00:03 Hello and welcome to a very special
00:05
00:05 edition of Tomorrow the Future Forum
00:07
00:07 podcast. I’m Ollie Barrett and I’m
00:09
00:09 delighted to be joined by two very
00:11
00:11 special guests indeed. Firstly, Annie O
00:14
00:14 Sullivan. Welcome Annie. And secondly,
00:16
00:16 Jaden Josiah Morris Miller. Welcome
00:19
00:19 Jaden. How are you?
00:20
00:20 >> I’m good. How are you?
00:21
00:21 >> Very well indeed. The reason we’ve met
00:24
00:24 initially and I want to talk about
00:25
00:25 everything else you’re up to is because
00:27
00:27 you have either studied or are studying
00:29
00:29 at the world famous Brit School and
00:31
00:31 we’re very grateful to you for being
00:34
00:34 here. Jaden Brit is like globally
00:37
00:37 famous. Right. So I got to know you by
00:40
00:40 your reputation as a dancer. But let’s
00:42
00:42 talk a bit about Brit. What makes it
00:44
00:44 special? I think Brit Brit is special
00:47
00:47 because it opens you to just everything
00:52
00:52 like anything at that school whether no
00:54
00:54 matter what strand you’re in if you’re
00:56
00:56 in like dance, music, theater or the
00:58
00:58 production side, you get to learn like a
00:60
00:60 bit of everything or get to communicate
01:02
01:02 and understand other people’s version of
01:04
01:04 art. Yeah. And then you can bring that
01:08
01:08 into your own art and then you also get
01:10
01:10 to collaborate with other people to then
01:12
01:12 find out really who you are for by the
01:14
01:14 time you leave you get like a whole
01:15
01:15 different version like a evolved version
01:17
01:17 of you which I feel like is quite cool.
01:19
01:19 >> So Annie, that sounds like you’re sort
01:21
01:21 of being surrounded by a whole range of
01:23
01:23 different things. How how would you
01:25
01:25 reflect on it?
01:26
01:26 >> Um I’d say the exactly the same thing.
01:28
01:28 Like there’s just so much talent in the
01:30
01:30 building. It sort of feels like so so
01:34
01:34 cool to just walk in the building.
01:35
01:35 There’s just so much going on. There’s
01:37
01:37 music going on over the speakers.
01:38
01:38 There’s people singing down the
01:39
01:39 corridors and it’s just like that’s just
01:41
01:41 the normal thing at
01:42
01:42 >> So what did you what were you actually
01:43
01:43 and you’re still studying Ali? What what
01:45
01:45 what course technically are you doing
01:47
01:47 then?
01:47
01:47 >> Um I’m doing the film and media
01:48
01:48 production course. So we do lots of
01:51
01:51 things like broadcast, we write films,
01:54
01:54 we pitch films, we learn all technical
01:56
01:56 equipment, all everything really. and
01:59
01:59 and Jaden.
01:60
01:60 >> Um I was on the dance course. I just
02:02
02:02 graduated. Um so we did did that from a
02:05
02:05 range of all the styles from jazz,
02:06
02:06 ballet, contemporary, street tap. Then
02:09
02:09 also going into like the physical side
02:11
02:11 of dancing with the healthy dancer, um
02:14
02:14 the choreography, um teaching dance um
02:17
02:17 every type of aspect uh within like the
02:20
02:20 dance or the physical industry. We
02:22
02:22 learned that as well.
02:23
02:23 >> Yeah. So it’s incredibly broad, isn’t
02:24
02:24 it? So give us a sense. So, we love to
02:26
02:26 talk about the future on tomorrow. Give
02:28
02:28 us a sense of the sort of thing that you
02:31
02:31 want to explore, some of the adventures
02:33
02:33 you’d like uh to go on. Now, Jaden, um I
02:36
02:36 think I want to definitely dive into my
02:38
02:38 choreography.
02:40
02:40 um and use it more of like a speaking
02:42
02:42 tool to uh like talk about backgrounds
02:46
02:46 and issues that I faced within like my
02:48
02:48 growing up and my childhood for people
02:50
02:50 to like resonate cuz I feel like that’s
02:53
02:53 definitely like an absence within the
02:55
02:55 industry. Um it’s very much um uh
02:58
02:58 commercial you want to see with the
02:60
02:60 music. I feel like we’re missing the
03:02
03:02 theater side of it. So I want to delve
03:03
03:03 into that and like really like use my
03:06
03:06 craft for good. So it sounds like
03:08
03:08 there’s almost like a double meaning
03:10
03:10 there about what a piece can say, but
03:12
03:12 more broadly what you what you want to
03:14
03:14 say
03:14
03:14 >> exactly.
