Teaching Experimental Film in an Industry Focused Course: Opportunities and Strategies for Inclusive Pedagogies

In this paper the authors bring together two ongoing enquiries that are connected in a case study: firstly, how to teach experimental film practice and theory to students unfamiliar with this area, and secondly how might the teaching of a seemingly esoteric subject lend itself to inclusivity? They argue here that experimental film can be taught with inclusive practice as a primary goal. Their case study documents a range of approaches taken and tactics used during the design and delivery of an optional module for second year BA students on Digital Film Production at Ravensbourne University London. In this teaching structured play and careful framing of the idea of ‘experimentation’ was crucial, as well as positioning the module within the specifics of the wider Digital Film Production course.