TIM REID, writer of the hugely popular television show Car Share featuring Peter Kay, returned to his former school to deliver a creativity masterclass for its current pupils.
The Old Silhilian spoke to fifth form students at Solihull School about the world of comedy writing and the successful sitcom, which broke records to become the most streamed premiere on the BBC One catch-up service, BBC iPlayer.
Working with pupils studying drama and English, Mr Reid asked the students to think creatively and develop their skills through practical tasks.
He said: “It was wonderful to be back at Solihull School. The students were extremely engaged and had some great ideas. It was fantastic to see them embracing creative thinking.
“One way to encourage creative thinking was to present the pupils with a person or brand, and an object – then ask them to think of a concept for a television programme based on those items.”
Mr Reid initially approached Car Share star Peter Kay for feedback on his script, which was co-created with Paul Coleman.
But the legendary stand-up and star of Phoenix Nights enjoyed the writing so much, he asked to get involved.
Stuart Hart, head of English at Solihull School, said: “Solihull School has a fantastic network of alumni who are able to pass on knowledge to our current students, and we’re very grateful to Tim for taking time out of his schedule to deliver this workshop.
“He really emphasised the value of thinking creatively in our everyday lives. It’s important to stimulate our imagination in order to unlock our full potential and his talk will have inspired the pupils on many levels in the lead up to their GCSEs.”
