Description
This cross-sector conference brings together leaders in culture, business, policy, and innovation to explore the future of the UK’s creative economy.
From industrial strategy and AI, to skills, access to finance, and creative entrepreneurship, the event highlights West Yorkshire’s strengths and national relevance. Featuring policymakers, innovators and sector pioneers, sessions include high-tech cluster case studies, creative business showcases, and insights into how culture drives economic growth.
Whether you’re shaping policy, scaling a business or investing in new ideas, this conference offers a space for fresh thinking, practical insight, and meaningful collaboration across the creative and economic landscape.
10:00 – 10:30 Welcome Reception
Refreshments available
10:30 – 10:40 Welcome Address
Speakers:
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council
John Makinson, Chair of Bradford Literature Festival
10:40 – 10:55 Creative Industries Vision: National Strategy in Focus
The UK Government’s new Creative Industries Sector Vision sets out a bold blueprint for growth, innovation, and global leadership. Sir Peter Bazalgette opens the session with a strategic national overview, drawing on his role as Co-Chair of the Creative Industries Taskforce that shaped the Vision. He reflects on its implications for national cultural policy, sector resilience, and the UK’s position on the global creative stage.
Speakers:
Sir Peter Bazalgette
10:55 – 11:10 Creative Industries Vision: What It Means for West Yorkshire
Mayor Tracy Brabin, a member of the Creative Industries Taskforce, offers a regional perspective on the Sector Vision. Focusing on West Yorkshire, she explores how the national plan translates locally—across investment, innovation, skills, and inclusive growth—and how the region’s thriving creative industries can help lead the UK’s creative future.
Speakers:
Mayor Tracy Brabin
11:10 – 12:00 Creative Industries Vision in Practice: A National–Regional Dialogue
Sir Peter Bazalgette and Mayor Tracy Brabin come together for a joint conversation exploring the opportunities and tensions between national and regional priorities. How can alignment between the Vision and West Yorkshire’s ambitions be forged? Where might the region lead, challenge, or redefine the national direction—and what must we do now to shape the next chapter of the UK’s creative economy?
Speakers:
Sir Peter Bazalgette
Mayor Tracy Brabin
12:15 – 13:15 Anatomy of a Creative Cluster: Innovation at Production Park
Sir Peter Bazalgette hosts a fireside chat with Lee Brooks, CEO, Production Park on what makes a creative cluster thrive — and how can innovation drive regional growth? This session explores one of the UK’s most dynamic creative industry hubs, where high-tech SMEs are pushing the boundaries of live experience, production, and design. With a focus on R&D-led innovation, the discussion will highlight how collaboration, investment and skills are powering new models of creative enterprise. Discover how clusters like this are reshaping the future of the sector — and what their success can teach us about building a sustainable, globally competitive creative economy.
Speakers:
Lee Brooks, CEO, Production Park
Sir Peter Bazalgette
13:15 – 14:15 Lunch
Refreshments available
14:15 – 15:15 Future if Funding and Philanthropy
As public funding tightens and global challenges reshape priorities, how can the cultural sector build more resilient, equitable models of support? This session brings together leading voices from philanthropy, funding bodies, and the arts to explore emerging trends, shifting power dynamics, and the evolving relationship between donors and cultural institutions.
From community-led giving to impact-driven investment, we’ll examine what the future holds—and what it demands of us. A vital conversation for anyone navigating the changing landscape of cultural funding and seeking new ways to sustain bold, inclusive, and independent creative work.
Speakers:
Abdou Sidibe, Director of Grants, Paul Hamlyn Foundations,
Farhan Latif, President, El-Hibri Foundation
Abid Hussain, Director of Diversity, Arts Council England
Peg Alexander, Strategic Philanthropy Consultant and Chair of The Bradford Way
15:30 – 16:30 Creative Technology – Shaping the Future of Innovation
This session explores how cutting-edge technology is transforming the creative industries, from AI-generated art and immersive storytelling to digital fashion and virtual production. Experts from across tech and creative sectors will discuss real-world applications, ethical implications, and emerging opportunities at the intersection of creativity and innovation. Attendees will gain insights into how creators and businesses can harness new tools to expand their impact, reach, and sustainability in a rapidly evolving digital economy. Whether you’re a tech developer, artist, or policymaker, this session offers inspiration and practical knowledge to thrive in the creative technology space.
Speakers:
Ismail Amla, Global Consult Leader, Kyndryl
Daanish Masood Alavi, Co-Founder, BeAnotherLab
Phil Adlam, Head of XPLOR and Creative Technology Officer, Production Park
Jared Shurin, Head of Communications, Greater London Authority
16:30 – 17:30 Drinks Reception
Drinks available
About the Speakers
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe is a seasoned local leader and the current Leader of Bradford City Council, a position she has held since May 2016.
Representing the Windhill & Wrose ward since 2011, she is the first woman from the Labour Party to serve as Council Leader.
Her work spans key themes: cultural regeneration, devolution and transport advocacy, financial accountability, and support for vulnerable residents—making her a prominent figure in both Bradford and broader West Yorkshire governance.
John Makinson
John Makinson is a renowned leader in publishing and the creative industries, recently appointed Chair of the Bradford Literature Festival Board.
