A free, creative multimedia project for KS3 students in Manchester, London and Birmingham aimed at inspiring young people’s interests in different creative fields. The REFRAME: Inspire Schools Project gets students working collaboratively with artist-educators on a digital ‘zine’, weaving poetry, visual art and digital skills to create their own online publication, supported by Apple technology. Students will take their creative brief from the Southbank Centre’s artistic programme, as part of their 75th anniversary celebrations happening in Summer 2026.

This project is a unique opportunity for students to explore their creativity across different mediums, work with world-class artists, and share their work with performance and exhibition opportunities. As part of the project, participating teachers will receive free CPD sessions to develop their own creative and digital skills, and how to use them in the classroom.

This project is open to mainstream and SEND secondary schools across Greater Manchester. It has been designed for KS3, aimed at students who are making their GCSE choices.

HOW DOES THE PROGRAMME WORK?

  • Across Autumn 2025 and Spring 2026, 20 young people from each school will take part in five whole-day workshops at school, delivered by professional artist-facilitators.
  • Young people will create a collaborative class zine using Apple Technology. Young people will develop learning in literacy, design, IT, history, performance and art.
  • All zines will be collated together into an online exhibition and will be shared at Factory International and Southbank Centre
  • A minimum of one teacher from each school will take part in the project’s bespoke CPD opportunity which will be delivered in Autumn 2025. This opportunity will enable teachers to network and uncover ways to further embed creativity and digital skills into their curriculum.
  • Factory International will throw a local celebration event in Spring 2026.
  • All participating students will visit the Southbank Centre in Summer 2026 as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations.

Key dates

Deadline for schools to apply: Wednesday 1 October

Teacher CPD and school workshops delivered: Autumn 2025 – Spring 2025 (dates TBC)

Local celebration: Spring 2026

London celebration: Summer 2026

WHAT WILL YOUR SCHOOL NEED TO DO?

  • Provide dedicated member/s of staff for the Creative Learning Team to contact prior to, during and following the programme
  • Organise and cover the cost of travel for students and staff to central Manchester. Factory International will cover the cost of schools travelling to London from central Manchester.
  • Contribute to and complete Factory International’s monitoring and evaluation processes, including providing parents/guardians with Factory International’s photo and video consent form and returning forms prior to the programme.
  • For this project, we ask that a minimum of 50% of the class from each school is eligible for Pupil Premium or Free School Meals, and 50% of the class is from the Global Majority.

WHAT WILL FACTORY INTERNATIONAL OFFER?

  • A high-quality creative learning project for one class of students at your school
  • A team of skilled artist-facilitators with vast experience working with young people of varying needs
  • A trip to Southbank Centre in July 2026. Travel to London, from central Manchester, will be covered by the project.
  • A local celebration event in Spring 2026
  • A dedicated member of staff to oversee the programme and be a point of contact

Apply now

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