On Wednesday 7 February, Carmen Croxall from The Prop Factory came to deliver a talk to our students.
The Prop Factory is an Exeter-based prop hire company, which designs and makes its own props and then rents them out for a range of uses, from weddings to film sets. Carmen came to talk to School and College students about the challenges of running a company, as well as the personal challenges she has overcome to reach her goals, such as dyslexia and bi-polar disorder. Carmen started the Prop Factory in 2011, working from her parents’ garage, and now it is a million-pound business with customers such as Britain’s Got Talent, Persil, the Guardian, Smirnoff, Glastonbury and Hendrick’s Gin.
After listening to Carmen’s talk which was BSL interpreted by Academy staff, our students had a go at designing their own props to a customer brief – just like Carmen does.
Academy Occupational Therapist Sarah Ankers said:
“Having a successful business owner, who has challenged stereotypical barriers, visit the Academy is a great opportunity for our students. The talk will encourage them to draw on their ideas and creativity and support them in taking on new challenges to realise their full potential.”
A big thank you to Carmen for coming to speak to us!