03:16
03:16 >> And I wonder I wonder how that gets
03:19
03:19 fostered. I mean where did that where
03:21
03:21 did that desire come from do you think?
03:23
03:23 >> I think it just it just came from always
03:26
03:26 wanting to speak. Like I always like to
03:28
03:28 speak. I always like to but then I
03:30
03:30 always don’t I like to speak but I also
03:32
03:32 don’t like to really say what I mean in
03:34
03:34 like my type of way. But then I’ve
03:36
03:36 always like dance or like listen to the
03:38
03:38 music that will express how I feel. Um,
03:41
03:41 and I feel like that’s a good key way to
03:43
03:43 communicate. And the way that I’ve like
03:45
03:45 learned to communicate is through my
03:46
03:46 movement. So then it’s like if I can
03:49
03:49 communicate through my movement with the
03:50
03:50 different textures and song styles and
03:53
03:53 genres of music with my work, then
03:55
03:55 people can connect with that and kind of
03:57
03:57 understand what I want to say and give
03:58
03:58 out to the world. That makes sense.
04:00
04:00 >> Well, yeah. But except you’re worrying
04:01
04:01 me now, Jane. Someone who’s hopeless at
04:03
04:03 dancing. I’m thinking this is a
04:04
04:04 world-class communicator here and he
04:06
04:06 dances.
04:08
04:08 >> No, but you’ll get it. Don’t worry.
04:10
04:10 [laughter]
04:12
04:12 >> Would you would you teach me?
04:13
04:13 >> I’ll teach you.
04:13
04:13 >> Do you [clears throat] think there’s
04:15
04:15 hope for us all? Maybe. I might come at
04:17
04:17 you on that. And it gives us a sense of
04:18
04:18 what you’re exploring.
04:20
04:20 >> Um, I’m exploring the more like
04:22
04:22 production side of things. I’m exploring
04:24
04:24 TV and I also want to go into things
04:27
04:27 like radio, podcast, stuff like that. um
04:30
04:30 I want to focus on a lot of things that
04:32
04:32 happening, a lot of issues that are
04:34
04:34 happening now that um like I want to
04:36
04:36 deep dive into them. So I’ve done like a
04:39
04:39 podcast on I created for my final
04:41
04:41 project a a podcast about social media
04:44
04:44 and the effects on social media on
04:46
04:46 different industries. And as much as I
04:47
04:47 was focusing on like the future, I was
04:49
04:49 focusing on like what’s happening now,
04:52
04:52 the differences between them all. I done
04:54
04:54 three different industries and I linked
04:56
04:56 them all together. like three industries
04:57
04:57 that you wouldn’t expect to link
04:59
04:59 together at all. So I done like
05:00
05:00 politics, music, and film. So like there
05:03
05:03 was so much more similarities than there
05:05
05:05 actually like than you might have
05:06
05:06 thought there was. So yeah. So that’s
05:08
05:08 what I’m sort of I want to like do a
05:10
05:10 deep dive into different topics.
05:12
05:12 >> Really interesting. So we’re trying to
05:13
05:13 be helpful. Um quickfire round. Who
05:16
05:16 would you most like to meet in terms of
05:17
05:17 that next step on the adventure? Jaden,
05:19
05:19 you’re not getting out of this question.
05:20
05:20 >> Oh my gosh. I don’t know. like just
05:23
05:23 someone with so many ideas that have
05:25
05:25 that it’s just like they don’t just
05:27
05:27 focus on one thing that they just are
05:29
05:29 just part of everything cuz I love stuff
05:31
05:31 like that just
05:32
05:32 >> Yeah. So, someone who’s done multiple
05:33
05:33 things in that sense, maybe back to what
05:35
05:35 you’re already doing, joining the dots
05:37
05:37 between them, right? Um, Jaden, who who
05:39
05:39 would you like to meet?
05:40
05:40 >> This is a hard question.
05:42
05:42 >> Um, who would I like to meet? I think
05:44
05:44 maybe
05:46
05:46 dead or alive while we talking.
