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In July 2025, MADE’s Youth Voice Group, The Creative Influencers, will unveil their self-directed animation project at a special showcase event at HOME. This celebration marks the culmination of months of collaboration, creativity, and storytelling—bringing their collective vision to life on screen!

The Creative Influencers, MADE’s Youth Voice group, meet monthly to visit cultural venues across Manchester. They explore these spaces and exhibitions through the lens of a young person, questioning how the city’s cultural offerings are experienced by people their age (13-18). The group has existed since near the beginning of MADE in 2020- they have been engaging in projects and developing skills ever since!

This year their focus has been growing their digital art and animation skills! Thanks to funding from AutoTrader and GMCA, the group have had the opportunity to use iPads and software to create their own animation content. They have been guided by the wonderful Yasmin, a young animator who has been helping them to develop digital skills.

The Creative Influencers have been learning about the production process for animation and how storyboarding, stop motion, photo collaging and digital drawing can all feed into animation content.

“It’s opened up so many doors not just creatively but politically… I’ve seen so many theatres and exhibitions I didn’t even know existed!” – Binish, 18