South East Essex College is a major provider of FE and HE education in the north Thames Gateway. We are based in excellent new facilities in a central Southend campus which includes the University of Essex (East 15). The College has opened a second campus in Thurrock (Jan 09) and has plans to build major centres in Grays and on an adjacent site in Southend.

We are a member of the NSA Founder College Group and are delighted to work closely with partner Colleges and Industry partners.

We have excellent links with industry from Essex based SME’s to major organisations such as Universal, KSS Architects, NHS and BBC. All set live briefs which are undertaken by our students across all levels.

The Faculty of Media and Creative Arts is comprised of a diverse range of creative programmes from level 1 – Introductory Diploma through to BA Hons. Over 1200 Further Education students and 400 degree students study within the Faculty.

Our staff are active practitioners as well as skilled teachers, many exhibit or produce work nationally. The Faculty is the main force behind the Southend Festival held each year in June. We have Nikon Academy status and have gained Apple Accredited Training Centre status for both education and industry and are recent Beacon Award winners for Art & Design. The Faculty passed through Gateway 1 to deliver the Creative and Media Diploma from September 2008 and is involved in three other consortia to deliver the Diploma in 2009 and 2010. We are also at an advanced stage of delivering Creative Apprenticeships within the region.

Our HE students exhibit in our own Campus Gallery, plus external venues in Southend, as well as participating in New Blood, New Designers, Brick Lane and Graduate Fashion Week. Our students have been recent award winners with D&AD (Graphics 08), Nikon Documentary award (07, 08).

Our FE students undertake community projects in public venues throughout Southend and hold major shows in our studios and Campus Gallery, as well as major Fashion Shows in June.

Course Profile         

News & Events

Lights, camera, action as the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills is launched at South East Essex College

They say that the world is a stage but the world of work is now a stage for launching a career that covers everything from behind the scenes in the world of theatre to live music events.

The UK has a long tradition of having some of the world’s best behind-the-scenes people in theatre, music and film, but recognised training hasn’t always been available.

All that is now set to change, ensuring that the South East and the UK will continue to develop world-class technical staff for the world’s best stages. That was the message at the launch of the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills at Founder College, South East Essex College, on Monday 12th October.

The high-profile event saw demonstrations of stage make-up, stage rigging, musical performances and tours of the dance studio, theatre, Nikon Academy, Mac Academy and music studios to a group of specially invited guests. They included leading industry players from the world of live entertainment, Heads of Media from schools and colleges across South Essex, local councillors and representatives from local groups such as Renaissance Southend.

Key note speakers at the event, introduced by Principal and Chief Executive, Jan Hodges, included CEO of PLASA (Professional Lighting and Sound Association) and NSA Board Director, Matthew Griffiths and Peter Thornton, External Relations Director for Arts Council England East.

Ellen McPhillips, Director of Southend Theatres and employer of Apprentices, also spoke at the event, highlighting why, in tough economic times, it is vital that employers can call on highly skilled, motivated and ambitious people who compare with the best in the world. "Employers are looking for a simple and streamlined approach to training, which can deliver the skills they need and help them maintain productivity and improve competitiveness".