05:48
05:48 [laughter]
05:48
05:48 >> It’s great. I I think we should limit to
05:50
05:50 8 billion alive.
05:52
05:52 >> Okay. Okay. Alive. I would say maybe
05:54
05:54 maybe Beyonce because not only is her
05:56
05:56 music great, but I feel like she’s
05:58
05:58 transcended like the the box that you’re
06:01
06:01 supposed to be in from going from R&B to
06:04
06:04 pop to now country and winning a Grammy
06:06
06:06 for that. It’s like how did she find the
06:08
06:08 confidence to just express herself and
06:11
06:11 like go against what people expected of
06:13
06:13 her? I think that would be quite
06:14
06:14 interesting. also fascinating um
06:17
06:17 thinking and how you develop different
06:20
06:20 alter egos to to develop your
06:22
06:22 confidence.
06:23
06:23 >> So here’s a personal question. I might
06:25
06:25 get told off for asking this. Um when
06:27
06:27 you’ve got talent and opportunity,
06:30
06:30 obviously ambition
06:32
06:32 um somebody listening might say that
06:34
06:34 might sometimes feel like a bit of a
06:36
06:36 pressure and
06:37
06:37 >> it also feels very exciting listening to
06:39
06:39 you both. And I’m only asking it because
06:42
06:42 particularly, you know, some such
06:43
06:43 well-known and successful people have
06:45
06:45 come from Brit school. So I just I just
06:47
06:47 wonder how you how you how you feel
06:49
06:49 about it because the world is your
06:51
06:51 oyster, but then again, maybe you expect
06:53
06:53 something big of yourself. I think when
06:56
06:56 it comes with a talent, it’s normally
06:59
06:59 something that’s come from a passion
07:01
07:01 that’s had within you. So yes, you’re
07:03
07:03 talented. There’s the pressure to do
07:04
07:04 well or if you’re talking about
07:06
07:06 performing arts, you’re performing well
07:07
07:07 on the stage or on a screen, but then
07:09
07:09 you got to reflect and look back, why am
07:11
07:11 I doing this? Cuz I like to dance to
07:14
07:14 music videos in my bedroom when I was
07:16
07:16 like 4 years old. And you got to
07:18
07:18 remember that that’s like why you’re
07:19
07:19 doing it. Yeah.
07:20
07:20 >> I think that’s the key.
07:22
07:22 >> Yeah. And just just that well a
07:24
07:24 expression, but being what was the
07:26
07:26 phrase you used? An a different voice
07:28
07:28 was almost how you said it. It’s like
07:30
07:30 you’re just embodying embodying
07:32
07:32 sentences the same as how you would
07:34
07:34 write essay. You can write that essay
07:36
07:36 with your body then communicated to like
07:38
07:38 a different audience.
07:41
07:41 So it’s just like you’re reaching a
07:42
07:42 whole new level of playing field that
07:44
07:44 you’re then creating with. So when you
07:47
07:47 like um think about your movement or
07:50
07:50 your art in that way then it’s like you
07:53
07:53 you just open your mind to a whole
07:54
07:54 different world. amazing abilities. Same
07:56
07:56 with playbacks and uh artists like
07:59
07:59 physical painting. It’s like the same
08:00
08:00 thing really.
08:01
08:01 >> This one of the most interesting ways
08:03
08:03 I’ve ever heard dance talked about. This
08:05
08:05 is this is this is exciting. Right. I’m
08:07
08:07 coming to one of your next performances
08:08
08:08 as well.
08:09
08:09 >> Definitely.
08:10
08:10 >> Um and how do you feel that sense of
08:12
08:12 opportunity meets I mean it’s my word
08:14
08:14 pressure. Maybe it doesn’t maybe it
08:16
08:16 doesn’t hit your mind in that way. I
08:18
08:18 think for me pressure when I feel
08:21
08:21 pressure to get something done that’s
08:23
08:23 what sort of happens. So like pressure
08:25
08:25 makes diamonds like that’s the only way
08:27
08:27 I can work. And I think another way that
08:29
08:29 would happen would be
08:31
08:31 >> um to like not compare to other people.
08:34
08:34 Everyone’s doing a different job.
