What is The Other~Wise Summer School?

Welcome to The Other~Wise Summer School, a free yearly programme of creative workshops, cultural activities and critical conversations for ages 15 - 21, developed by The GAP and young people from our youth forum, The Culture Collective. 

Each year we choose a topic that we feel is important and relevant to young people's lives and the world we live in but is lacking in mainstream education, whilst also experimenting with the creation of an inclusive, community-centred and liberatory learning space. 

What is this year's theme and content?

This year we will focus on exploring What is England? asking the questions:

• What does it mean to be English as a young person in Birmingham today?

• Who gets to define what Englishness is? Why?

• What are the stories of England's land and people that we don't know? And why don't we know?

• How can we follow our curiosity and use creativity to make an Englishness that is inclusive? What might we imagine? What stories are waiting to be told?

We’ll learn through a range of creative, cultural and collective activities including mask making, film, creative writing, discussions and the possibility of an outdoor trip too!

See our IG post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da0H6leDN8Q/?img_index=1 

When will it take place?

Monday 17th August - Friday 21st August 2026

We ask that you commit to participation in the summer school for the whole week, for the dates & times listed below:

Who can take part?

• Any young person aged between 15 - 21 who lives in Birmingham
• You'll need to be able to attend for the full week
• No prior experience or knowledge is needed
• We especially welcome young people who maybe haven't had the best of times in education, for whatever reason