From the Nominator

“Together was not easy. It was two meters, an elbow bump and a smile hidden beneath a mask.”

“Together, We Belong” is a video that celebrates the strength of our community. Written and produced after the March 2020 lockdown, the video is a powerful and stirring reminder that, even though new and current students at the University of Bath couldn't be together on campus, the values and spirit of the university united everyone in a common purpose.

The video features user-generated clips from members of the university to show how students supported their peers, their communities, and the NHS between March and June. It features footage of the Facebook workouts held by officers at the Students' Union, clips of sports clubs raising money for NHS charities, and vlogs from the community as they adjusted to life under lockdown. It brings together clips from Bath in lockdown, scenes filmed by students at #BlackLivesMatter protests, and celebrations from the university's first virtual graduation to help document a year like no other. 

A poem, written for the video by the university’s social media manager, and performed by one of the university's students, captures the spirit and togetherness of the university community in coping and supporting each other through an incredibly difficult period. It encourages viewers to look to the future—a time when eventually, the university will be together again.

From the Judges

Understanding a year that defines a university can take a video series or a feature-length film. However, the University of Bath managed to sum it up succinctly with “Together, We Belong.” In less than two minutes, the viewer feels like they’re a student at the university, and experiencing their entire year with them. As Roger Ebert said “Movies are the most powerful empathy machine in all the arts.” Based on the responses from this video, and the excellent metrics, it proves that the University of Bath was extremely successful in spreading its message.