The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford has been shortlisted for Best Use of Digital (UK) at the prestigious Museums + Heritage Awards for the Bradford Digital Creatives project.
This pioneering collaboration co-led by Born in Bradford is empowering young people to share stories about themselves, their pasts and their futures through a range of digital artforms, working with professional artists from Bradford and beyond.
The project has already reached more than 3,000 students across ten schools in the district – building digital skills, confidence and aspirations for future careers in the creative industries.
The global awards celebrate the very best in the world of museums, galleries, and cultural and heritage visitor attractions and the ceremony to reveal the winners will take place on the evening of Wednesday 13 May 2026, at Hilton Park Lane, London.
This year’s shortlist, which includes entrants from all over the United Kingdom as well as museums and other cultural organisations in 10 other countries ranging from Malta to Australia and Spain, have been chosen by an independent panel of nine judges, who are all well-known in the museum’s world.
Sally Folkard, Head of Screen and Cultural Engagement at the National Science and Media Museum, said: “The success stories coming out of Bradford Digital Creatives are nothing short of inspiring – from a 14-year-old becoming a BAFTA Young Game Designers finalist after being inspired in a workshop, to a school launching its own student-led Games Design Club, and students uncovering talents that have shaped their future education choices. We also saw artists re-energised by the creativity and curiosity of the classroom – rediscovering the joy of their own practice through the eyes of a new generation. This mutual exchange is what made the project so powerful: it wasn’t just about delivering workshops, but about sharing experiences, building confidence, and forging sustainable relationships between education and culture.”
Anna Preedy, Director of Museums + Heritage Awards commented: “This year we received a record number of entries to the Awards, which has been fantastic to see. I was particularly struck by how competitive the Community Engagement category has become. Museums and cultural organisations increasingly act as welcoming spaces at the heart of their communities, and it has been inspiring to see how many projects have been developed in genuine collaboration with those communities. Many exhibitions and initiatives have been co-curated, placing community voices front and centre and creating space for stories to be shared in ways that are imaginative, inclusive and far less prescriptive.”