Outside the festival, Makinson chairs the Advisory Board of the Bodleian Libraries at Oxford and serves on the board of Harvard University Press. He also led Penguin as Chairman and CEO from 2002 to 2012 and then as Chairman of the merged Penguin Random House until 2015 .
Mayor Tracy Brabin
Tracy Brabin is the Labour Mayor of West Yorkshire, who was re-elected with more than 50% of the vote in May 2024. Tracy has served as the first Mayor of West Yorkshire since 2021 and was the first ever woman Metro Mayor in England. She Chairs the UK Mayors Network, the group of 12 Metro Mayors in England. During her re-election campaign, Tracy pledged to improve access to culture and grassroots sports for all children, to develop a new strategy to reduce serious violence, and to create a ‘region of learning’. In her first term, Tracy took the decision to franchise the bus network and is committed to having spades in the ground for a new tram system by 2028. Prior to her election as Mayor, Tracy was the Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen, from 2016 to 2021 and spent three decades working in the creative industries.
Sir Peter Bazalgette
Sir Peter Lytton Bazalgette is a British television producer, executive, and champion of the creative arts. A descendant of Victorian engineer Sir Joseph Bazelgette, he has significantly shaped media and culture in the UK.
Abdou Sidibe
Abdou Sidibe is an advocate and pioneer for empowering the most marginalised communities in our society.
Sidibe previously served as Deputy Director of Partnerships at The National Lottery Community Fund where he was instrumental in leading the campaign to embed innovative national and placed-based partnerships across England, as well as over 15 years in the voluntary sector such as Children’s Society, supporting refugees and asylum-seekers, young people and their families, victims of domestic abuse, sexual exploitation and trafficking as well as disabled young people. He joined the Paul Hamlyn Foundation as the Director of Grants in 2022.
Farhan Latif
Farhan Latif is a prominent philanthropic leader, social entrepreneur, and cross-sector mobilizer dedicated to fostering inclusion, religious pluralism, and peace. He currently serves as President of the El-Hibri Foundation, a Washington, D.C.–based charitable organisation focused on grant-making, peace education, and interfaith bridge-building.
Abid Hussain
Abid Hussain is the Director of Diversity at Arts Council England, leading the organisation’s ambitious Equality, Diversity & Inclusion agenda. In this senior role, he oversees the delivery of the Council’s Inclusivity & Relevance Investment Principle and Equality Objectives, ensuring arts and culture in England becomes more equitable and accessible.
Peg Alexander
Peg Alexander is a Leeds based award winning broadcaster, presenter, and journalist across TV, radio, podcasts and events. A colourful, warm, optimistic northerner, she’s all about the world we live in and life in general – people, politics, the planet, and cake. She‘s a regular on shows including Jeremy Vine on 5 and previously Steph’s Packed Lunch, and is often heard on national radio putting her twopenneth in.
Broadcasting is her 2nd career. Before moving into the media she was a charity CEO and was senior in public policy. She was also founding Director of Bradford’s UNESCO status as the world’s first City of Film. She now combines both careers.
She’s written 2 books – one on how to keep weight off long term and is currently finishing a travel-inspired memoir.
Ismail Amla
Ismail Amla is the Senior Vice President and global lead for Kyndryl Consult, stepping into the role on April 29, 2024. He brings over 35 years of expertise in business consulting and IT services, having held senior leadership positions at NCR, IBM Global Business Services and Accenture.
Based in London, Ismail is a recognized authority in digital transformation, AI adoption, and consulting innovation. He is a fellow of the University of Salford Business School and contributes to boards such as UK Sport, Network Rail, Great British Railways, and the Bradford Literature Festival.
Daanish Masood Alavi
With over 20 years of experience in conflict and technology, Daanish Masood Alavi is collaborating with top AI labs, embedding global values, legal codes, and ethics into AI systems. For 16 years, Daanish served the United Nations. Starting in the Secretary-General’s office, he later co-led a UN innovation unit, applying cutting-edge technologies to peacemaking use cases in conflict zones. Previously, he supported Security Council missions in the Middle East and helped establish an evidence gathering mission to document ISIL’s atrocities in Iraq. Recognitions include the Geospatial Excellence Award for a pioneering satellite system aimed at measuring water diminishment and directing a VR film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Daanish co-founded the VR collective BeAnotherLab and was an affiliate at MIT’s Arts, Culture and Technology program. He holds degrees in analytic philosophy and Middle East Studies.
Phil Adlam
Phil Adlam leads research, innovation, and technology strategy at Production Park’s XPLOR — the UK’s first dedicated research & innovation centre for entertainment tech. With over 20 years of experience in arena-scale live event touring, high-tech systems engineering, and virtual production, Phil oversees a portfolio encompassing immersive experiences, AI, real-time capture, robotics, and sustainable event technology.
Jared Shurin
Jared Shurin is the editor of The Big Book of Cyberpunk, The Djinn Falls in Love, The Best of British Fantasy, and many others. He has spent over twenty years developing communications strategies for governments, global businesses and the third sector. His dedication to literature also includes founding a small press, serving as the director of a literary award, and editing the occasional anthology.
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