Slightly later than originally expected, Umbro can announce the four ideas that have made it through to the final of the Winter Umbro Industries competition. The people behind these four ideas will now present their ideas to a panel of industry experts this Sunday, February 21st, with the best ideas winning all or part of the £10,000 prize. It’s a huge opportunity for the ideas involved, with those successful on Sunday getting advice and mentoring from the panel as well as financial backing.

Here’s the ideas that have made it to the final, plus a quick look at what they’re hoping to do:

Papergirl Manchester

Bringing an idea that was born in Berlin to the UK for the first time, Papergirl is inspired by the iconic image of American paper boys delivering newspapers. Instead of papers however, Papergirl will be delivering works of art to random people, bringing art to the public in a highly unusual and exciting way. They aim to make this a regular event around Manchester, and also hope to stage an exhibition and a party.

DiscRebel Ltd

Digital downloads are a massive part of the creative industry, but DiscRebel is looking to bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds through download cards. They’re aiming to provide a service to people such as musical artists, who could sell cards with pre-loaded digital download cards to fans at gigs – that’s just one of the ways that their service could help creative people get their ideas across.

Crying In The Chapel

Produced by Fink On Theatre, a Manchester-based production company, Crying In The Chapel is an original piece of theatre that tells the inside story of the Strangeways prison riots of 1990. If they’re successful at Umbro Industries, they’re hoping to perform the play at Contact Theatre to commemorate the twentieth anniverary of the events.

Upper Space Gallery – The Second Coming

Opened in 2008, Upper Space was a gallery dedicated to showcasing and nurturing the finest street art talent from both Manchester and around the world, until it was unfortunately forced to close later the same year. An unsuccessful finalist in the Autumn Umbro Industries, Upper Space have now returned, more determined and more focused, with a plan to reopen a gallery within Manchester’s Northern Quarter and re-establish themselves as one of the most popular creative spaces in the city.

We’re sure you’ll agree that all four finalists would be worthy winners, but it’s now up to the panel to decide who will get to spend that £10,000 on their ideas.

If you applied for Umbro Industries, but haven’t made it to the final, this isn’t the end of the road. Umbro Industries is an ongoing, long-term project, dedicated to helping Greater Manchester’s creative characters, and you’re welcome to take another look at your ideas and reapply for the Spring Umbro Industries. Entry for that round is open now, with the deadline for submissions falling on April 7th. Why not take a look at the proposals from our finalists for some tips on how to get your ideas noticed?