PixelHaze Academy BootCamps are Go!
During the February half-term, we launched our first ever BootCamp, in what we feel was a monumental occasion for PixelHaze Academy.
We also hope it will be the first of many BootCamps based on design, entrepreneurship and creativity!
In this pilot two-day event, we invited six participants between the age of 16 and 25 to step into the shoes of graphic and web designers, with topics ranging from branding to marketing and web design. In short, we made sure that they have their hands full!
WELCOME TO BOOTCAMP
It is fair to say that our first BootCamp was the accumulation and collation of design experiences and techniques from nearly 20 years in the creative industries sector.
Since the launch of PixelHaze Academy, we have been actively seeking methods for accelerating the training and development of young creatives in rural areas, in particular our local area of Mid Wales. We wanted to create a vehicle to drive our ambitious educational goals which will help us realise our dream of building a creative industries hub at our home in Builth Wells.
We have a long way to go, but it is exciting to have made a successful start, allowing us to develop our strategy layer-by-layer. Thankfully, some of these aspects are starting to materialise and are making an impact.
“When undertaking the challenge we couldn’t have been happier or expected more than what we saw as an outcome.”
For those who don't know about PixelHaze, our mission is to demystify technology, translate technical twaddle and create clarity from chaos.
I have been fortunate to have spent the majority of my career having been based in Cardiff Bay, the heart of the creative sector in Wales. Having returned to my roots in 2015, I endeavoured to bring the full agency experience to small businesses in rural areas of Wales. Alongside this, I wanted to develop a company that was intrinsically linked with the local community, and in particular, local schools. We proceeded to develop strong links with Ysgol Calon Cymru, helping with lessons and lunchtime extracurricular sessions via the Business in the Community programme, Business Class.
BUILDING A BOOTCAMP - HOW IT STARTED
What started as a personal challenge to bridge a technology gap between urban and rural areas then evolved into the beginnings of what we hope will be a scalable programme, that fits perfectly with the changing school curriculum in Wales.
Currently, we have three students from Ysgol Calon Cymru (School at the heart of Wales) on a one day a week placement and have increased our availability to support the school through chosen subjects and classes. Due to its condensed, high-speed approach, BootCamps became the perfect conduit for extracurricular learning. The format allows us to provide a specific challenge with realistic deadlines in an environment that perfectly mirrors a design studio. We felt adding a degree of healthy competition would add focus and provide an element of fun to the challenge.
WHAT NEXT FOR PIXELHAZE BOOTCAMP?
We are actively pursuing other funding avenues. After the success of our pilot through the winter of well-being programme, it is our aim to deliver six to eight different formats of Bootcamp covering skillsets including:
Graphic Design
Branding
Web Design
Audio Production
Video Editing
Digital Marketing
Entrepreneurship
We also hope to expand the scope of our BootCamps, inviting children aged 11 to 90+ to participate.
Get involved
if you are interested in getting involved with boot camp or would like us to run a specific boot camp challenge for your organisation. Please feel free to get in touch.
Take a look at the brand designs created in our first Bootcamp:
“The PixelHaze Bootcamp allowed me to feel like a real designer! The competitive environment really added to the atmosphere and pushed me to create something really out there.”
If you want to put your creative skillset to the test, there is no better environment than our purpose-built design studio, which will serve as your creative hub over the course of the BootCamp.
