Leading creative company Saatchi & Saatchi has today announced three new partners for Upriser, the free creative schools’ platform it launched last year.
Supporting Upriser’s ambition to expand beyond London and reach secondary school students in every corner of the UK, the new partnerships will see the programme roll out in Wales, Scotland and the North of England for the first time.
In Cardiff, award winning creative agency Cowshed has partnered with Willows High School, where a bespoke creative programme will kick off in September.
In the Yorkshire region, global marketing agency IMA-HOME will be building a programme that focuses on creating meaningful opportunities such as apprenticeships and paid placements. As a fully integrated agency, IMA-HOME will offer students at its partner school, Brigshaw High School, the opportunity to learn across various skill sets.
With homes in both Edinburgh and Manchester, Leith is setting out to support local communities in both regions through its Upriser programme. In Edinburgh, Leith is partnering with Leith Academy, initially focusing on inspiring young people in S3 and S4 about the different opportunities a career in the creative services could offer them post-school, along with giving young people the opportunity to explore what it means to work on live briefs.
Upriser was founded by Saatchi & Saatchi in 2022 in response to what the agency describes as a ‘creative crisis’: a sustained lack of funding for creative and cultural programmes in school — equating to just £9.40 a year per student — which is on track to deal a devastating blow to the UK’s creative output due to a lack of future talent coming into the industry.
Designed to inspire with the power of creativity, Upriser offers young people aged 11-18 a real, tangible introduction and route into the creative industries. To help inspire more future talent across the UK, Upriser is inviting any British creative company that wants to facilitate meaningful change to enroll as a school partner.
Featured image: Upriser by Saatchi & Saatchi