The festival brought together young people from schools across the region to celebrate creativity, storytelling and the power of words.

Throughout the day, our students worked with professional writers in a range of creative workshops. They explored poetry, storytelling and different ways to express their ideas through writing.

Students also heard from headline speaker Lize Meddings, author and illustrator of the popular The Sad Ghost Club series. Lize shared her own journey as a writer and encouraged students to be honest, creative and confident in their work.

There was plenty happening throughout the day. Students visited a lively lunchtime expo with creative partners, browsed books at the popular £1 book stall and met other young writers who share their love of storytelling.

A special moment came when students from Grange and North Manchester joined Lize on stage for a live Q&A session. They asked thoughtful questions about writing, creativity and what inspires her stories.

The day finished with a student showcase, stepping on the stage to perform their work in front of the audience. Their pieces were thoughtful, funny and powerful, showing just how much talent there is in our classrooms.

Events like this help our students grow in confidence and find their voice. By sharing their stories, they learn that their ideas matter and that writing can be a powerful way to connect with others.

We’re incredibly proud of all the students who took part and represented their academies so well.