Bradford Digital Creatives: Accessible Filmmaking for Young Creatives
A Vital Culture UK partnership with Born in Bradford and the National Science and Media Museum.
Introduction
Filmmaking for Young Creatives
A Vital Culture UK partnership with Born in Bradford and the National Science and Media Museum.
Project Title: Bradford Digital Creatives
School: Appleton Academy, Bradford (1 of 6 participating schools)
Workshop Dates: 26–28 February 2025
Exhibition: ReelBFD: Digital Arts, Bradford Stories
Exhibition Dates: Now Showing – 14 June to 7 September 2025, National Science and Media Museum
Partners: National Science and Media Museum, Born in Bradford, Bradford 2025, Bradford Council, Arts Council England
Bradford Digital Creatives is a transformative initiative empowering young people to tell their stories using accessible digital tools. Over 1,200 teenagers from across Bradford are collaborating with professional artists to explore 360-degree video, interactive games, sound design and more.
At Appleton Academy, Vital Culture UK delivered a filmmaking-focused workshop that culminated in a public showcase as part of the 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations.
What We Did
Led by award-winning creative producer Tanya Vital, students explored the fundamentals of digital storytelling and content creation using the tools they already had access to—no expensive gear required.
Appleton Academy Highlights:
🎬 Scriptwriting & Storyboarding: Students crafted original narratives.
🎥 Hands-On Filming: Used iPads and tripods for professional-grade setups.
✂️ CapCut Editing Tutorials: Learned core post-production techniques.
🎨 Movie Poster Design: Created promotional artwork for each film.
📢 Team Interviews: Developed presenting, reflection, and speaking skills.
🎧 Audio ADR & Post Work – Some students even redubbed scenes or created soundtracks.
🧠 Creative Problem-Solving – Tech hiccups became opportunities to adapt and lead.
Outcomes & Impact
Students worked in new groups outside of their usual friendship circles and built confidence through collaboration.
Many expressed interest in continuing with filmmaking and were visibly proud of their final work.
The workshop directly inspired career-focused gallery content and a proposed social media storytelling workshop for later in 2025.
now showing at NSMM:
14 June – 7 September 2024
National Science and Media Museum, Bradford
Don’t miss the chance to see the incredible work created by Bradford’s young digital storytellers! This immersive exhibition features:
360° videos
Interactive digital art
Short films from Appleton Academy students
Original movie posters and interviews created during the workshop
Why Attend?
Witness how young creatives use accessible technology (iPads, CapCut) to redefine storytelling.
Join Us in Shaping the Future
Visit the Exhibition: Experience the creativity of Bradford’s next generation. Click here
Partner With Us: Support our mission to empower young storytellers. Contact Us
Follow Our Journey: Stay updated on social media using #ImADigitalCreative and #LetsCreate.
Testimonials
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“This program has inspired me to keep creating films. I never thought I could do something like this!”
Student Participant
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“The talent and professionalism of our students blew me away. I couldn’t believe one of them was a student and not a professional filmmaker!”
Local Teacher
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"This program showed me I don’t need fancy tools to make films – just ideas and teamwork!"
Student Participant
