Ten lucky students from The Deanery Church of England Academy in Swindon were given a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes and see how BBC Question Time is produced.
The prestigious current affairs show was recorded at the school on Thursday 23 October, with host Fiona Bruce joined by guests Nadine Dorries, former Conservative Culture Secretary; Stephen Kinnock MP, Labour Health Minister; Mariella Frostrup, broadcaster; and Harriet Baldwin MP, Conservative Shadow Trade Minister.
BBC production staff guided the students through the world of television production, showing them how cameras, lighting, and sound equipment work, and giving them an exclusive insight into how a major national TV show is filmed, edited, and broadcast.
Jon Young, Executive Principal of The Deanery CoE Academy, said:
“We were delighted to welcome BBC Question Time to The Deanery. Hosting such a prestigious programme has been a unique opportunity for our school community, especially for some of our students, who had the chance to see behind the scenes of a major national broadcast. We’re proud to have played a part in facilitating open discussion and civic engagement right here in our school.”
Year 11 student I. Crocker said:
“The Question Time team were kind enough to let ten of us go into the theatre and have a look around the set and all the work backstage. We got to operate the different cameras and monitors, learning how they move, focus and zoom, alongside all the lighting work. We learnt a lot about how much goes on behind the lens while the show is on air. It was really interesting to see, and we were even lucky enough to get a look inside the control truck to see all the panels for the sound and pictures.”
Year 11 student S. Sharma added:
“It was an amazing opportunity as they let us use their camera and experience what it would be like to work on set. We visited the sound and visual rooms in the truck to experience all the work that goes into bringing the show to life. I definitely learnt a lot that I could implement into my own drama work in the future.”
