OUR PROJECT MISSION
Nerve Centre's Shortcut is a European Film Programme centred on film and citizenship education to be delivered in the classroom. Shortcut is committed to using short films to explore sensitive and challenging social issues which are impacting negatively on the physical and mental health of young people across Europe, such as xenophobia, addiction, isolation and social exclusion.
The European film education partner organisations involved have a combined wealth of experience in working with young people and film education. Our aim is to increase young viewers’ knowledge of issues through European short film from different, sometimes distant countries and strengthen educators’ skills in educating through and about film.
Shortcut draws its inspiration from the unique educational potential of the short film within the modern classroom. The short films are flexible, and no longer than 30 minutes meaning they can fit into a single lesson. The lesson plans & resources support a range of curricular areas including: Learning Through Life and Work, Language & Literacy: English with Media Education, Environment & Society, The Arts and ICT/UICT.
Shortcut also supports the qualification Moving Image Arts through a series of masterclasses and film theory resources.
They are particularly appealing to teachers who are not film education specialists, but wish to introduce media literacy into their subject area. Shortcut also provides excellent opportunities for cross-curricular learning.
The Shortcut programme has built a VOD platform in five EU countries featuring award-winning European short films and a rich toolkit of learning resources that supports teachers and students to work on societal themes illustrated by each short film.
The form of some stories may seem too sophisticated for viewers less familiar with the language of the film - however, we encourage you to take risks, as the reaction of young people may surprise you.
All enquiries email - Sarah Lawrence - s.lawrence@nervecentre.org
ACCESS THE FULL ONLINE TOOLKIT, THE VOD LIBRARY OF FILMS, MASTERCLASSES, LESSON PLANS & SUPPORT MATERIALS BY REGISTERING HERE
Shortcut empowers young people to make their own short films to interrogate these issues creatively and share new insights and perspectives inspired by our Shortcut film library
NERVE BELFAST
Belfast Boys Model
“Shadowchild” explores the topic of homophobia and acceptance. It was important to the pupils the film addressed the theme of mental health, how it is ok to talk and seek help when needed.
Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School
This film residency began as we all went into Covid 19 lockdown. The effect on all our lives became the topic of focus for our films "Isolation Creation". Each film explores the different impacts felt and emotions experienced during this time through the techniques of pixelation and hand drawn animation.
Bangor Academy
“Life goes in a Jiffy” is a humorous account of phone addiction, the impact this can have on our lives with missing out on the world around us if we constantly have our head in our phones.
Our Polish Partners - CEO
"No One Goes There" was created in Łubniany under the supervision of Konrad Śniady, film editor and teacher Jolanta Koj, phd. It took up the topic of new media and the Internet.
"Emotify" is an animation that deals with Internet addiction. The Bytom residency was run by Natalia Spychała, animation director and educator, and the pedagogical supervision was provided by Joanna Klimczak, phd.
"Usually Unusual" is a record of the beginnings of the epidemic. Teresa Czepiec, the director of "Superunit", supported the Polish language teacher - Joanna Dębowska-Kępczyk, worked with the Minsk youth.
Our Czech Partners - JSNS/OWIS – One World in Schools
"Overcoming Barriers"
The students of Grammar school Na Zatlance, Prague,chose the physical barrier of their own school as the theme of the film. Through interviews with former students with disabilities, they help the school help the school find its way to accessibility.
"Through the Eyes Of Time"
A conversation between two representatives of different generations, a comparison of general life phenomena, which change over time, is made through a discussion of individual experiences.
"Album of People- Quarantined Diaries"
The film was created from authentic video diaries shot during the spring lockdown on 13-19 April 2020.
"Try it"
Collective environmental spot - the footage was shot during the autumn emergency from September 29 to October 5, 2020.
"Environmental Challenge"
Collective environmental short film - the footage was shot during the autumn emergency from September 29 to October 5, 2020.
(Grammar school Česká, České Budějovice, Secondary School of Arts and Crafts, Brno, Grammar school Na Zatlance, Prague, Secondary Technical School of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Dobruška).
Our Portuguese Partners - OFDL - Os Filhos de Lumière
Os Filhos de Lumière was created by a group of filmmakers as a project aimed at raising awareness of cinema among children and young people. It develops a solid and constant intervention in the field of film education, realising workshops, gathering filmmakers, teachers, children and youngsters, schools and cultural spaces, giving access to film culture – Portuguese, European, and from the world of all times and styles – generating a basis for reflexion and meeting with film and community.
Themes & Topics
Browse the themes and topics.
Our Partners & Funders
