As the great William Morris said, ‘only have in your home things you know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’.
Words which should really also apply to the spaces themselves.
And many of the spaces we spend time in are neither beautiful nor useful.
So we’ll be hearing from some people who are working hard to make sure that the places we live and work in truly are beautiful, and are described in a way that makes them appealing
Speakers include –
Michael Pagan, Blue Moon Marketing
After a long career with global brand creators DECIDE, Michael is now Managing Director of Sunderland based Blue Moon Marketing, who work closely with a number of companies in the contruction sector.
Often seen as a somewhat conservative industry, the team at Blue Moon have injected fresh thinking and a design led approach with clients such as RE:GEN, helping them get the right message across about the beautiful spaces they create for clients across the North.
Michael will tell us more about their unique approach.
Neil Wilson, NWD
Neil is a hugely talented designer, having created beautiful restaurants and cafes all over the North East, as well as lighting, furniture, packaging and hi-fi products.
His most recent creation is a range of acoustic panelling designed to make spaces more comfortable and liveable.
Echowall is made from recycled coffee grounds and other natural byproducts, although you’d never know to look at them. While the Soundart collection, currently part of an exhibition at the Baltic Art Gallery, pays homage to specific plant varieties, seamlessly intertwining aesthetics with exceptional acoustic performance, while prioritising sustainability.
Neil will share with us the story behind these products, and some other examples from his design journey.
Further speakers will be announced soon
Rise and Design lasts for approximately three hours, and includes networking before and after speakers. There is a chance to pitch at the end of the speakers’ presentations. We encourage all delegates to stay after presentations for networking – it is one of the most valuable parts of Rise and Design.
This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
