Bradford Digital Creatives Wins Best Use of Digital at the Museums + Heritage Awards 2026
We're delighted to announce that Bradford Digital Creatives has won Best Use of Digital (UK) at the 24th Annual Museums + Heritage Awards 2026, presented at Hilton Park Lane, London.
The award recognises the programme's innovative approach to digital creativity, cultural participation and youth co-creation across Bradford schools.
The judges recognised the programme's co-curation model and tangible impacts, describing it as having "young people at its heart" and using "digital as a powerful tool for equity and creative empowerment."
What This Win Means
Bradford Digital Creatives was a three-year pilot programme (2023–2026) delivered by Born in Bradford and the National Science and Media Museum, with support from Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, Bradford Council and Arts Council England.
It reached over 3,000 young people across ten Bradford secondary schools. Through Vital Culture UK's direct delivery across four Bradford secondary schools (plus an earlier three-day pilot), 102 students took part, with a 100% film completion rate. Every group wrote, filmed, edited and screened an original short film — from blank page to screening in a single day.
Why It Matters
Sally Folkard, Head of Screen and Cultural Engagement at the National Science & Media Museum, captured what made this work:
"The success stories coming out of Bradford Digital Creatives are nothing short of inspiring — from a 14-year-old becoming a BAFTA Young Game Designers finalist after being inspired in a workshop, to a school launching its own student-led Games Design Club, and students uncovering talents that have shaped their future education choices. We also saw artists re-energised by the creativity and curiosity of the classroom — rediscovering the joy of their own practice through the eyes of a new generation. This mutual exchange is what made the project so powerful: it wasn't just about delivering workshops, but about sharing experiences, building confidence, and forging sustainable relationships between education and culture."
Student Impact
The programme has already influenced educational choices, creative confidence and career aspirations:
A Year 9 student at Carlton Keighley transformed a workshop idea into Server Storm, earning a place as a BAFTA Young Game Designers finalist.
An Appleton Academy student changed her GCSE options to Drama after discovering a talent for performance during a Bradford Digital Creatives short film workshop.
Students across the five schools gained hands-on experience of professional filmmaking tools and processes — and realised they could make something powerful in a single day.
The Programme Is Now Available to Book
The single-day filmmaking model developed through Bradford Digital Creatives is now available for secondary schools, museums and cultural organisations across the UK.
Whether you're looking to build creative confidence, develop storytelling skills, support curriculum outcomes, or give young people a complete filmmaking experience in a single day, we'd love to hear from you.
Full details: 24th Annual Museums + Heritage Awards winners announced 13 May 2026.
See [awards.museumsandheritage.com](https://awards.museumsandheritage.com/2026-winners/) for all winners across 19 categories.