The App School
The App School was commissioned by the Cultural Strategy Team at Manchester City Council in order to develop the ‘Innoversity’ concept - building the capacity of cultural organisations to support access to employment and a robust partnership with Higher and Further Education institutions.
The programme was targeted towards 18-24 year olds based in the Manchester area. Delivered in partnership by Cornerhouse, The White Room, Manchester Metropolitan University (Creative Manchester) and Manchester Beacons for Public Engagement, the project was designed to help develop key employability skills which would assist entry into the creative and digital sectors whilst simultaneously creating links between participants and industry.
Participants worked on a ‘live brief’ developing their ideas for iPhone ‘Apps’ – one of the fastest growing areas of the digital industry – whilst undergoing training on key skills required by businesses in the digital and creative industry. At the end of the project, successful applicants had the chance to pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts, with the chance to see their concept realised.
How does this project carry out the Cultural Ambition?
Creative Investor
By encouraging partnership working between public and private sector organisations as well as the city’s educational institutions, this project encourages the creation of new links between creative enterprises and other business sectors.
- MMU, Cornerhouse and Manchester Beacons were consulted throughout development, with detailed input into both programme design and marketing;
- The support programme was developed in close consultation with Manchester’s creative and digital industries, in order for it to reflect and respond to the needs of the sector;
- The White Room consulted with prolific business in the sector to assess key skill gaps typical in new entrants which could be addressed by the programme;
- As a result of successful partnership working, the relationship between Cornerhouse, Manchester Metropolitan University and the White Room has strengthened, already leading to new collaborations.
- The App School received excellent media coverage in Manchester, with an interview with The White Room’s Phil Birchenall appearing in the South Manchester Reporter, with a front page lead-in. The Manchester Evening News also featured the call-out for applications, through a half-page feature in their Media section. Finally BBC North West Tonight ran a story on the programme, which aired on 13 May 2010. Coverage of this nature is fundamental to putting Manchester’s creative and digital industries in the spotlight, building on its position as a market leader in the sector.
Talent City
‘Innoversity’ projects like the App School enable the creative industries to encourage Manchester’s residents to continue skills acquisition outside a traditional educational setting. They also provide the opportunity for talent to emerge and develop, simultaneously creating networks which open up routes into employment.
- Rather than focusing on technical skills, the programme helped participants to develop skills which were identified as lacking amongst new entrants into the sector, such as interpersonal skills and team working, financial planning and presenting;
- Participants were encouraged throughout the project to participate in local networking opportunities, including Transmissions, Northern Digitals and the Creative Timeslaunch. As well as encouraging participants to build relationships which could lead to further work experience or employment, this re-affirmed the existence of creative opportunities in Manchester;
- To stimulate demand for the programme, entry was via a competition which was circulated in the local press, as well as via a wide range of other communication channels. By raising visibility of the App School, this again helped to reinforce Manchester as a place where this type of opportunity exists;
- The project has had some very positive outcomes for participants, including internships at Connect2Media. LA-based app developers MEDL Mobile, who were part of the pitch panel, are also exploring future opportunities. The young people involved have also taken the initiative in terms of exploring networking opportunities to create their own links within the sector.
I have never had the chance to learn about understanding finances, and it was great to be taught things that I know personally will be useful now and in the future.
I think it was a fantastic opportunity to get to meet like-minded people in Manchester and get to know people already in the creative industry in the area.
I just want to say thank you for this opportunity.
…it was brilliant and I really hope it’s the beginning of an excellent series of App Schools.
To be a part of the app school has been exciting, fun, friendly and very useful for my future career in design and the creative world. A big thank you to Phil and the rest of the people involved for making this possible.
One word – EPIC.