A space for young people across Manchester to share their creativity, be inspired, to influence and effect change
Being in lockdown doesn’t mean our imaginations have to be too. To support people at home to keep being creative, Manchester’s cultural organisations have teamed-up to set a series of art challenges.
Each fortnight, a new challenge will be set by a different cultural organisation, including Manchester International Festival and Manchester Art Gallery. Open to home-learners, teachers, parents and anyone else who wants to be creative! Upload your creative response by snapping a picture or a video to Instagram or Twitter along with #creativeyouthmcr.
Submissions will be featured on this site with the chance to see your creations on display in galleries across the city at the end of lockdown.
The Horsfall at 42nd Street
The Future Is Ours
‘In a year where young people have been ignored, disrupted and blamed. One of the few spaces for their voice has been through creativity and art. We want to celebrate what they've created and hear what they have to say.’
- Rod Kippen, The Horsfall’s Creative Producer
This site began with the need to do something in response to the effect the pandemic has had on young people, including loosing all their end of year events and the opportunity to showcase their work. So, bringing together students across Manchester, the site was co-produced to become a digital platform to share their work, responses and voices.
A newly formed youth board will be taking ownership with the aim to create connections between young people and cultural organisations across the city. The latest addition to this platform is the launch of Creative Challenges.
Keep scrolling to journey through the wonderful work of Manchester’s young artists.
Abraham Moss Community School
Natural Forms
‘When we started our Art and Design GCSE course, we had no idea how much our lives were going to change. Our artwork and ideas were scattered between home and school. What follows are outstanding pieces of art that remained at school and are just snippets of the first project Natural Forms.’
Zainab, GCSE student, 2020
Manchester Communication Academy
Final Artworks
‘In addition to the lockdown, as GCSE students we were posed with the challenge of upholding our effort towards our work. We had to adapt to the circumstances, such as attending online lessons whilst continuing our projects, which required perseverance from both us and our teachers. This ultimately helped us to achieve our grades.’
Fatimah, Textiles Student, 2020
Chorlton High School
Virtual Exhibitions
‘If only we knew then what we know now, is a thought that often crosses my mind when thinking about the year 11 artists and photographers that left us prior to lockdown. It felt really important to us as a department and as a school to celebrate the work our students made in more innocent times. They missed out on having the usual end of year show but I feel that this fab interactive exhibition goes some way to fill that gap.’
Sarah, Head of Art at Chorlton High School, 2020
Manchester College
Final Major Projects
‘At the start of our Final Major Projects, we were left working out how we would adapt to being outside of our day to day workspaces, within our well-known college environs; due to the lockdown and isolation that began in March.’
Hannah, Art & Design Student, 2020