Learning
London Spring Break: Filmmaking & Culture
A group of 10 Muskingum University students traveled to London, England for a Spring Break study abroad trip from March 2-10, 2024.
The trip was led by Assistant Professor of Media Communications Michael Carvaines and Associate Professor of English Kekoa Kaluhiokalani.
The students enrolled in Professor Carvaines’ Advanced Media Production class had the unique opportunity to make a short film while in London. “In preparing for the trip, the students selected a cast of London-based actors, conducted interviews via Zoom, and worked through the process of acquiring permits for filming locations,” he said. “They carefully planned equipment needs, all of which traveled with us from Muskingum in carry-on luggage.”
Filming took three days at locations that included Kensington Gardens, Notting Hill, and the Portobello Road Market. The script for the film, “Sussex Gardens,” was written by Professor Carvaines, inspired by his experience as a co-leader with Professor Kaluhiokalani during their 2023 Spring Break study abroad trip to London.
The trip itinerary for all students provided a variety of opportunities to explore history and culture. They experienced Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and the National Gallery; attended the West End musical “Standing At the Sky’s Edge;” visited Chinatown; and sampled multiple international cuisines. Five members of the group opted to take in a Queens Park Rangers soccer game.
A day at Greenwich included visits to the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark, a river board ride, and photo ops at the zero degrees longitude marker.
Students had the option to take a day trip to Hampton Court Palace or to Paris, where they visited the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Moulin Rouge, and Sacre-Coeur Basilica, and enjoyed meals at an artisanal pastry shop and a Montmartre restaurant.
During a “free day” at the end of the trip, when students chose their own adventures and confidently navigated London public transit, some visited Camden Market and the Portobello Road Market.
“This trip marked the 30th anniversary of my first visit to London, which occurred when I was a student,” Professor Kaluhiokalani commented. “It is a great joy to travel with our Muskingum students and to share with them the life-changing impact of being immersed in another country and culture.”
