Schoolchildren will be piecing together a timeline of Bradford’s film heritage to create a new app focusing on the district’s cinematic history and heritage.

Unesco City of Film has received £34,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the project, called Bradford Film History and Heritage Uncovered and Explained, which sees the City of Film team working with youngsters from Titus Salt School and industry professionals on an app and film following a trail of movies shot in the district.

It is aimed at helping young people discover some of the pioneers of film and technology that developed across the district, as well as equipping them with skills in conservation and interpretation at the National Media Museum, Bradford Industrial Museum and Yorkshire Film Archive.

The students will uncover past locations and piece together the timeline of film heritage in and around Bradford, highlighting some of the district’s hidden film treasures.

They will work with professional film and app makers, along with the University of Bradford’s Working Academy, on film-making and app development and working towards achieving an Arts Award as part of the project.

The final app and film will be launched in summer 2014 revealing the stories behind Bradford’s film history and heritage and enabling app users to walk in the footsteps of actors such as Tom Courtenay and explore the locations where films such as Billy Liar and Room at the Top were shot.

Bradford City of Film director David Wilson said the project would enable young people to gain a deeper insight into this “previously under-researched part of Bradford’s history”, as well as teaching them valuable communication skills to use in future careers.

He added: “This is an excellent opportunity to bring the story of film heritage in Bradford to a whole new audience using a digital platform.

“Bradford’s contribution to the development of early British cinema is a compelling story and the young people leading the project are really proud of our cinematic heritage and want more people to be aware of it.”

Fiona Spiers, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the region, said Bradford played an important role in the development of the film industry.

“HLF is pleased to support this project which will enable young people to uncover this hidden history and gain new skills,” she said. “Through our funding we want to give young people the opportunity to explore the heritage that matters to them, and share it with everyone.”

Pupils from Titus Salt School wrote about the project: “We have always lived in Bradford and love learning new things. We believe we can be an inspiration to film as it is a topic many people don’t know about.

“This is our way of supporting Bradford by giving people access to exclusive content and getting them involved by showing them some of exciting places they can visit and learn about Bradford’s film heritage.”