This year's event was held on Wednesday 8 February 2012 at the British Library Conference Centre, London and focused on the opportunities offered by the changing landscape in education policy and funding, notwithstanding the challenges that are ahead.

The event was a great success, leading on from the conference dinner which took place on 7th February in the Kings Library at the British Library. We would like to extend our thanks to Josie Long, comedian and co-founder of Arts Emergency who gave a fantastic after-dinner speech. 

Our keynote speakers were as follows (view transcripts/presentations via the pdfs below):

  Simon Fanshawe: Writer, broadcaster, chair of the governing Council of Sussex University and campaigner for difference and diversity issues

  Steve Moffitt: CEO, A New Direction

  Emma Hunt: Chair, CHEAD (and member of the Parliamentary Design Commission), Dean of the School of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield

  Steve Besley: Head of Policy (UK and International) Pearson

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  Panel: ‘Where to next? On route to the future of creative education’

Chair: Andy Westwood, Chief Executive, Guild HE
Lizzie Crump, Co-ordinator, Cultural Learning Alliance
Kate O’Connor, Executive Directive (Deputy CEO), Skillset
Elizabeth Rouse, Deputy Rector Academic ,University of the Arts London
Wes Streeting, Chief Executive, the Helena Kennedy Foundation

Workshop presentations are also available to view online.

All photographs from the conference copyright Alys Tomlinson.

If you have any questions about the event, please get in touch with Kirsty Morris: k.r.morris@arts.ac.uk