The Stockport DigiFest, held in February as part of Stockport’s tenure as the GM Town of Culture, showcased over 70 workshops, activities, and sessions aimed at enhancing digital skills. The festival’s highlights throughout the month featured podcasting workshops, virtual reality experiences, digital videography and photography, hackathons, and even the assembly of a robotic chicken!<\/p>\n
The plethora of activities drew attendees from various age groups and areas of the borough, culminating in a digital inclusion seminar on Thursday, 29 February. This seminar delved into how digital advancements could foster a healthier Stockport community and highlighted the increasing importance of digital skills in the workforce.<\/p>\n
Themes celebrated throughout the town of culture month included:<\/strong><\/p>\n Councillor Jilly Julian, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, says: \u201cThe internet has revolutionised how we live, learn, and work, opening up boundless opportunities for people with digital skills. But it can seem scary for those without the confidence to jump into this new world. By getting creative with digital during Stockport DigiFest, we\u2019ve appealed to people of all ages and interests, tempting residents with fun activities to develop new digital skills to benefit them in their wider lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Attendees at the events discovered a supportive and encouraging environment that helped boost their confidence in utilizing online technologies. Below are some of the feedback we received about the activities:<\/p>\n \u201cThis was a wonderful digitally inclusive experience for all ages. Our visitors and volunteers loved it. Some drifted around the International Space Station and others took a ride on a roller coaster! Our less mobile visitors could have a go as well. We are very grateful to the team at Autisk for leading the virtual reality experience.\u201d Friendly Fridays at Rose Walker Community Centre.<\/p>\n \u201cThe range and diverse experiences of young people who attended was great, and the project allowed us to connect with many who are interested in improving their digital skills. The event unearthed some great talent and gave those interested in a digital career a chance to show off their skills to industry experts and form useful connections for future endeavours.\u201d Beth Nunn, CEO of PIE: Pursuing Individual Excellence.<\/p>\n \u201cAdding a digital skills programme during DigiFest allowed the women involved to gain new skills and make new connections. In our experience, everything is about confidence and connection first and learning later. Our women now know other DigiKnow partners offering digital skills support and should feel more comfortable visiting some of their spaces in the future.\u201d Simone Callaghan, Director, The Goodness Collective CIC.<\/p>\n “Our attendees loved the themed sessions, said Nicola Wallace Dean, CEO, Starting Point Community Learning Partnership. \u2018I really, really want to do this! I’ve got loads of photos, and this looks brilliant!\u2019 said Agnes at the MAKES photo book session, where we spent time sorting where her photos were stored so she could access them easily. \u2018I used to referee football when I was younger. I didn’t know they (Life Leisure) did Walking Football; I’ll look into that.\u2019 said Keith after exploring fitness sessions online in the MOVES session.”<\/p>\n People enjoying MadLab sessions: \u201cI learned how to move sculptures for a movie and not include your hands!\u201d (child) \u201cThis was my first experience taking part in a hackathon. It was a lovely and fun memorable experience for me. Most importantly I met new people and learnt new things from them. It gave me more confidence and motivation.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n These partnerships offer free community classes, drop-in support sessions, device and data loans, as well as operate a device recycling scheme.\u00a0Anyone who wants support with digital should call the DigiKnow Helpline at 07724 217888, visit the DigiKnow web-pages or drop into your local library.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Stockport DigiFest, held in February as part of Stockport’s tenure as the GM Town of Culture, showcased over 70 workshops, activities, and sessions aimed at enhancing digital skills. The festival’s highlights throughout the month featured podcasting workshops, virtual reality experiences, digital videography and photography, hackathons, and even the assembly of a robotic chicken! The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5961,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[174],"class_list":["post-3173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech","tag-stockport"],"yoast_head":"\n\n