08:36
08:36 Everyone’s doing like whatever. Like you
08:39
08:39 go into again like I said you go into
08:40
08:40 the corridor and there’s just so many
08:42
08:42 different strands of people doing all
08:44
08:44 different things and you can’t compare
08:46
08:46 yourself. So would you have crossed I
08:48
08:48 don’t mean literally the two of you but
08:50
08:50 you would have Annie on your course
08:51
08:51 crossed paths with people on the dance
08:52
08:52 course vice versa. Is that how it
08:54
08:54 actually how does that work in practice?
08:56
08:56 >> So I never actually met Annie before but
08:59
08:59 you definitely do meet people around uh
09:01
09:01 the school. So for instance like if
09:03
09:03 you’re doing a dance show you’re getting
09:04
09:04 your head shot taken to then put her
09:06
09:06 out. So then you’re meeting the FMP
09:08
09:08 students who will take your picture.
09:09
09:09 >> Yeah.
09:10
09:10 >> Um so what’s that? F film and
09:11
09:11 photography.
09:12
09:12 >> Film media
09:13
09:13 >> production. Nice.
09:14
09:14 >> Um, same with like if you’re dancing
09:17
09:17 then you’ve got the production art
09:19
09:19 students uh lighting
09:21
09:21 >> and then you got the other department
09:23
09:23 doing costume for you and then doing
09:25
09:25 sound and then like you just you just
09:27
09:27 everyone mixes and mingles.
09:29
09:29 >> Yeah.
09:30
09:30 >> Everyone Yeah. Everyone sort of Yeah.
09:32
09:32 Like you get like a random people are
09:34
09:34 always looking for, you know, to film
09:36
09:36 their performances to be sent to people.
09:39
09:39 So that’s where we come in. We can come
09:40
09:40 in with equipment that we booked out,
09:42
09:42 microphones, whatever. Music, um, music
09:45
09:45 students. We’re always looking for
09:47
09:47 performances to be filmed. We’re always
09:49
09:49 looking for people to record music and
09:51
09:51 everything to be shown on our show.
09:54
09:54 You’re both also embodying that, aren’t
09:55
09:55 you? Because you’re producing and you’re
09:57
09:57 performing as well, right? So, you’re
09:58
09:58 sort of you’re living that. Um, I’ve got
10:01
10:01 I’ve got a quick fire around. You ready?
10:03
10:03 >> Yeah.
10:03
10:03 >> What?
10:04
10:04 >> You have to pick a question between one
10:06
10:06 and 20.
10:07
10:07 >> Oh, you go first. [laughter] There you
10:10
10:10 go, Annie. You can go first.
10:11
10:11 >> Um, what? Just a number?
10:13
10:13 >> Yeah. Number
10:14
10:14 >> 14.
10:14
10:14 >> 14. Mhm. If you were prime minister for
10:17
10:17 one day, what would you change?
10:19
10:19 >> Um, I changed the way that mainstream
10:22
10:22 schools see creative creative subjects.
10:27
10:27 So, I came from a very different school
10:29
10:29 from Brit like a extremely like they
10:31
10:31 were very focused on English, math,
10:33
10:33 science. They want you to become they
10:35
10:35 want you to go to university. they
10:37
10:37 didn’t want you to do apprenticeship
10:38
10:38 stuff and BR is so different from that.
10:41
10:41 Like we have our careers team who are
10:43
10:43 helping us like get apprenticeships and
10:45
10:45 then they’re like if you want to go to
10:47
10:47 university you can but apprenticeships
10:49
10:49 is a really good way to get into the
10:51
10:51 industry. So I’d think that I’d want
10:53
10:53 more like even like money just put into
10:56
10:56 creative subjects like music and drama
10:58
10:58 and stuff like that in mainstream
10:60
10:60 schools.
11:00
11:00 >> Uh thank you Jaden. Um you can ask you
11:02
11:02 can answer the same question if you like
11:04
11:04 or pick another number. I think I’ll
11:05
11:05 pick another number. Um 18.
11:10
11:10 >> What’s something that leaders should
11:13
11:13 spend more time listening to?
11:17
11:17 I think if you specifically talk about
11:19
11:19 leaders that are working with uh young
11:21
11:21 people, just listening to them or asking
11:24
11:24 them what they want or like how they
11:27
11:27 feel about what they’re being taught or
11:30
11:30 maybe if you’re going to a new year,
11:31
11:31 what could they do to change the course
11:33
11:33 or how they could help make the
11:35
11:35 environment or the learning that they’re
11:37
11:37 given better for and more suited for the
11:40
11:40 person who’s receiving it? I think
11:41
11:41 that’s quite important.
