How far will a GCSE in Drama take you?

And how do you change educational policies that harm the area you grew up in?

Curtis James is a filmmaker, photographer, ethnographer and campaigner. As founder of Fieldwork, he uses ethnographic research to document working life. And as a Co-Founder of Class Divide, he's driving change that will positively impact the next generation of students.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• The impact of being young carers on the educational experiences of Curtis and his twin brother

• How individual teachers have the power to shape a life

• Securing a record deal and working alongside the likes of Dave Clarke and Paul Oakenfold

• Travelling the Caribbean producing radio shows for Heineken

• The action he's taking to change punitive educational policies

There's also reflections on navigating the worlds of local government and major corporates when you've come from a council estate, and how one Thatcherite policy actually ended up helping young people out.

To find out more about Class Divide, head to: https://www.classdivide.co.uk/

To connect with Curtis, you can find him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtisjames/

To learn about the Neolithic Cannibals project as part of Brighton Festival, head to: https://brightonfestival.org/whats-on/XXO-neolithic-cannibals-deep-listening-to-the-unheard/

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