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A huge free careers festival geared towards young creatives is coming to Manchester this week

It’s from the Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 1st April 2025

The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International are hosting a careers festival in Manchester this week, designed to empower young creatives. 

The huge free event on Thursday 3 April will take over Aviva Studios, offering everything from speed mentoring to CV clinics to expert talks. 

Attendees will be able to have a free headshot taken, meet employers and like-minded creatives, and generally get a feel for how to build a career in the creative industry.

The Career Festival will boost Manchester’s creative future by supporting the next generation of creators, investing in their skills and confidence. 

It’s all geared towards young people aged between 16 and 24 who face challenges in finding sustainable careers within the creative industries.

On the day, attendees will be able to receive one-on-one career advice from top industry professionals in speed mentoring sessions, learning from experts in marketing, media, production and more. 

They’ll also be able to network with organisations, training providers and employers including Crew gal, Walk the Plank, and Gate Films.

Expert talks will give advice on how to break into the industry, while a CV clinic will help to hone CVs into a stand-out that’ll get a foot straight in the door, along with free headshot portraits. 

A huge free careers festival geared towards young creatives is coming to Manchester this week
A huge free careers festival geared towards young creatives is coming to Manchester this week
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International careers festival. Credit: Mark Crayden Photography

And the whole time attendees will be surrounded by other creatives, building a network that could launch them towards their next big opportunity. 

The TikTok Creative Academy, delivered by Catch22 and funded by TikTok, is a free employment program designed to provide vital support to young people aged 16-24 seeking to enter the creative industries.

It’s been specifically targeted towards young people who experience barriers to employment, whether that’s because of challenges like mental health and limited educational attainment, or involvement with the criminal justice system.

The programme itself has a free employment course, offers targeted supports, and opens the door to the industry, fostering networking and career development. 

The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International careers festival.
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International careers festival.
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International careers festival. Credit: Supplied

It also offers practical skills development and emphasises creative abilities to help young people thrive. 

Quote from TikTok Creative Academy Senior Service Manager, Hilda Dotsey: “At Catch22, we are acutely aware of the challenges that young creatives face when it comes to finding sustainable employment in the creative industries and we are about to mark the 1000th person supported into work, training or further education through TikTok Creative Academy. 

“With lack of industry insight and experience cited as one of the key barriers to quality creative careers, it is fantastic to be partnering with Factory International once more. 

“This event, which celebrates our third year of delivering the programme, will open up pathways for Manchester youth, linking up the next generation of creative talent with industry experts and Manchester’s top creative voices.”

The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International: Career Festival will take place at Aviva Studios from 1pm to 4pm on Thursday 3 April. 

You can find out more about Catch22 and the services available HERE. 

Read more: MediaCity launches brand new state-of-the-art creative content space

Featured image: Mark Crayden Photography

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Manchester’s largest outdoor ice rink is returning to the city centre this festive season

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Manchester’s massive outdoor ice rink has been confirmed for a return to Cathedral Gardens once again this festive season.

Skate Manchester has always been a festive staple of our city centre, and there’s also a flurry of other frozen events and activities planned for 2025 too – including the return of the Scare Skate for Halloween.

Following success in previous years, Scare Skate returns this spooky season, and families, friends, and festive fun seekers visiting the rink this season can expect Halloween-themed music, lighting, and themed props to ignite the fright factor. 

After Halloween, the magic continues as the rink transforms into a festive wonderland.

Manchester’s largest outdoor ice rink is returning to the city centre this festive season / Credit: Supplied

Skaters can expect to glide across a gleaming ice path and spin around a dazzling seven-metre Christmas tree taking centre stage in the middle of the rink.

You’ll be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas whatever the weather has in store for our city this year too, as although the rink will be outdoors in the heart of Cathedral Gardens, the ice is fully covered.

The rink will also offer a variety of skate sessions tailored to meet the needs of all visitors, which includes dedicated quiet and toddler sessions designed for a more relaxed environment, along with discounted tickets and weekly events for students. 

New this year is the Skate on and Skate off ‘Pit Lane’ available during skating for those needing a break and a hot chocolate or mulled wine, plus a VIP ticket option allowing for a fast-track entry into the rink. 

Super early bird tickets are now available to buy / Credit: Supplied

Skate Manchester is also one of the most sustainable events in the UK, thanks to being partially powered by the grid.

“We’re proud to bring one of the top five largest ice rinks in the UK to Manchester once more, as part of our mission to create magical and sustainable winter events that will set the standard for winter attractions globally,” commented Rob Derry, who is the Director at Tamarisk Events, the company that coordinates the event.

“By being partially powered by the grid, Skate Manchester is one of the more environmentally responsible attractions of its kind, allowing visitors to enjoy the magic of skating with a lighter footprint.”

Read more:

Skate Manchester will be returning to the city on Saturday 25 October and running right up until Sunday 4 January 2026, with super early bird tickets now available to get your hands on, and discounted family tickets and student night tickets also available.

You can find more information and to book tickets here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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12 exciting new openings you NEED to know about at Cheshire Oaks over this past year

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Cheshire Oaks is hosting a FREE exclusive gig this summer to celebrate its 30th anniversary

Cheshire Oaks is already the UK’s largest designer outlet, but it’s been getting even bigger and better this past year.

