Nearly 600 would-be computer programmers will be arriving at Birmingham’s Custard Factory this month as part of an initiative to encourage youngsters into the digital sector.

Participants as young as five and up to the age of 18 will take part in Young Rewired State’s Festival of Code, which is returning to the city on August 9 for its second consecutive year.

From the August 5 to 9 the young coders will develop apps, websites, and digital prototypes alone or in teams using open data and will then present their ideas to judges in a series of heats on the Saturday with the heat winners presenting to the judges in a final show on the Sunday.

During last year’s festival young coders created more than 100 applications, and this year is shaping up to be even bigger.

They will present their work to a panel of judges including MTV presenter and model Izzy Lawrence, mathematician and physicist Conrad Wolfram and app designer Aral Balkan.

Emma Mulqueeny, founder of Young Rewired State, said: “The Festival of Code introduces under 18s who have taught themselves to code, to the social, educational and economic potential of coding.

"Very few schools are aware of the coding talent of their pupils. We want to bring out all of these coding geniuses and are encouraging teachers and parents to put their children forward to take part in the festival and be part of a worldwide network of like minded young people.”

The Festival of Code is open to any young person aged 18 or under with a basic understanding of coding.