They attended a special premiere of their own 360° and fulldome films created through the Bradford Digital Creatives programme.
Thirteen- and fourteen-year-old students from Dixons Allerton Academy travelled to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cheshire, home to world-leading space science and education, to experience their immersive films on the big screen for the first time. Their works were projected inside Jodrell Bank’s spectacular 76-metre Space Dome auditorium, offering them a truly out-of-this-world showcase of their talents.
The students’ films were the result of hands-on workshops delivered in partnership with Cosmos Planetarium, in their school. Thirty pupils explored everything from fisheye camera lenses and VJ loops to artificial intelligence. Working inside a specially installed 6-metre inflatable dome at Dixons Allerton, they experimented with immersive video technology, developed new skills, and discovered creative career pathways.
This unique educational experience is part of Bradford Digital Creatives, a two-year pilot programme delivered by the National Science and Media Museum and Born in Bradford (Age of Wonder), with support from Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, Bradford Council and Arts Council England. The programme is designed to empower young people to tell their stories through digital art forms such as immersive video, audio storytelling, and light coding – expanding cultural participation and developing a new generation of digital talent in the city.
Since its launch, Bradford Digital Creatives has worked with over 1800 teenagers across six Bradford secondary schools. By connecting cultural organisations, schools and artists, the project builds confidence, raises aspirations, and ensures that creative opportunities are open to every young person in the district.
“We were so proud to see the incredible work these young people created,” said Sally Folkard, Head of Screen and Cultural Engagement at the National Science and Media Museum. “Watching their 360° and fulldome films projected in the Space Dome was a powerful moment that showed them their stories truly matter—and that digital creativity can take them anywhere.”
Adil Rauf, E-learning Media Specialist at Dixons Allerton Academy, added: “Our students put so much effort into these films, and it was magical to see them screened at Jodrell Bank. It’s an experience that will stay with them for a long time, showing what’s possible when they work creatively and collaboratively.”
Julia Riley, Head of Education and Interpretation at Jodrell Bank, said: “Our space dome is designed to spark curiosity about the universe, so using it to amplify young people’s own creative visions was truly special. Collaborations like this demonstrate that science, art and storytelling all belong together.”
Some of the students’ films as well as additional digital artworks from Dixons Allerton Academy and five other Bradford schools are on display in our ReelBFD: Digital Arts, Bradford Stories exhibition here at the National Science and Media Museum until 7 September.
Find out more about Bradford Digital Creatives
If you’d like to learn more about this ambitious programme and how it’s inspiring the next generation of digital artists and storytellers in Bradford, visit our website.
