Welcome to the ‘Building Connections’ conference, a day dedicated to celebration, creative activity and discussion – all with the purpose of raising the profile of creative arts and ensuring they remain high on everyone’s agenda, for the benefit of all, in education and beyond.
Today we will be lucky enough to hear inspirational keynote speeches from renowned artists, inspiring contributions from both local and national organisations and schools and take part in a range of creative workshops.
Take a look below, to find out more information about the people contributing to the day, the Royal Opera House and Ballet’s CPDL offers and schools programmes and the University of Huddersfield’s amazing range of courses.
Biographies
Ian Berry
At first glance, many believe that Ian Berry’s work are blue toned photographs or indigo coloured paintings. This is not only when viewed online or in print, when much of the depth and detail is lost, but even up close. Even at touching distance, many viewers don’t realise that they are looking at many layers, and shades, of denim jeans.
But of course it is testament to his work that it is not all about it being just about it being art in old jeans that makes it special. It is simply his medium for seeing the world, his paint, and what a material to use in this modern world; with all its symbols and dualities, as well as being such a common item of clothing that unites many around the globe.
Berry, who is originally from the North of England provincial town of Huddersfield, that once had a booming textile industry found much success. He has caught many eyes and while the works are painstaking to make he had been able to take a few commissioned portraits; Debbie Harry, Jennifer Saunders, Giorgio Armani and Lapo Elkann and Brazilian, Aryton Senna, using his family’s jeans and in support of the institute in his name. In 2021, he unveiled a portrait commission for the Italian city of Genoa of Garibaldi.
In 2023, he was chosen to help commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the 501 jean with a giant works shown in Paris, Milan and Madrid.
Keith Brymer Jones
Keith Brymer Jones is a British designer who has been using traditional craft to make modern ceramics for over four decades.
Keith’s design philosophy is a simple one; to create stylish yet simple products that are pleasing to the eye and, above all, are practical in the modern home and make people happy! The Word Range brings together the very best of Keith’s signature style – exceptional ceramics that are durable enough for everyday use.
Keith first experienced clay in secondary school at the age of 11. Encouraged by an inspirational art teacher Keith went on to do his O and A level examinations in Pottery.
This then led Keith to be involved with clay all his adult life, starting off as a clay boy doing his apprenticeship at Harefield Pottery aged 18 years. His tasks were sweeping the floor, making the clay body used in the pottery, and preparing the clay predominantly for throwing etc. He later became one of the master throwers. In 1989, the owners of Harefield Pottery moved to set up a pottery in Inverness. At the time, Keith was the lead singer in a band called The Wigs, playing the London gig circuit, so declined the move to Scotland preferring to stay in London, his home. Soon after he started his own pottery studio in Highgate.
His first commission was for Heal’s, in Tottenham Court Road, hand making everything . He then went on to design and make ceramics for Habitat, Conran and Laura Ashley.
Word soon got around that Keith could hand throw in high volume. Commissions ensued from Marks and Spencers, Ted Baker, Laura Ashley, Monsoon, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys New York and Anthropology to produce handmade ceramic ranges.
In 2008, Keith then set up Make International with then business partner Dominic Speelman.
Keith in his capacity as Head of Design for Make then gradually expanded the internationally successful Keith Brymer Jones brand.
Keith then collaborated with other brands, designing and encouraging the growth of MAKE’s brand portfolio to include Harlequin’s fresh brand Scion and upcoming designers Jane Foster and Bert and Buoy, The National Trust and Tatty Devine.
Being Dyslexic Keith often describes this as being a super power, and often explains that being dyslexic has enhanced his career.
When Keith was asked to be a judge on the ‘the Great British pottery throw down’, he considered it a great honour and privilege to expose the wonderful experience that working with clay has, both creatively and spiritually, and potentially the enormous positive impact it could have on ceramics and all other creative subjects in Britain.
Keith is an ardent and passionate believer in reintroducing a comprehensive creative curriculum within all forms of education. This he believes not only has a positive impact on the individual,but firmly believes has a positive impact on society as a whole.
Testament
Acclaimed writer, rapper and a Guinness world record holding beatboxer.
Testament’s work has been used as a teaching resource around the world. Testament is currently a presenter for BBC Bitesize, and has taught Shakespeare for the British Library, literature festivals and a variety of schools. As a performer he has featured on MOBO nominated albums, several performances for BBC Radio 1, 1xtra and 6Music as well as numerous television appearances, including BBC’s Blue Peter.
Michele Gregson
Michele Gregson is General Secretary and CEO of the National Society for Education in Art and Design – the trade union, professional body and learned society for art, craft and design professionals.
Michele has worked throughout her career with children, young people and educators in arts education and cultural settings. She firmly believes in the power of the collective – working together to make change through the arts.
