Bloom Media is the creative media programme of Borders Book Festival, set up in 2024 for young people aged 16 to 25. It gives them their first structured experience of professional media production and a chance to explore careers in film, journalism and the wider creative industries. Bloom is free to take part in, and funders include No One Left Behind via Scottish Borders Council’s Local Employability Partnership.
Through its Story Lab projects, participants learn to produce short reports, interviews and filmed sequences, working to professional roles, equipment and deadlines. Each project ends with a public showcase at MacArts in Galashiels. The spring 2026 cohort made the short film ‘Barriers: Where I’m From, Where I Am Now’. Young people learn from filmmakers, journalists and other creative professionals. Being part of Borders Book Festival gives them access to leading writers and broadcasters.
Bloom recruits through a variety of partners, reaching young people who are more likely to face disadvantage. Groups are mixed ability and include many neurodivergent participants, along with young people managing mental health challenges, and LGBTQ+ young people. The team includes an access and inclusion specialist, and sessions take place in accessible venues in the central Borders.
Young people who take part in Bloom Media consistently report growing confidence and stronger skills for work. Many arrive quiet and unsure of themselves, and some have been out of work or education for a few years. Over the course of a project they learn to operate professional equipment, interview high profile guests and see their own films screened in front of a public audience. The learn a range of skills which are highly transferable to most industries.
By the end of the project many are presenting on stage and helping to run live events alongside industry professionals. Supporting agencies and families often remark on how much the young people have grown in confidence and skills. Participants have since moved into university, college, apprenticeships and paid creative work. Most have a clearer sense of the career they want to pursue. For young people in a rural region with few local routes into the creative industries, Bloom offers a place to feel valued, find their voice and a visible pathway forward.
