In June 2025, the UK Government published its industrial strategy, which trumpets the potential
of the creative sector to act as a “dynamic growth engine” for the larger economy. This positive
approach is clearly welcome, however on the ground creative businesses tell a different story:
one of rising costs and fluctuating income. There is also a growing disparity between those at
the top and the bottom of the food chain which compromises talent pipelines and is
unsustainable in the long term. Therefore the Creative Industries Research and Innovation
Network is proud to announce that its forthcoming festival will provide a space for discussion
around policy interventions and creative political statements at all levels, from grassroots to
Governments.
In fourteen events held across five days, we will hear from over twenty external speakers:
including union representatives from Equity and the Musician’s Union, local pressure groups
such as Causing A Scene, and creative workers operating in ecosystems as different as
Hollywood and the UK grime poetry scene. Oxford Brookes researchers also showcase their
vital work and its political dimensions through lively debates on AI, trans rights, and the power
of audiences to enact change. All events are free and everyone is welcome.
Please register your attendance using the links below:
Art & Industry of Immersive Worlds with Themepark Designer Lauren Anderson
Online, Mon Feb 23 from 12pm to 1pm
Actors at the Heart of the Creative Economy with Lauren Scott-Berry
Online, Mon Feb 23 from 1pm to 2pm
Roundtable: The Creative Industries and the making of trans in(visibility)
Online, Mon Feb 23 from 2pm to 3pm
Panel Discussion: Politics of creative work with Equity & Musician's Union
Online, Tues Feb 24 from 11am to 12pm
Mas + Movies Roundtable: Caribbean Carnival Arts on screen with Shari Petti
Online, Tues Feb 24 from 3pm to 4:30pm
Navigating Hollywood’s Creative Machine: A Q&A with Etan Marciano
Online, Tues Feb 24 from 5pm to 6pm
Everything in its right place: Mapping music, arts & culture
In Person,Wed Feb 25 from 1pm to 3pm
Explore the Oxfordshire Artweeks and Paul Oliver archives at Brookes
In Person, Wed Feb 25 from 3pm to 4pm
The Body is the Music is the Word: Q&A with Grime Poet Debris Stevenson
In Person, Wed Feb 25 from 5pm to 6pm
Wine Reception & Filmmakers& Debate: AI vs Authenticity
In Person, Wed Feb 25 from 6pm to 7:30pm
TAP The Audience Project: Research Showcase
In Person, Thurs Feb 26 from 1pm to 2pm
Model resistance: A trans-format endeavour with Dr Sarah Franklin
In Person, Thurs Feb 26 from 3pm to 4pm
Hostile Survival: A panel and long table discussion
In Person, Thurs Feb 26 from 4pm to 6pm
Brookes Creative Industries Research Day
In Person, Fri Feb 27 from 9:30am to 3:30pm