;

ºüÀêÊÓƵ

Lancaster University

The ºüÀêÊÓƵ Lancaster University Summer Institute Film Programme is an immersive three-week programme which allows students to develop an understanding of the formal and technical composition of films and the wider conventions of cinema.

is a highly ranked global university and among the best in the UK. We are in the top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2026 and consistently placed in the top 15 in major UK league tables.

Lancaster’s beautiful 578-acre campus is situated in green parkland, 3 miles from Lancaster city centre. With more than 25,000 trees, 6.5 miles worth of hedgerows and an orchard, there is plenty of green spaces to relax and socialise with friends. Lancaster is an ideal location for exploring the UK, only 1 hour from Manchester and the Lake District, and 2.5 hours from London.

Through a combination of a combination of lectures, screening and workshops, participants on the will develop the theoretical knowledge they will need to put into practice when working on the project in the final week. The lectures provide an understanding of the formal and technical composition of films necessary to undertake detailed analysis, from the level of close scrutiny of individual images, and their interrelation with the soundtrack, through to the narrative assembly of shots and scenes. Through the analysis of a range of examples, participants will become familiar with the key formal and semantic conventions of cinema.

The practical workshops allow for the development of skills to work with cameras and digital film equipment as well as developing post-production and editing skills. Every participant is given the chance to write a short script following guidelines. Working in a group, participants will select a script to pitch and produce. Participants in a group all share the same mark for the completed film. In addition, they will write an essay to critically reflect on and analyse the production process, the formal and aesthetic decisions made and reflect on the completed film.

Ìý

Ìý

Highlights

Location: The historic city centre of Lancaster is bustling with life and has everything from an array of cosy cafes and high street shops to several museums and a historic castle with a fascinating story. Over summer, Lancaster is host to some exciting events like live music gigs in the town centre’s bars, and outdoor theatre performances in the green spaces of Williamson Park.

College engagement: Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK Universities to have a collegiate system. Our collegiate system and sense of community is something that makes Lancaster University so unique. When you arrive here at Lancaster, you’ll join one of our nine colleges and will later compete in a range of friendly sporting events for our annual College Cup Day!

Evening and weekends: We run free social activities in the evenings for you to relax and make friends with students from across our Global Summer School programmes. Led by our student ambassadors, there will often be choices of activities between sports, games, or cultural activities. On the weekends we’ll be hosting trips to different destinations around the UK. Previous locations have included the Lake District National Park, Liverpool, York and Manchester.

Academic StructureÌý

Week 1

Participants will be introduced to the culture, lifestyle and the environment of the UK and explore:

  • Lecture: Cinematography and the shot, and mise-en-scène, plus a film screening
  • Seminar: Discussing the topic and the film
  • Scriptwriting workshop
  • Practical camera and sound workshop
  • Post-production workshop

Ìý

Week 2

  • Lecture: Editing and film sound, plus a film screening
  • Seminar: Discussing the topic and the film
  • Lecture: Pre-production to production
  • Practical camera and sound workshop
  • Post-production workshops
  • Pitching session and informative feedback on each project

Ìý

Week 3

  • One-to-one group meeting to finalise the plan for the film project
  • Production and post-production of project
  • Presentation of the completed work

More Information

The three-week Summer Institute will run from Monday 6 July 2026 and will end on Friday 24 July 2026.

Participants will be collected from Manchester Airport and escorted to their accommodation on Sunday 5 July 2026.  

Participants are guaranteed a catered, en-suite room on campus, with shared facilities such as a kitchen and dining area.

All bedrooms are fully furnished with a single bed, desk and chair, wardrobe, and bookshelves as well as a private bathroom. Linen (bedding and towels) is provided.

There is 24/7 security on campus.

Participants are guaranteed catered accommodation that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, with most meals provided for. There are also a variety of food, drinks and shop venues on campus. Lancaster offers great transport links to major cities and places of interest.

Upon successful completion, participants will be issued an official Lancaster University transcript and awarded 15 Lancaster University academic credits (equivalent to 4 US/ 7.5 ECTS credits).

More UK Summer Institutes:

University of Bristol

Arts, Activism, and Social Justice

University of St Andrews

Scotland's History: Kingdom, Nation, People.

Queen's University Belfast

Understanding Northern Ireland

King’s College London

Modern Britain: Institutions, Power, & People

University of Birmingham

British Cultural Heritage