Higher education institutions play a critical role in shaping the cultural and social fabric of the United Kingdom. Among these institutions, Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) stands out by demonstrating how specialized creative courses can directly impact local communities. Rather than operating solely as an isolated academic bubble, AUB actively leverages its resources to facilitate meaningful youth engagement across the UK. By utilizing art, design, and media as tools for personal development, the university provides a framework for young people to articulate their identities and envision their futures.
The Impact of the Being a Boy Project on Local Communities
One of the most prominent examples of AUB’s commitment to community integration is the Being a Boy project. Launched in 2022, this initiative targets young men aged 12 to 16 from underrepresented backgrounds, including working-class families, care leavers, young carers, and those living in areas with historically low progression into higher education. The project provides a safe, empowering space for these individuals to explore complex themes such as masculinity, identity, and their lived experiences.
Targeting Underrepresented Demographics
Addressing critical attainment and progression gaps requires targeted intervention. The Being a Boy project specifically focuses on demographics that often face systemic barriers to traditional educational success. By engaging these young men before they reach college age, AUB helps to demystify higher education. The project shifts the narrative from a distant, unattainable goal to a realistic and welcoming environment. Participants interact with current students, faculty, and university facilities, breaking down the cultural and psychological barriers that frequently prevent working-class youth from pursuing higher education.
Creative Courses as a Platform for Dialogue
The core methodology of the Being a Boy project relies on the integration of practical creative courses. Instead of traditional classroom lectures or standard youth work formats, the project utilizes special effects makeup, fashion styling, film production, dance, and creative writing. These disciplines serve as a non-confrontational platform for dialogue. For a teenager struggling to articulate the pressures of modern masculinity, designing a costume or writing a short film script can provide a vital emotional outlet. The creative process naturally encourages reflection and discussion, allowing participants to communicate complex feelings through their artistic output rather than relying solely on verbal expression.
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A Landmark National Survey and Institutional Collaboration
The efficacy and reputation of the Being a Boy project recently culminated in a high-profile visit from Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza. Her office specifically sought out AUB’s participants to capture their unique perspectives for The Big Future Survey. This major national inquiry aims to determine what young people across England want their futures to look like, focusing on issues like local opportunity, social media usage, and mental health.
Integrating Technology: The Innovation Studio Experience
During the visit, participants engaged in an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) workshop at AUB’s state-of-the-art Innovation Studio. This addition highlights how the university blends traditional creative courses with cutting-edge technology. By exposing young participants to VR, AUB not only makes the engagement activities more engaging but also introduces them to emerging industries. It demonstrates to the young men that creative skills are highly applicable to the modern digital economy, broadening their understanding of what a creative career can look like in the contemporary UK.
Recognizing Best Practices in Widening Participation
The success of the Being a Boy project is not merely anecdotal. It has gained national sector recognition as an exemplar of best practice in widening participation. The initiative has secured multiple accolades, including two HELOA Best Practice Awards and a Silver HEIST Award. These awards reflect the project’s rigorous approach to social mobility and its proven ability to reach demographics that many other institutions struggle to engage. Dame Rachel de Souza noted during her visit that childhood is changing rapidly, with mental health referrals increasing and children spending more time online. AUB’s model directly addresses these challenges by providing structured, in-person creative engagement that fosters genuine human connection.
Submit your application today if you are ready to start your own academic journey in the creative arts.
Why Creative Pedagogy Works for Social Mobility
The success of initiatives like the Being a Boy project underscores a broader truth about creative pedagogy: it works exceptionally well for driving social mobility. Traditional academic routes often disadvantage students who do not thrive in exam-heavy environments. Creative courses, by contrast, assess students through portfolios, practical projects, and critiques. This assessment style values diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and original thinking over rote memorization.
For young people from underrepresented backgrounds, this validation of their unique viewpoint is transformative. When a student from a low-progression area sees their personal experiences recognized as a valid and valuable asset in a fashion design or film production critique, it fundamentally alters their relationship with education. They transition from feeling like outsiders to feeling like experts in their own right. This psychological shift is a crucial prerequisite for academic and professional success.
Exploring Academic Pathways at Arts University Bournemouth
For students inspired by the youth engagement efforts of the Being a Boy project, AUB offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate creative courses. The university provides pathways for every interest within the creative industries, ensuring that students can find a program that aligns with their specific career goals.
Film, Media, and Performance
As the home of the Bournemouth Film School, AUB provides highly specialized training for the screen industries. Students can pursue a BA (Hons) in Film Production, Acting, or Creative Writing for Film. These programs combine technical rigor with conceptual thinking, preparing graduates for the realities of working on major film sets or developing independent screenplays. The facilities available to these students mirror professional industry standards, giving them a competitive edge upon graduation.
Fashion, Costume, and Textiles
The fashion and textiles programs at AUB are designed to foster both traditional craftsmanship and avant-garde innovation. Students can enroll in the BA (Hons) Fashion program, which consistently produces graduates who showcase at major events like Graduate Fashion Week. For those interested in the intersection of history and design, the BA (Hons) Costume and MA Historical Costume programs offer specialized training in garment construction for stage and screen. These courses emphasize the narrative power of clothing, a concept directly aligned with the identity exploration seen in the Being a Boy project.
Design, Architecture, and Digital Media
AUB also excels in spatial and digital design. The BA (Hons) Architecture (Part 1 RIBA/ARB) program challenges students to think critically about the built environment. Meanwhile, courses like BA (Hons) Graphic Design, BA (Hons) Games Art and Design, and MA User Experience (UX/UI) prepare students for the rapidly expanding digital economy. These programs teach students how to solve complex visual and structural problems, skills that are highly sought after in the UK’s tech and design sectors.
Explore our related articles for further reading on how design education impacts local communities.
Postgraduate and Research Opportunities
For those looking to deepen their specialization or pivot into the creative sector, AUB offers a robust selection of Master’s degrees. Programs such as the MA Fine Art, MA Photography, and MA Innovation and Creative Entrepreneurship provide advanced theoretical and practical training. Additionally, the university supports PhD/MPhil research degrees, allowing academics and practitioners to contribute original knowledge to the fields of art, design, and media.
Next Steps for Aspiring Creative Students
Choosing a university is a significant decision, particularly for students who may be the first in their family to enter higher education. Arts University Bournemouth demonstrates through its actions—such as the Being a Boy project—that it values prospective students not just as applicants, but as individuals with unique voices and potential. The university’s focus on youth engagement ensures that the creative industries of the future will be shaped by a more diverse and representative group of practitioners.
Whether you are a young person interested in film production, an aspiring designer looking to make an impact, or an educator seeking best practices in widening participation, AUB provides a compelling model of how creative education can drive positive social change in the UK.
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