Lord Mayor of Leeds presents final-year PCI students with unique fundraising opportunity
The Lord Mayor of Leeds has presented final-year students on the School of Performance and Cultural Industries’ BA Global Creative Industries programme with a unique fundraising opportunity
The Lord Mayor of Leeds has presented final-year students on the School of Performance and Cultural Industries’ BA Global Creative Industries programme with a unique fundraising opportunity.
As part of their degree, students must complete the Final Year Project module, which focuses on practice-based research and encourages them to reflect personally or undertake empirical research in their dissertations.
During a visit to the University of Leeds last week Lord Mayor Abigail Marshall Katung offered these students the chance to create and deliver a fundraising event for the Lord Mayor’s Charity as part of their coursework.
Lord Mayor Abigail Marshall Katung with students and staff from the School of Performance and Cultural Industries
Speaking for around 30 minutes, the Lord Mayor highlighted themes of inclusion, community, and opportunity, encouraging students to view the project not only as a learning experience but also as a way to give back to the community. She has granted the students full creative freedom to develop an event of their choosing, within budgetary, safety, and financial prudence guidelines.
Lord Mayor Abigail Marshall Katung said:
“I am delighted to offer these talented final-year students the opportunity to contribute to the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal. This partnership highlights the spirit of collaboration between our city and the University of Leeds, and I am confident that the creativity and passion these students bring to their projects will make a lasting impact. It is inspiring to see the next generation of leaders and innovators engaging with our local community, and I look forward to seeing their ideas come to life in support of our shared goals of inclusivity, support, and unity.”
Dr Hughie Brown, Programme Leader for the BA in Global Creative Industries, said:
“I have found over the years that students love the opportunity to put their learning into practice at the end of their programme. This experience allows them to do that in a context that gives them tangible outcomes that boost their employability in a socially beneficial mode. It challenges them to think outside themselves and the Lord Mayor has inspired their creativity as well as their social awareness. It has proven to be a triple-bottom-line winner and we'd like to make it an annual feature of our partnership with Leeds City Council.”
Professor Jonathan Pitches, Head of School at the School of Performance and Cultural Industries, said:
"This exciting collaboration with the Lord Mayor’s Charity offers our students a brilliant opportunity to apply their creative skills in a real-world context. This not only enriches their academic experience but also gives them a chance to give back to their local community. With the freedom to tailor their event to their own ideas, students will now work towards raising funds for the Lord Mayor’s Charity, with the scale of the project entirely in their hands. I look forward to seeing what they come up with!”
Now in its second year, the Final Year Project module has earned praise for blending academic research with hands-on experience. It is an innovative approach, developed under the guidance of Dave Lewis's capstone project as part of the university’s Curriculum Redefined initiative.
