Students from four Manchester state schools came together for the very first Made in Manchester, a new StateTalking event designed to connect young people with inspiring Mancunians who have taken very different paths since leaving school.

Hosted by Damian Hughes, co-host of the High Performance Podcast, the morning featured an honest and engaging conversation with an outstanding panel including Liam Fray (Courteeners), Tim Heatley (Founder of Capital & Centric), James Keegan (World Champion Irish Dancer) and Cynthia Murphy (author).

Held at Neptune Mill, kindly hosted by Capital & Centric, the event encouraged students to think beyond traditional career paths and explore themes including confidence, resilience, setbacks, opportunity and what high performance really looks like.

Unlike a traditional careers event, students weren’t simply there to listen. In the weeks leading up to the event, schools were invited to submit questions, ensuring the conversation was shaped by the issues that mattered most to the young people in the room. Students also had the opportunity to ask questions live before meeting the speakers during an informal networking session.

Throughout the morning, Damian Hughes drew out honest reflections from the panel about their own experiences at school, the challenges they had faced and the lessons they had learned along the way. Despite their very different careers, common themes quickly emerged: staying curious, embracing setbacks, working hard and being prepared to take opportunities.

Watch the highlights from the event here.