We’re pleased to announce our first exclusive to Barbican members creative development programme, Creative Futures: Skills for Sustainable Practice.
Curated for designers, makers and creative professionals, the series will be running from April to July 2026. These are presented in collaboration with Design-Nation. On top of this, all participants will receive a four-month Associate trial membership with Design-Nation. If you’re interested in becoming a Barbican member explore our options & benefits below.
What to expect
This programme has been carefully designed to support the development of a sustainable and resilient creative practice.
- Start with direction: clarity, goals, and next steps.
- Gain industry context: expectations, opportunities, and professional insight.
- Develop your audience strategy: digital marketing for creatives.
- Align value and market fit: practical pricing tools.
- End with reflection & future planning: sustaining your creative life and income streams.
Through a curated mix of online and in-person workshops, online masterclass and collaborative meet-ups, participants will build professional skills, gain practical business tools, and grow meaningful connections across a vibrant creative community.
Participants are encouraged to join in for the entire series.
The programme
The series begins with Plans & Priorities with Hayley Banks, offering a practical space for creatives to clarify goals and align their values with their next steps.
This is followed by In Conversation with Andrew Tanner, who shares industry‑level perspectives on branding, retail pathways, and navigating both maker‑led and commercial design sectors.
Midway through the programme, Digital Marketing with Elliot Forte, Business Think Digital provides a concise introduction to effective marketing strategies and essential digital tools tailored to creative practitioners, helping participants understand how to build and engage their audiences with purpose.
The programme continues with Pricing for Creatives with Patricia Van Der Akker, The Design Trust, which delivers a clear and actionable guide to costing creative work, understanding market fit, and avoiding common financial pitfalls.
The final workshop, The Portfolio Life of a Designer/Maker led by Design-Nation Fellow Nicki Jarvis, explores the multifaceted nature of portfolio careers, offering insight into combining making, teaching, exhibiting, and arts development as sustainable pathways for creative practitioners.
Additionally, the programme is accompanied by Monthly Creative Meet-Ups on the first Thursday of every month. These gatherings create space to check in, share progress and build collaboration throughout the programme.
For over 25 years Design-Nation has championed and supported the UK’s talented and multifaceted design and craft sector. Today, the portfolio comprises a rich and diverse pool of 300+ highly skilled designer-makers whose collective works demonstrate authentic, exceptional craftmanship and design ability.
Design-Nation’s mission of bolstering business opportunities and development initiatives across the creative sector is more important than ever. Design-Nation delivers a UK-wide programme that empowers artists, designers and makers to build, sustain and develop innovative creative practices.
Programmes are built on three core values: excellence, diversity and sustainability. Innovation, collaboration and partnership are also core to our ethos and we are delighted to present this exciting new programme in partnership with the Barbican Creative Hub.
Together, these sessions form a comprehensive journey supporting creatives to build practices that are both resilient and future‑focused.