11:43
11:43 >> Annie, pick another number.
11:45
11:45 Um 19.
11:46
11:46 >> H
11:48
11:48 What do you hope school looks like in 20
11:51
11:51 years?
11:53
11:53 >> I hope school is a place where people
11:57
11:57 can just be themselves. I think Brit has
11:59
11:59 really set a standard for me that I’m so
12:02
12:02 used to now just turning up to school,
12:05
12:05 being myself, being with my friends.
12:07
12:07 Whereas I remember being in year 7 not
12:09
12:09 being able to do that, being confined to
12:12
12:12 being something that I’m sort of not
12:14
12:14 like I wasn’t able to even like the
12:16
12:16 little things like wearing your own
12:17
12:17 clothes like I was forced to stay in a
12:20
12:20 like a uniform like a really boring sort
12:22
12:22 of uniform thing whereas now you go to
12:24
12:24 school and there’s people in bright
12:25
12:25 colors and there’s like everything. So I
12:28
12:28 hope school is like a place to where
12:30
12:30 people can just be themselves without
12:32
12:32 sort of the walls in between. So yeah,
12:34
12:34 >> love that. Uh I have got I have got a
12:36
12:36 surprise uh final question. Firstly,
12:38
12:38 thank you completely brilliant. Thank
12:40
12:40 you uh Annie and Jaden. Um we have a
12:42
12:42 phrase on future from leave your lane
12:43
12:43 which is about exploring new areas, new
12:46
12:46 zones, new worlds. What’s an area that
12:48
12:48 you’d love to I mean you’re already
12:50
12:50 broadcasting, you’re already dancing,
12:51
12:51 choreographing, uh choreographing.
12:54
12:54 What’s an area you’d like to explore a
12:56
12:56 bit more of? Jaden,
12:57
12:57 >> I think fashion and style. I think as
13:01
13:01 well as dancers that you can communicate
13:03
13:03 your your opinions and your message uh
13:07
13:07 with your clothes and how you to style
13:10
13:10 style yourself. Um and I think just that
13:14
13:14 being able to just understand clothes
13:16
13:16 and like what different type of textures
13:19
13:19 and qualities uh communicates well I
13:21
13:21 feel like that’s quite interesting.
13:23
13:23 >> Right. So I should have asked you this
13:24
13:24 before but we’ve got the head of
13:25
13:25 innovation at London College of Fashion
13:27
13:27 joining us at Future Forum. Would you
13:29
13:29 like to come as a guest? Definitely.
13:30
13:30 >> Right. So, same invitation to you,
13:32
13:32 Annie. Of course. Um, what area would
13:35
13:35 you like to explore?
13:36
13:36 >> I’d love to explore music more. I’d love
13:38
13:38 to explore what goes into creating
13:40
13:40 songs, songwriting, stuff like that. Um,
13:43
13:43 I sort of was really into music in my
13:45
13:45 old school and then when I came to Brit,
13:47
13:47 I was sort of overwhelmed by the amount
13:49
13:49 of options. I stuck to my lane. So, I
13:52
13:52 think music I would love to explore
13:54
13:54 more.
13:55
13:55 >> Amazing. that we are going to uh follow
13:58
13:58 those adventures with keen interest. My
14:01
14:01 my only my only cheeky question is will
14:03
14:03 you have a think about that one day when
14:05
14:05 you go off on these amazing adventures,
14:07
14:07 will you consider letting us use these
14:10
14:10 uh predictions of what you’d like to do
14:12
14:12 more of and we can uh we can look back
14:13
14:13 on them together.
14:14
14:14 >> Definitely.
14:16
14:16 >> Yeah.
14:16
14:16 >> Good. Well, we want to do that. But on a
14:17
14:17 serious note, you must uh you must keep
14:19
14:19 us posted because what you’ve already
14:21
14:21 experienced at the British School is
14:22
14:22 about helping each other and taking an
14:24
14:24 interest in what everyone around you is
14:26
14:26 doing. And that is 100% what we’re
14:27
14:27 about. So Jaden, Annie, thank you very
14:29
14:29 much indeed.
14:30
14:30 >> Thank you very much.
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