Welcome to the PLACED Academy

PLACED Academy was launched in 2019 to provide free-to-access creative programmes about the built environment for young people from across the Northwest, empowering young people to shape the places we live, work, and spend time.

Today, we run a variety of programmes providing a range of support, all of which are completely FREE for young people to attend ranging from ages 11 and upwards, including our PLACED Academy Partnerships and PLACED Academy Alumni offers.

PLACED Academy programmes are designed to increase participants’ self-esteem, break down barriers to professional careers, expose participants to a variety of conventional and non-conventional career routes, and develop a broad range of skills.

Throughout, participants are given the opportunity to work with design teams on live projects, allowing them to have their voices heard in the design of places.

PLACED Academy Celebration event 2024-25

“The Academy is an incredible opportunity that you shouldn’t pass up. The skills, knowledge, connections and most importantly fun that these events will present you with is not something to be ignored! It’s truly a once in a lifetime opportunity that you will come to regret should you not take this chance to expand your horizons.”

Lori, Academy Graduate

PLACED Academy is a series of programmes from PLACED, a social enterprise delivering creative education and engagement programmes about the built environment across the Northwest and beyond since 2011.

PLACED ACADEMY FUNDERS 2025-26

Our PLACED Academy Programmes would not be possible without the support and generosity of our partners and sponsors. Our funders for 2025-26 are shown below. Head to Support the Academy to find out how you can join our supporters and Partners.

As a social business and as part of our wider commitment to delivering a positive impact for the communities in which we work, PLACED also reinvests any surplus we make in our wider work to enhance the programme and increase the impact.

In 2024-25, PLACED contributed £44,500 to the Academy.

Gold SPONSORS
















Silver SPONSORS


Summer school partnership




Summer school VENUE



BRONZE SPONSORS




















“Do it. It opens so many doors and gives you a better understanding of the built environment. Plus, it lets you meet new interesting people who have passion for the built environment like you”. 

Liam, Academy Graduate

If you’d like to be informed about future programmes directly, you can sign up to our mailing list here.