Since originally opening back in 1995, the iconic shopping destination has gone from strength to strength over the past 30 years, having been extended on a number occasions to now boast more than 400,000 sq ft of retail space.

With over 4,000 employees and more than 21 million items sold annually across 140 stores and 19 food outlets, it’s safe to say Cheshire Oaks stands as the go-to destination in North West – and if it wasn’t already a shopper’s paradise enough as it is, 12 businesses have either opened their doors or had a refurb at the Designer Outlet within this past year.

If you were thinking of planning a trip to Cheshire Oaks, then now couldn’t be a more ideal time, so let us bring you up to speed on everything you may have missed.

We popped over recently to check out all the new openings.

Nike

There’s not much we need to say about Nike, really.

It’s already a world-famous sportswear brand, and has been a popular presence at Cheshire Oaks for a good number of years now, but late last year in October, the store had itself a show-stopping upsized refit, and is now the largest Nike outlet in the UK, so it’s well worth a visit.

PANGAIA

This is an exciting one, as this is the only Pangaia outlet store in the UK.

Opening its doors at Cheshire Oaks in early November last year, PANGAIA is an ethical clothing and lifestyle brand that designs products for ‘living in’, and prides itself of producing products with smart technology and using as many sustainable materials as possible.

Lindt

Lindt was already a go-to destination for chocolate lovers at Cheshire Oaks, but last summer, it moved to a bigger – and many would say, better – new location at the outlet, and has been satisfying the sweet tooth of thousands of shoppers this year.

The new location has an ice cream window, and was even one of the first few stores to get the limited-edition Dubai Pistachio Chocolate when it first released.

Nike, Joe & The Juice, and Lindt are three of the brands to open new or bigger stores at Cheshire Oaks / Credit: The Manc Group

Joe & the Juice

You may remember that Joe & The Juice opened its doors in Manchester city centre early this year, and it was a huge deal, with juice and Tunacado-loving fans lining the streets to become one of the first to step inside – but before that, the viral brand actually arrived at Cheshire Oaks fist.

Joe & The Juice opened at Cheshire Oaks last August, making it the brand’s first outlet location at the time, and it’s the perfect place to stop off for a bite to eat.

Gail’s

Another viral brand to open its first-ever outlet location at Cheshire Oaks last year was Gail’s Bakery, bringing its artisan bakes into the heart of the shopping experience and providing customers with a comforting place to refuel.

The opening of Gail’s at Cheshire Oaks last October was one of a number of other North West openings, including several in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

Crocs

Arguably no brand has had a bigger resurgence these past couple of years than Crocs, which is why it was such a big deal that the first dedicated Crocs store to open in the UK since its return to the country was at Cheshire Oaks last summer.

Opening its doors in June 2024, Cheshire Oaks’ Crocs store is the perfect place to hit up if you’re looking for a pair of your own.

Viral bakery chain Gail’s, and English luxury clothing brand Sunspel have also opened doors / Credit: The Manc Group

Barbour

Barbour is a family-owned British heritage brand that was established in the North East of England all the way back in 1894, and since then, has gone on to become a beloved part of the country’s fashion landscape.

So it was only right that Barbour got to move into an even bigger and better store at Cheshire Oaks last summer.

Abercrombie & Fitch

We may have already talked about one brand’s big resurgence, but Abercrombie & Fitch is another global label that’s also been enjoying renewed popularity in recent years – so it only made sense that it would open an outlet location at Cheshire Oaks.

The American fashion brand known for its trendy, collegiate-inspired casualwear and accessories opened last November.

Sunspel

Founded in Nottingham back in 1860, Sunspel is an English luxury clothing brand that’s best known for boxer shorts, t-shirts, and polo shirts, and it opened its first and only outlet location over at Cheshire Oaks last August.

You can also shop inside new Abercrombie & Fitch, ESPA, and Crocs stores / Credit: The Manc Group

ESPA

A staple in spas nationwide, ESPA is a well-loved luxury skincare brand producing products that go beyond the everyday skincare regimen to nourish and nurture your skin – but up until April of this year, you could only ever find the products online or in spas themselves.

That was until ESPA opened its first-ever – and to this day, only – physical store at Cheshire Oaks, and it’s so stunning inside.

Kids Around

Cheshire Oaks isn’t just a Designer Outlet for grown-ups, its a kids’ shopping paradise too.

That’s why Kids Around opened its doors last June with a ‘unique experience’ bringing together the most beautiful high-end children’s fashion collections – with brands such as Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Kenzo Kids, Hugo Boss, and Chloé to choose from.

Chit ‘n’ Chaat

Chit ‘n’ Chaat is an absolute Manchester institution at this point – no arguments there.

The beloved Indian street food restaurant is Manchester born and bred, and already has a number of popular locations in places like Cheadle, Rusholme, Deansgate Square, and most-recently the Trafford Centre, but in case you didn’t know, it also opened a new site at Cheshire Oaks earlier this year in April too.

So if you’re looking for a place to stuff your face before shopping till you drop, then stop off here for a proper Indian feast.

Read more:

You can find out more and plan your next trip to Cheshire Oaks by heading to the Designer Outlet’s website here.

Featured Image – Cheshire Oaks

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