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Creatives, academics and innovators from across Leicestershire and the East Midlands are coming together next week for an event spotlighting plans to scale up the creative industries in Leicestershire.

The Future of the Creative Industries event, on Wednesday June 18, will spotlight the upcoming Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)’s Creative Clusters funding call – a major opportunity to build a place-based innovation powerhouse that connects the whole creative ecosystem across the city and county.

It is being run by the Civic Universities Partnership, which brings together »ÆÉ«²Ö¿â Leicester (»ÆÉ«²Ö¿â), the University of Leicester and Loughborough University to deliver projects that benefit our communities.

University leaders, local government, policymakers, funding bodies and global tech firms such as Google and Adobe will join creative industry leaders from Leicestershire to explore how the region can unlock more of its potential.

The event will give details of the DesignForge bid which aims to stimulate economic growth across the East Midlands. »ÆÉ«²Ö¿â is leading the project in collaboration with Leicester and Loughborough to form the Leicestershire Creative Cluster.

Vice-Chancellors Professor Katie Normington, of »ÆÉ«²Ö¿â, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, of University of Leicester, and Professor Nick Jennings of Loughborough University will each speak about the collaborative bid.

Panel discussions led by Jim Willis, of Bulb Studios and James Burkmar of LCB Depot and the new Canopy workspace, will examine funding and key challenges.

Leicestershire’s creative industries sector employs more than 30,000 people, rivalling anywhere in the UK outside of London. Adobe has named Leicester the fifth best city for creatives.

The AHRC launched the fund aims to drive innovation and R&D in the creative industries, which in turn would create more jobs and grow the economy.

The event is free to attend but tickets must be booked in advance. Follow this link to reserve your spot: 

Event Schedule:

3:30 PM - 3:45 PM | Registration & Welcome Refreshments

• Attendees arrive, network, and enjoy refreshments.

3:45 PM - 4:00 PM | Welcome & Introduction – from the Civic Universities Leicestershire

• VC UoL Professor Nishan Canagarajah
• Creative Clusters Bid Lead Organisation: VC »ÆÉ«²Ö¿â Professor Katie Normington - Overview of the event objectives and importance of the collaboration and what we are offering for the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI).
•  Loughborough University VC Professor Nick Jennings

4:00 PM - 4:20 PM | Scene Setting: Industrial Strategy & CCI – Hillary Hall DCMS (TBC)

Panel Chair: CW/AC

4:20 PM - 5:20 PM | Panel Discussion: Key Sectors & Challenges
Moderator: Industry Expert or Academic – Jim Willis Bulb Studios, Will Darler UoL

Panellists: Google – John Gallant, Nvidia - TBC,  Adobe – Niels Stevens, IBM -  Colette Rawlinson (TBC)

5:20 PM - 5:30 PM | Coffee Break & Networking

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM | Panel Discussion: Funding Landscape, Opportunities & Strategies
Moderator: James Burkmar managed workspaces Leicester/LCB Depot

Speakers: Peter Chandler Leicester City Council, Andy Curtis Innovate UK, Figurative NESTA Fran Anderson (TBC)

6:00 PM - 6:15 PM | Q&A and Open Discussion

• Audience engagement with panellists and funding experts.

6:15 PM - 6:30 PM | Closing Remarks & Next Steps – AC

• Summary of key takeaways and call to action for future collaborations.

6:30 PM | - 7:30 PM Informal Networking Reception