Journalism graduates scoop national award for film about colourful Gloucester street

University of Gloucestershire Journalism graduates have won a national award, including a placement at ITV News, for a television package showcasing one of the most colourful places in the county to live.

Aoife Harkin and Zac Lewis received the Broadcast Journalism Training Council’s (BJTC) Derek Dowsett Award at Sky’s headquarters in London for a news feature about a street in Gloucester that has undergone a facelift to help bring the local community together.

The judging panel said Aoife and Zac’s short film about Hopewell Street (watch below), where terraced houses have been painted in vivid colours by a team of talented artists, was told ‘in a bright and engaging way’ and showed off the characters of the area.

In the news feature, Aoife interviews artists involved in the project and residents whose lives have been enhanced by the way the street has been transformed.

As well as the ITV News placement, the Derek Dowsett Award offers a £1,000 prize in memory of one of the pioneers of British television journalism who edited the national evening news on ITV in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Aoife and Zac’s news feature about Hopewell Street was part of the BA Journalism end-of-course news week show – led by graduate Kaleigh Pritchard as editor – that was runner-up in the best BJTC Awards’ TV News Day category.

Putting learning into practice

Paul Wiltshire, Academic Course Leader for BA Journalism – accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists – in the University’s School of Creative Arts, said: “We’re absolutely delighted about Aoife and Zac’s well-deserved success at the Broadcast Journalism Training Council’s annual awards.

“Their news feature about Hopewell Street is a testament to their hours of preparation and their high production values – it wouldn’t look out of place on a real TV network.

“We’re really proud of everyone involved in the team behind our end-of-course show and it’s fantastic that they were recognised in the TV News Day category.

“Our end-of-course show showcases many key elements of the programme and enables our students to put their learning into practice ahead of exciting and rewarding careers in the industry.”

Main image: left to right, Kaleigh Pritchard, Zac Lewis and Aoife Harkin at the Broadcast Journalism Training Council Awards (credit BJTC)