Join Arts Lancashire’s Next Culture Lab Session: Shaping the Future of Creative Education in Lancashire
Are you an architect, creative business, arts or heritage organisation interested in developing your talent pipeline? Join us online from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm on Wednesday, 5th February 2025, for the next Arts Lancashire Culture Lab session. Together, we’ll explore the potential for an industry-led pan-Lancashire creative and cultural education programme for young people across the county.
We’re thrilled to welcome Matt Bell from Heatherwick Studio as our guest speaker. Heatherwick Studio, an internationally acclaimed architectural practice, recently launched “In The Making,” a three-year, open-source creative education programme engaging 600 young people aged 10–14. Designed to inspire and empower the next generation, the programme addresses the urgent need for more impactful creative education at earlier stages in young people’s lives.
As Thomas Heatherwick puts it:
“Most programmes are too rare, too small, and too late. We need to intervene earlier, before students choose their GCSEs, and help young people see themselves as creative.”
The creative industries are a cornerstone of Lancashire’s economy, but developing creative skills locally is more important than ever. Nationally:
This decline threatens the local talent pipeline and the capacity for innovation across industries. A stronger commitment to creative education will not only provide young people with essential skills but also bolster Lancashire’s economy, fostering growth and reinforcing its reputation as a hub of creativity.
This Culture Lab session is open to professionals across architecture, design, heritage, arts, education. Together, we’ll explore how we can collectively address shared challenges and opportunities to foster creative skills for the future.
Matt Bell, Strategic Communications Director at Heatherwick Studio, is a passionate advocate for human-centered design and creative education. With experience spanning NGOs, public bodies, and the private sector, Matt has played pivotal roles in major regeneration projects and creative initiatives.
About Heatherwick Studio
Heatherwick Studio is a global design team of over 250 architects, makers, and landscape designers dedicated to creating soulful and impactful places. Based in London and Shanghai, the studio works on over 30 projects worldwide, from buildings to infrastructure, all driven by human experience. Founded by Thomas Heatherwick, who oversees all projects, the studio’s collaborative approach blends experimentation, traditional model-making, and cutting-edge digital tools. Committed to sustainability, Heatherwick Studio supports Architects Declare, the RetroFirst campaign, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Their mission is to make the world more joyful, engaging, and human through thoughtful and innovative design.
About Culture Lab
Part talk/briefing and part discussion/workshop, Arts Lancashire’s quarterly Culture Lab sessions are an opportunity for the leadership of the county’s culture sector to come together to hear about the big topics, opportunities and challenges relevant to Lancashire arts and culture, to have a collective conversation about them and to decide, what, if any, action should be taken, collectively or otherwise.
Be part of this vital conversation and help shape the future of creative education in Lancashire. It’s free to attend.
Email Alex O’Toole at artslancashire@gmail.com to secure your place and to receive a Zoom link for this important discussion.
Let’s come together to build a more vibrant, creative, and resilient future for our county.