FVC BAFTA event wins presenting competition

School pupil who attended FVC BAFTA event wins presenting competition
Kara Gillespie smiles while seated in a BAFTA theater after winning the 2024 Young Presenters Competition.

A school pupil who found inspiration for a career in TV presenting at a Young BAFTA event hosted in collaboration with Forth Valley College, has won a prestigious BAFTA competition.

Kara Gillespie (18), a former pupil from Dalziel High School in Motherwell, was one of nearly 200 primary and secondary school pupils who attended the BAFTA event in September 2022 at FVC’s Stirling Campus, to find out more about working in the Television, Animation and Games Industries.

It was there she saw the possibilities of a career in television, and this has resulted in her winning the 2024 BAFTA Young Presenters Competition for the 15-18 years category.

She will now, along with Tristan Thompson – the 10-14 years category winner - host BAFTA events and content for children and young people at the London HQ and represent BAFTA at special events around the country.

Colin Gunning, FVC’s Operations Manager in the Department of Creative, Digital and Leisure Industries, said: “Kara was introduced to the Young Presenters competition at the BAFTA event we hosted at the Stirling Campus back in September 2022 and she has now gone on to win it. Although not a former student at Forth Valley College – I think this demonstrates how the College has played a key role in forming introductions and opportunities for young people, who are looking to enter the world of Film and Screen.

“Congratulations to Kara, we are all eager to see how her presenting career progresses in the years to come.”

One of Kara’s first engagements as a BAFTA Young Presenter, will be to join the Young BAFTA team on the Isle of Bute for a Young BAFTA Roadshow stop at Rothesay Academy.

Kara, said: “When I found out I had won the BAFTA Young Presenter competition it felt like a dream come true for me. It is my biggest achievement as I have always

wanted to become a TV presenter. I applied for the competition because I want to inspire young people to believe that they can achieve anything. I am so excited to see where this journey takes me and I am grateful for this amazing opportunity to work with BAFTA.”

At the 2022 event at the Stirling Campus, BBC Newsround veteran reporter Jenny Lawrence and CBBC’s presenter Ben Shires welcomed 100 primary pupils from local schools to the event on the morning of Tuesday 20 September, and the same number of secondary school pupils in the afternoon to the Kildean Suite, for a talk and interactive workshops.

The young people were also treated to an extensive tour of the sound production, photography and media facilities on offer at the Campus with help from FVC lecturers and students.

BAFTA delivered a key skills day with Q&A and activity around the three BAFTA initiatives for children and young people: Young Game Designer, Young Creators, Young Presenter. Pupils heard from representatives from the Film and TV industry including animators, presenters, and games designers. Pupils also engaged in practical activities around animation, presenting and games design as well as having an opportunity to visit the FVC Creative Industries Studios and Workshop facilities.

Pupils heard about the key skills required to be successful in creative roles and how important skills and qualities such as team working, collaboration and communication were at the top of the list.

At the time Colin, who helped to organise the event, said: “It was such a wonderful opportunity for the young people to hear from leading industry experts about the skills required for a successful career in the Creative Industries. To have BAFTA host such a prestigious event at our Stirling Campus is something that we are very grateful for. We hope that those pupils will go back to school with an enthusiasm to follow a creative career pathway in the knowledge that the first steps on that journey can be at Forth Valley College.”

For more information on Film and Media courses at FVC visit https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/film-media