We’ve taken a snapshot of where 1,300 Year 9 students across six Bradford secondary schools were before the Bradford Digital Creatives project began.
This data, gathered by Born in Bradford’s Age of Wonder study in early 2024, helps us understand where we’re starting from—and why this project matters.
Here are some highlights:
Interest in digital arts
- Just over a third (37%) of all students said they’re interested in digital arts events or activities.
- Interest is higher among boys (43%) than girls (37%).
- Young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) showed even stronger interest (46%) compared to those without (38%).
Participation so far
- Most young people rarely take part in digital arts.
- Boys are more likely to say they participate “often” (38%) than girls (29%).
- Students eligible for free school meals were more likely to say they’d never taken part (15%) than those who aren’t eligible (10%).
Who’s taking part in our project?
- Six schools across Bradford, from Keighley to Bradford West.
- Students from a range of ethnic backgrounds—including over 500 Asian students, around 150 white students, and others.
- Significant numbers with free school meals eligibility and/or SEN support.
View our data visualisation
Click here to view more data about the Bradford Digital Creatives participants (opens PDF).
This is the starting point. Over the last two years, students have been co-creating new digital artworks, collaborating with professional artists, and exploring creative careers—so we can help boost participation, interest, and aspirations for the future.
We’ll share the full impact of Bradford Digital Creatives in Autumn 2025.
Find out more by following the #ImADigitalCreative hashtag on social media.