UMPACI and Curated Place with Manchester Metropolitan University’s School of Digital Arts (SODA) supported by the British Council are inviting applications from North Macedonia-based creative education professionals and practicing creative professionals who want to develop new skills for working with entry-level learners in:
- 3D and screen creative practice (animation, virtual production, digital storytelling)
- Creative production (production management, pipelines, workflows, project delivery)
3 selected applicants will join a blended programme of online workshops, a study visit to Manchester (UK), a practical lab week in Skopje with UK tutors and a mentored development period leading to a new work for public showcase at UMPAKI’s Forum for Creative Industries (or a similar sector event).
No previous Unreal or Motion Capture experience is necessary but applicants should be able to recruit and ensure the participation of up to 6 young learners who can participate alongside them in the development programme (excluding the UK visit).
- During the online sessions students and leaders will be trained in the production workflow used by Curated Place to deliver effective creative project management.
- The leaders will then travel to the UK to develop a hands-on creative programme learning from the School Of Digital Art (SODA) teams at Manchseter School of Art.
- Students and leaders, supported by a visiting UK team will then pilot a new creative masterclass during a week to create a new approach to creative learning that marries practical storytelling with production process.
- Follow up sessions will support the ongoing development of leaders and students to produce a creative output for showcasing at UMPACI’s events
What the programme supports
This programme is designed to help you develop new education workflows that connect production skills to creative talent, using:
- Unreal Engine
- Motion capture workflows
- Production pipelines and creative narrative workflows
- Creative production and project management tools (including Curated Place’s DESIGN framework), aligned to employability and industry-readiness for emerging talent
Who should apply
You are eligible if you are:
- A North Macedonia-based creative education professional (university, college, school, training provider, youth programme, hub, NGO) working with young people or entry-level learners, or
- A practicing creative professional developing the careers of entry-level professionals (18+), with a clear educational or mentoring role
You should be actively delivering, or able to deliver, education and training in at least one of the following areas:
- Creative production and production management
- Animation, screen skills, or digital storytelling
- 3D, real-time, virtual production, immersive or interactive media
What you will commit to
By applying, you confirm you can:
1.Attend all scheduled online workshops (dates below)
2.Travel to the UK for the study visit and workshops in Manchester with Curated Place and SODA
3.Recruit and support a small group of 4 to 6 entry-level students or emerging practitioners to take part in the Skopje lab week with the UK team
4.Co-develop and produce a new work (or prototype) for showcase at UMPACI’s Forum for Creative Industries (or similar event), supported through mentoring
Programme schedule (required attendance)
- Session 0: 27 February 2026
- Sessions 1.1 and 1.2: 13 March 2026
- Sessions 2.1 and 2.2: 27 March 2026
- Sessions 3.1 and 3.2 (UK visit): 30 March to 3 April 2026
- Sessions 4.1 and 4.2 (Skopje lab week with UK participants): 4 to 8 May 2026
- Sessions 5.1 and 5.2: Online mentoring and development of new works, May to June 2026
- Session 6: Delivery and showcase of output, September 2026
Participants guarantee their own full participation in the project and that of students, and a minimum of 2 creative outputs from their work for UMPACI showcase as well as contributing to the iteration of learning materials and processes
UK travel and passport/visa requirements
Note: By applying, you confirm you are available to travel to the UK from 30 March to 3 April 2026 and to take part in all workshops and development activity.
You also confirm that:
- You hold a valid passport with at least 12 months remaining before expiry at the time of travel
- You have no restrictions on travel and no reason to believe you would be refused a UK visa (for example, previous refusals, restrictions on travel, or criminal convictions)
What you will gain
Selected participants will:
- Build confidence in contemporary screen and 3D production pipelines, including Unreal Engine and motion capture workflows
- Strengthen teaching and mentoring approaches for entry-level talent, connecting skills to employability and sector pathways
- Gain international peer learning and partnership experience through UK and North Macedonia delivery
- Create a new work or prototype with mentoring support, with a public showcase opportunity
How to apply
Applications should be submitted via the programme application form (as provided by the organisers). You will be asked to outline:
- Your role and organisation (or professional practice)
- The entry-level group you work with and how you will recruit 4 to 6 participants for the Skopje lab
- Your interest in Unreal Engine, motion capture, screen/animation, and creative production workflows
- Your capacity to commit to the full schedule, including travel
Deadline
Submit your application by 23:59 (your local time) on 13 February 2026, applicants will be informed of participation in the programme by 18th February 2026.
Future Storytelling is supported by the British Council WB-UK Creative Skills Development Fund which enables partnerships between the Western Balkans and the UK.
APPLY HERE: FORM LINK
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