Galway Community College of Further Education, located in the city’s Wellpark area, is offering a range of courses covering everything from music to theatre to film and journalism.

The Music Performance Course, which has been running for 20 years, is co-ordinated and taught by Dr Mark Keane who has over 30 years’ experience in the music industry and more than 20 as an educator.

He designs learning goals for every student on this QQI Level 5 course and ensures they have opportunities to perform in music venues around Galway during the academic year.  Alongside that practical element, participants also undertake projects and assignments, and collaborate with fellow-students who are studying film and drama.

The Community College offers two courses for budding film-makers.

The QQI Level 5 Film and Documentary course and the Level 6 Mobile Journalism and Film Production course have also been running for 20 years, stewarded by Colleen Hendrick-Quinn. Those on the Film and Documentary course learn about Production, Script Writing, Television and Film Editing, Voice Production for Broadcasting, Media Analysis and Event Production.

Working with industry-standard film and audio recording equipment and editing suites, they receive support from tutors as they progress to individual and group projects that help them hone their craft.

The Mobile Journalism and Film Production course, meanwhile, introduces students to all aspects of film and television. Modules include Film and Digital Video Production, Editing Practice and Techniques, TV and Film Production Design, Documentary Production, Research and Reporting for Digital Media and Broadcasting Presentation Skills.

Students develop and present documentary and film pitches as part of their assessment process. The projects that are selected are then produced by the entire class and receive a red-carpet premiere in Galway’s Eye Cinema every May.

Colleen’s connections in the industry – many of whom are former students from these courses – mentor current students on projects, and some of these have featured in Galway Film Fleadh, with one winning Best Documentary Film in 2014.

Pictured: Drama students rehearsing. The college has a 200-seater auditorium.