he BBC’s Digital Cities returns to Manchester this February with a series of masterclasses, workshops and networking opportunities, for those looking to thrive and learn in the city’s booming creative digital sector.
The programme of events aims to help industry professionals from across the TV, Digital and related creative industries develop their digital skills, showcase the breadth of opportunities and grow their digital networks across Manchester.
The week (Monday 25 February to Saturday 2 March) will offer stimulating discussions on the future of digital technology, hands-on workshops and training, and an opportunity to network and build a more digitally diverse workforce.
Do you have a burning desire to write compelling drama or comedy for social media? Want to learn how to use your phone to create broadcast quality video? Or maybe you’d like to get hands-on with the latest Apps that can transform your video shorts into professional looking attention grabbers?
Then Digital Cities Manchester has all this to offer and more. The week includes:
Monday 25 February
BBC Digital Skills Day
Aimed at broadening horizons around digital content making, this free event features experts behind short form content for BBC Three and BBC 1Xtra, workshops on creating your own podcast in a week on £50 and how to create, shoot and edit engaging shortform on your smartphone. The day includes a podcasting workshop, an Instagram workshop with Onyi Moss and a blogging workshop with Holly Wood.
Open Doors: Careers in Screen
Hear from the broadcasting giants based in Manchester, including BBC, Shine North and ITV, for an insight into what jobs are out there and the chance to build connections with industry professionals.
Thursday 28 February
Storytelling in the Internet Age
Creative England presents a look at the world of storytelling in the age of the internet. Will Saunders of Storyfutures will deliver a keynote address, and BBC commissioning editors Cordelia Hebblethwaite and Daisy Griffith, and Channel 4’s Laura Marks feature in a Meet the Digital Commissioner session.
Friday 1 March
Digital Sounds: Fast Forward to the Future of Audio
A music and radio event brought to you by The Landing & Salford University. Panel discussions include a look at how the music industry is changing and how to get into digital radio.
Other events during the week will include a Digital in the Arts themed conference at The Lowry Theatre from the team behind Hello Culture, and The Sharp Project is hosting Raspberry Pi Foundation’s world-leading showcase for content produced by technologically-creative young people.
Digital Cities runs from Monday 25 February to Saturday 2 March. For more information on the week’s event and for tickets visit:
BBC Digital Cities Project Lead, Shirley Benson, said: “Digital Cities offers a wide variety of events to appeal to those working within and looking to get into Manchester’s vibrant and growing creative digital industries. We are proud the BBC is able to bring together this wealth of partners to deliver an engaging, immersive and valuable opportunity for people working and studying in the city.”
