Grace Finds Her Voice, and Her Future, in Creative Media at LSBTC

: Published: 13 November 2025

Creative and Digital Industries

A year ago, Grace was working long shifts front of house at the Apollo Victoria Theatre — the iconic home of Wicked. Today, she’s balancing that job with a full-time Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Creative Media Production at London South Bank Technical College (LSBTC), and carving out her path towards a future in film editing.

Grace joined the course after struggling to break into the screen industries. “I’d been looking for editing jobs for a long time,” she explains, “but everything needed experience and no one was taking a chance on me. I realised studying again would help me build my skills and get a foot in the door.”

Her mum spotted the course on the South Bank Colleges website, and the mix of hands-on training and specialist TV modules hooked her immediately. “The modules sounded really interesting — everything I wanted to learn. And we’ve learned far more film history than I expected, which has been really good.”

A Strong College–University Partnership

Grace’s journey highlights what makes this qualification stand out. The Level 4 Creative Media course at LSBTC has been developed in collaboration with London South Bank University (LSBU), giving students clear and supported progression routes into Higher Education.

While studying at LSBTC, Grace and her classmates visited LSBU’s Elephant & Castle campus to explore what second and third year would look like if they decide to progress onto the full degree. This cross-group link means students can confidently plan their next steps, supported by both the college and the university.

Grace was impressed by what she saw. “We visited the film studio, the kit room, and the editing suites — including colour-grading rooms. There’s so much equipment there. I didn’t realise you could hire out old film cameras for your own projects. It was amazing seeing what’s available.”

By building these progression pathways, South Bank Colleges and LSBU ensure students can move seamlessly from technical training at Level 4 to academic study at degree level, should they choose to continue.

Learning Industry Skills — Fast

Although the Level 4 course lasts just one year, it covers an impressive range of specialist, industry-standard skills. Grace has already gained experience in studio camera operation, lighting, sound, single-camera TV techniques, and even the professional live news broadcasting equipment used in modern studios.

“I’ve learned so many things I never expected. Like how to use studio cameras and news broadcasting equipment. I would never have imagined being able to operate those.”

Editing remains her passion. She has been using Adobe Premiere Pro for nearly a decade and was delighted to find that both LSBTC and LSBU use the same software.

“I want to be an editor. Knowing I’ll be able to continue working with software I already know — and in proper editing suites — is really reassuring.”

A Supportive, Tight-Knit Creative Community

Grace describes the student experience at LSBTC as welcoming and close-knit.

“Our class is small, so we’ve gotten to know each other really well. We usually have lunch together on Fridays. On campus, we get along really well and even go out together.”

The timetable can be a challenge — Level 4 students follow a different pattern to the main college — but Grace and her classmates make the most of their practical days.

“We try to come in as much as possible. When the college is closed, we can’t come in for practical Fridays, so we make the most of the days we do have.”

Ambitions for the Future

Whether she decides to progress onto a full degree at LSBU or step straight into the industry, Grace has her sights set firmly on the edit suite.

For TV, she’d love to work on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit or Criminal Minds. For film? “A rom-com,” she says. “They don’t make as many as they used to, and I love them.”