After working for many years in London and Kent as an art teacher, Head of Department and school leader, she joined Kent County Council’s Advisory Service for Schools, supporting schools in challenging circumstances, then as Adviser for Art & Design, for all Kent schools. She spent ten years working as an independent arts consultant, before taking office at NSEAD in January 2019.
Sandra Booth
Sandra Booth is Director of Policy and External Relations at the Council for Higher Education Art and Design. CHEAD is the representative body for art, design and creative media in higher education providing advocacy for 68 higher education institutions, promoting the sector’s interests and shaping policy, leading briefings, policy research and analysis, consultation responses, lobbying and political engagement activities including membership of All-Party Parliamentary Groups and Commissions.
Sandra has 23 years’ experience in HE, as former Pro Vice Chancellor at University of Cumbria and Executive Coach at Lancaster University. Previously a Chartered Marketer, Sandra also provides independent consultancy on developing university business partnerships, government relations, public affairs and partnership work with key stakeholders including Design Council, AHRC, Arts Council, Crafts Council, NSEAD and Creative UK.
Dr Rowan Bailey
Dr Rowan Bailey is Reader in Cultural Theory and Practice and Director of the Centre for Cultural Ecologies in Art, Design and Architecture in the School of Arts and Humanities at the University of Huddersfield. As Research Lead of the Cultures of _ programme; a public realm project that facilitates creative activities on the high street, she is interested in place-based making with different creative communities. See: https://research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/ceada/
Melise Djemal
Melise Djemal is the newly appointed Education Manager at the Crafts Council. With over 10 years of experience as a teacher in primary schools across London, she has recently specialised as an Art Specialist, working with children from EYFS to KS3.
Melise holds a Master’s degree in Arts Education, Culture, and Practice from UCL. Her MA focused on exploring the intersection of art practice, culture, and pedagogy, and she developed an innovative approach to educational research across various educational settings.
Song Geet
Song Geet, Yorkshire’s radiant South Asian women’s choir, was born in 2022 during a workshop at the University of Bradford’s Theatre in the Mill. These remarkable women, inspired by memories of singing traditional songs with their mothers, now share their harmonies with the world.
Their mission? To empower South Asian women, build confidence, and celebrate their unique cultural heritage. Join them for warmth, laughter, and encouragement—a musical embrace that bridges generations and cultures.
Becky Freeman
Hello, my name is Becky Freeman and I am the deputy head teacher and art leader at Moorlands Primary School, Huddersfield. I’m passionate about giving children the opportunity to learn through practical, hands on experiences, through the arts and have been involved in many art projects during my 27 years in primary education. More recently, have been lucky enough to be part of the ‘Weaving together a story of Place’, Paul Hamlyn foundation project, which has led to the development of a rich textile curriculum, celebrating our textile heritage in Kirklees.
Georgina Shaw
Hello, my name is Becky Freeman and I am the deputy head teacher and art leader at Moorlands Primary School, Huddersfield. I’m passionate about giving children the opportunity to learn through practical, hands on experiences, through the arts and have been involved in many art projects during my 27 years in primary education. More recently, have been lucky enough to be part of the ‘Weaving together a story of Place’, Paul Hamlyn foundation project, which has led to the development of a rich textile curriculum, celebrating our textile heritage in Kirklees.
Kate Nussey
I have been tinkering with hand building clay for many years as a primary school teacher. An inspirational visit to a tiny pottery in Lincoln, a change of plans for an art unit for my class and the tiny spark of a new interest was born. A two-hour wheel throwing class with the incredible Ammie at The Clay Mill in Slaithwaite and the flames of the obsession were fanned beyond redemption.
Fast forward three years and, I am a primary teacher no more, a studio has been built, wheel and kiln installed and the first creations have emerged from the recently established Fox Mill Pottery.
When throwing, the wheel is still dictating what happens, but having the studio in the garden means that practice is often and deliberate items are, at last, occurring. I still love to hand build and am enjoying developing my own style and themes inspired by the natural world, other art and folklore.
Fox Mill Pottery – the name is a link back to my teaching. For many years, I taught a unit of work built around a book called The Midnight Fox which led to some of my inspired artwork and writing. Always a favourite. The mill bit is the clay teaching and the work done around the Industrial Revolution, where the children all built tiny ceramic textile mills – something I have developed a strange obsession for visiting.
Mandy Barrett
Mandy Barrett is an artist and specialist art teacher working at Gomersal Primary School where she has had the opportunity to revamp an old art room into a fully functioning, creative, bustling environment where children are taught art projects on a weekly basis. Over 420 children now have the opportunity to learn a variety of art skills and take part in a colourful, creative curriculum within this space, with sketchbook use as a particular focus.
