Opening session From Study To Studio

The session explores the connection between academia and the professional sector, focusing on the transition of students from university into the fields of film and media.

The skills and knowledge required to enter the labour market will be discussed, as well as the role of academia in preparing students for these challenges, particularly through the design and adaptation of educational programmes.

The session will also feature concrete examples illustrating the relationship between academic training and professional practice.

Programme

4.00 pm | Opening Session of the Academic Year at the School of Communication, Arts and Information Technologies (ECATI)

Talk “From Study to Studio”
Speaker: Caroline Parkinson

Reflection on the transition from academia to the professional film and media sector, addressing the skills and knowledge required to enter the labour market and the role of educational institutions in preparing students for the challenges of the industry.

BIO

• Caroline is Director of Creative at the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) and works with Scotland’s creative and cultural industries to promote innovation in partnership with academia.
• She developed the EFI plan for advancing data-driven innovation in the creative industries.
• She worked with creative technology entrepreneurs through the flagship Creative Informatics Cluster project (2018–2024) and currently works with audiovisual sector entrepreneurs on the CoSTAR project (virtual production), which runs from 2023 to 2029.
• She was Director of Film, TV, Creative Industries, Skills and Innovation at Creative Scotland from 2010 to 2014 and, from 2005 to 2010, served as Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland at Creative & Cultural Skills, an association focused on skills development in the sector.
• Her early creative career included ballet and rhythmic gymnastics, fashion, singing in bands (an activity she pursued for over 30 years) and photography, becoming a professional photographer in 1999.
• She served on the board of Architecture & Design Scotland (2018–2026) and, for the past nine years, has worked voluntarily as Strategic Director and Presenter of the MOVE Summit, Scotland’s leading event for animation and visual effects (VFX).