We offer each of our trainees a summer bursary of up to £1,000 every summer of their degree to spend on journalism work experience or a journalism project, giving them the unique opportunity to travel and explore the areas of journalism they are passionate about.
School of Journalism trainee Macie Lewis shared how she used her bursary creating a documentary about going to Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
For three weeks in August, you can explore the best of the UK’s creative arts performances by attending multiple shows a day and seeing street performers in Edinburgh.
If you enjoy comedy, music, theatre, dance, and cabaret, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the place for you.
The festival is an unforgettable experience but is undeniably an expensive one.
With accommodation, travel, food, drinks, and show prices adding up, I was grateful to have the School of Journalism summer bursary to help fund this exciting opportunity.
The summer bursary meant I was able to enjoy a creative event all while showcasing my journalistic skills like practicing my videography and editing.
This led to me creating a YouTube documentary filled with top tips and tricks to make Edinburgh Fringe Festival less expensive.
My initial plan was to record videos and interviews however, due to working at children’s summer camps I fell very sick. This all started two days before my flight and I was unable to leave my bed due to being so ill.
I managed to go on the trip and enjoy it as much as I could, but it meant that I had to change my video style at the last minute because I was not well enough to conduct interviews or long-form videos.
This last minute change was difficult but I made it work by recording B-roll that I had learnt about in my mobile journalism module in the first year of my degree.
This B-roll was then paired with videos of me talking in front of the camera from my bedroom at home once I was well enough to be on video again.
I used a tripod and mini mics that I had bought on Amazon to help me with my recordings, however the university was kind enough to lend anyone equipment if they needed it.
After I had recorded all the clips, I then used my mobile journalism skills to edit the entire video on iMovie.
I then uploaded it to my YouTube page to help out future travellers with my tips the cheapest way to do the trip.
I am grateful for the School of Journalism for making this opportunity possible all while practicing my journalistic skills on my long four month summer break.
This helped me understand that every opportunity can be a journalistic one.
You can watch my documentary here!
You can read more of our summer bursary blogs here.
Sign up to our free The School of Journalism taster sessions here.