A NEW creative project aims to bring people living outside of the city together to promote inclusion.

Right Aligned in Bolton is run by senior creative Melissa Yates at Absolute Media, who wanted to create a space for artists and designers that were side-lined for not being based in cities like Manchester.

It’s a creative company inspired by Chris Saunders, who started working with creative people in the UK as he was trying to create a community in Coventry outside of main cities like Birmingham.

He found that most design work was in Birmingham, so he wanted local people to have a space.

So, that’s why I got in touch because most design work around here happens in Manchester.

But there are loads of people in Bolton and Horwich. We want to talk about design and collaborate on work here.

The first event was held last Thursday and focused on the demystifying creatives and want to provide a space and a lot of people come away feeling fresh and positive.

But after Covid, location is not really that important and people can work from anywhere.

We had a designer called Luigi who talked about his studio in Northern Quarter and how he moved back to Bolton.

There was a variety of people at the first event including artists and copywriters.

We do not want to alienate people, so this is a space for those around Bolton too.

I have been working in the industry for nine years and when you go to events like this you get the honesty, because people want to see that it’s okay to make mistakes.

Absolute have long wanted to start a project to help the Bolton creatives.

From artists, designers, illustrators and sculptors, the new community is open to anyone with an eye or interest in artistic flair.

Mrs Yates said: I went to University in Salford and my tutors made me feel like you had to go to Manchester, I guess because you are on the doorstep of it, but also if you didn’t go then this thinking made you feel like you failed as a designer.

Mrs Yates has had a wonderful creative career herself, working with Revolution Bars to help rebrand them and work on their menus.