Middlesex University launches ambitious project with secondary school to give teenage boys a voice

Workshops with Year 10 pupils explore masculinity, misogyny and toxic online influences

Middlesex University has launched an ambitious project with a boys’ secondary school in Camden to spark conversations on being a teenage boy in 2026, and a wider debate around misogyny and sexism.

The From The Boys project, in partnership with William Ellis School in Camden, aims to equip pupils with sought-after media skills while also prompting discussions around behaviour, masculinity, and toxic social media influence linked to the ‘manosphere’.

It was launched with workshops for Year 10 pupils aged 14 and 15 led by the University’s outreach team, with support from lecturers and students from the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries, to help the boys explore the focus of a series of podcasts.

Some of the pupils will be invited to undertake work experience at the University’s MDX Studios recording facilities in June where they will learn interview techniques and audio production skills to create and edit the podcasts, focusing on themes raised in the workshops. The series will launch in the autumn on a publicly available platform, and it is hoped the initiative will support future Middlesex University research and spark wider conversations on these themes in schools in Barnet, Camden and beyond.

Dr Helen Bendon, Associate Professor of Film and Media and Interim Head of the School of Film at Middlesex University, said: “We’re very excited to launch this co-production project with William Ellis School, exploring what it means to be a teenage boy in 2026. Building on previous work we’ve been doing with William Ellis and other schools in North London, this is our most ambitious project to date.”

Izzy Jones, Headteacher at William Ellis School, said: "The value of our students' voices at the core of this project can't be underestimated. Their articulation, in the design and performance phases, of life as a teenage boy gives this project huge power for the boys themselves, and to inform and stimulate this conversation for their peers and all those who recognise the importance of taking seriously how boys can be supported through adolescence. The partnership with Middlesex University, developed over three years, continues to bring new depth and innovation to that work."

The workshops produced some rich and varied conversations around notions of success for the boys, and how this differed from their sisters or female friends. Dr Bendon explained: “The boys shared how they feel they are “expected to be”, which was a mix of traditional gendered roles, influencer messaging online and family values. Their experiences told in their own informal language to each other through the podcasting will put the boys at the centre of conversations about boys. Having completed this initial stage, we’re really looking forward to the boys coming to work with us on the work experience placements.” 

Middlesex University students involved in the workshops also benefited from the experience. They acted as mentors to the school pupils and will practise their own technical skills when they support the boys with creating and editing the podcasts.

BA Animation student Alejandro Villamil said: “I jumped at the chance to be involved, not just for my own personal development, but because this is an important topic. I worked with about 100 pupils, many one-to-one, to find out about their experiences and how they perceive being a boy today. The pupils got a lot out of being given their own voice, potentially to change the status quo, and many had very insightful points to make.”

BA Film student Jeff Adolfo said: “The workshops gave the boys the opportunity to use their own voice, think for themselves, and differentiate between what they agree and don’t agree with in terms of behaviour, what makes a kid seem cool, or social media. 

“It made me reflect on my own interests growing up and how I got into studying film making, and I was able to act as a mentor to some of the boys around their interests and what they want to do in the future. I’m really looking forward to the next stage when we’ll help the boys create the podcasts using our studios at the University.” 

Horace Parry, Careers Lead and Work Experience Co-ordinator at William Ellis School, said: “We are committed to preparing young people not just for employment, but for thoughtful participation in society. This project does both. It empowers our students to reflect on who they are, challenge assumptions, and articulate their perspectives with confidence.

“The opportunity to work in a professional studio environment and learn from university staff and students is invaluable. It raises aspirations, broadens horizons, and shows our boys that their voices matter — not just within school, but in wider conversations shaping their generation.”

The project is predominantly funded by the William Ellis Trust, an independent charity which brings together the school and wider community for the benefit of the school’s pupils, with support from grant-making organisations The Hadley Trust and The Hampstead Wells and Campden Trust.

Will Durham, Director of the William Ellis Trust, said: “The ongoing debate about teenage boys can be a polarising one and often lacks the input of teenage boys themselves. We are delighted to have been able to fund this innovative project which gives William Ellis pupils the opportunity to talk to us about where they think they are, and what it is to be growing up male in Camden today.”

Find out about the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries at Middlesex University.

The From The Boys project is part of the University’s Changing the Culture initiative.