Creative Launchpad with Tangerine

From December to February, we’ve been busy delivering Creative Launchpad with Chorlton High School and Burnage Academy for Boys — and what a few months it’s been!

The aim of the project was simple: to help young people understand what a career in creative communications actually looks like, and to give them the chance to experience it for themselves.

Creative Launchpad was delivered in collaboration with Tangerine, a leading PR and social agency based in central Manchester. Their team worked closely with us to plan and deliver engaging school sessions, as well as hosting both schools at their head office for an immersive industry experience.

During the in-school sessions, students were introduced to the wide variety of roles available within creative communications. From PR and social media to branding and campaign strategy, they explored the many pathways that exist within this fast-moving sector.

Students also conducted their own research within school, speaking to their peers to find out what other young people knew — or thought they knew — about careers in creative communications. This gave them the opportunity to challenge perceptions and reflect on how visible (or invisible) these careers can seem to those still in education.

Each school was invited to spend a day at Tangerine’s head office — an experience that was met with huge excitement. The students loved touring the office space (which they thought was very cool!) and getting a feel for a real creative working environment. Throughout the day, they took part in a series of workshops led by industry experts, gaining practical insights into the skills and thinking required in creative communications. A highlight for many was the Q&A session with Tangerine staff. There were thoughtful questions, curious minds — and of course, the age-old favourite: “How much do you get paid?” We loved the creative ways the team navigated that one!

To bring everything together, students were set a live brief: to brand and market a brand-new work experience programme for Tangerine. Back at school, they applied everything they had learned to develop their ideas and presentations.

The final pitches were incredibly impressive. Heather and Joe from Tangerine visited the schools to watch the presentations and judge the entries — and we’re very glad they were the ones tasked with choosing a winner! The winning concept will be used going forward, giving students the exciting opportunity to see their ideas come to life in a real-world setting.

A huge thank you to Tangerine for their time, energy and expertise in giving these young people an experience they might not otherwise have had. And thank you to We Love Manchester for funding the project and making Creative Launchpad possible.

Creative Launchpad has been a fantastic example of what can happen when schools and industry come together — opening doors, broadening horizons, and inspiring the next generation of creative communicators.