After leaving school she studied for four years at Bretton Hall University, situated within the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where she gained a BEd in Primary Education, specialising in Art. She has taught within primary Schools since 2002 and also offers art support to primary schools, locally and nationally. Mandy runs initial teacher training courses in the teaching of primary art and is the art subject content creator for Red Kite teaching alliance and Sheffield Hallam University. She also runs art cluster training for Teach First, online training through various providers and is a teacher champion for the Superpower of Looking.
Sandra Dartnell
Sandra is Programme Manager of the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Create & Design programme which includes the national Design Challenge. Previously Sandra created skills-based learning opportunities as Partnership Manager for the sector skills council for the creative and cultural industries, having spent 15 years managing multi-disciplinary design process in design studios and as self-employed creative.
Ruth Paton
Ruth is Lead Artist for the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Create & Design programme and Senior Lecturer in Theatre Design at the UCA. Her 25-year career in production design for theatre and opera includes community engagement and education as a key part of her practice with work as a creative educator and facilitator for a wide range of clients.
Royal Ballet and Opera, KS3-5 Create & Design CPD – Progression (Online). A FREE online certified CPD for secondary school and FE teachers wanting to enhance their creative curriculum with a focus on progression.
- Wednesday, Oct 23rd 2024, 15:30 – 16:30 Reserve your spot!
The University of Huddersfield
School of Arts & Humanities webpage
School Page: https://www.hud.ac.uk/about/schools/art-humanities/
Film & Visual Arts
Subject Leader: Rich Mulhearn
Email: r.mulhearn@hud.ac.uk
Fine Art: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/fine-art-ba-hons
Illustration: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/illustration-ba-hons
Fine Art & Illustration: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/fine-art-and-
illustration-ba-hons
Photography: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/photography-ba-
hons
Film Making: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/film-making-ba-
hons
Design
Subject Leader: Anneke Pettican
Email: a.pettican@hud.ac.uk
Fashion Design: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/fashion-design-ba-
hons
Costume with Textiles: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/costume-with-
textiles-ba-hons
Fashion Marketing: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/fashion-marketing-
ba-hons
Graphic Design & Animation: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/graphic-design-and-animation-ba-hons
Graphic Design: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/graphic-design-ba-
hons
Interior Design: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/interior-design-ba-
hons
Architecture & The Built Environment
Subject Leader: Yun Gao
Email: y.gao@hud.ac.uk
Architecture/Architecture (International) (RIBA Part 1): https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/architecture-architecture-international-riba-part-1-ba-hons
Architectural Technology: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/architectural-
technology-bsc-hons
Construction Project Management: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/construction-project-management-bsc-hons
Quantity Surveying: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/quantity-surveying-
bsc-hons
Communication and Humanities
Subject Leader: Merrick Burrow
Email: m.burrow@hud.ac.uk
English: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/english-ba-hons
English Literature: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/english-literature-
ba-hons
English Literature with Creative Writing: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/english-literature-with-creative-writing-ba-hons
English Literature & History: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/english-literature-and-history-ba-hons
Film Studies and English Literature: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/film-studies-and-english-literature-ba-hons
History: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/history-ba-hons
History & English Language: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/history-and-
english-language-ba-hons
History & Film Studies: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/history-and-film-
studies-ba-hons
Economics & History: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/economics-and-
history-ba-hons
Film Studies: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/film-studies-ba-
hons
Media Studies: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/media-studies-ba-
hons
Journalism: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/journalism-ba-hons
Broadcast Journalism: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/broadcast-
journalism-ba-hons
Sports Journalism: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/sports-journalism-
ba-hons
Music Journalism: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/music-journalism-
ba-hons
Performing Arts
Subject Leader: Andrew Bourbon
Email: a.j.bourbon@hud.ac.uk
Music: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/music-bmus-hons
Music Performance: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/music-
performance-bmus-hons
Music Technology and Composition: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/music-technology-and-composition-bmus-hons
Music and Sound for Screen: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/music-and-sound-for-screen-ba-hons
Sound Engineering and Music Production: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/sound-engineering-and-music-production-bsc-hons
Creative Music Production: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/creative-music-production-ba-hons
Musical Theatre: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/musical-theatre-ba-
hons
Popular Music: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/popular-music-
bmus-hons
Acting and Performance: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/acting-and-
performance-ba-hons
Acting and Performance with Creative Writing: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/acting-and-performance-with-creative-writing-ba-hons
Acting and Performance and English Language: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/acting-performance-and-english-language-ba-hons
Acting and Performance and English Literature: https://courses.hud.ac.uk/2025-26/full-time/undergraduate/acting-performance-and-english-literature-ba-hons