Film students collaborate with charity partner Local Solutions

LJMU’s partnership with the charity Local Solutions has generated opportunities for Film Studies students to put their skills into practice while raising awareness of the vital services provided by the charity in Liverpool and North Wales

Jenny Snell, Head of Business and Development at Local Solutions worked in partnership with Dr Holger Mohaupt, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at the Liverpool School of Art and Creative Industries, developing a series of client briefs for final-year students on their work-based learning module.

The aim of the practice-based module is to provide students with professional industry skills to direct, film, light, edit and produce short documentaries and creative audio-visual content.  

Students worked on three projects to support the charity’s communications and impact storytelling:

• ‘Behind the scenes at Local Solutions’ – a series of creative documentaries showcasing the people, services, and community impact of the charity
• ‘Boaler Street tour’ – a film documenting the charity’s move into its new Boaler Street headquarters, set to open in Spring 2026, capturing the transition and excitement of bringing several teams together under one roof
• ‘Supported Lodgings Summit 2025’ – a highlight film capturing the energy and impact of a national event led by the charity during National Supported Lodgings Week

The students have been supported through weekly lectures, tutorials and workshops where they were provided with feedback as their work progressed. They are now tasked with writing a reflective review of their experiences working on the briefs, ensuring that they continue to develop their critical thinking skills.  

Local Solutions hopes to utilise the students’ final work on its own digital channels and within its internal staff communications.

This partnership reflects Local Solutions’ commitment to supporting local talent and creative education through practical experience, and it really does help us to build sustainable links with both the higher education and creative sectors.

I’m excited to see our services showcased through the student-produced media, shining a spotlight on both what we do for vulnerable people in our communities and the talent we have right here in Liverpool.

Jenny Snell, Local Solutions

This type of work-based teaching and learning, which is embedded across the university’s degree programmes, ensures that LJMU students gain experience of the workplace, while generating a bank of portfolio material, while which can be used to enhance their CVs as they look for graduate roles and plan their careers beyond university.

It was really nice to have a real taste of what life will be like outside of the framework of uni, and to have that kind of freedom but also responsibility that’s true to real-life. As an aspiring freelance filmmaker, it is so useful to understand how the industry works, how we can make money, and how what we make can have an impact for a company or a business as well as just our own creativity.

And for a charity like Local Solutions where their impact is felt across the community, and across the region that I call home as well, it’s really nice to have contributed to their social impact and to be able to spread the word about what they do – it has been a really valuable and enriching experience.

Jonathan Harvey, final-year Film Studies student

LJMU staff are encouraged to email Corporate Communications if they have any ideas for student projects or practice-based learning that could be undertaken in collaboration with our charity partners.