Join us for a day of presentations and panels responding to real-world challenges, opportunities and ‘wicked’ problems across the creative and cultural industries.
For their final ‘capstone’ assessment, students of MA Arts & Cultural Management at the University of Lincoln undertake consultancy with cultural organisations across the UK who submit a live-brief challenge that requires some creative thinking. They’ll be sharing the findings and impact of their work in this one-day event that celebrates creative problem solving, leadership, and the transformative value of arts and culture to our society.
The 2026 Industry Challenges have been set by:
The Arts Marketing Association (UK), Attenborough Arts Centre (Leicester), Barbican Creative Hub, BASE (Lincoln), In Good Company (Derby), The International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive, Lincoln Arts Centre, Lincoln Mayor’s Office and Historic Guildhall, and Lincolnshire County Council – Usher Gallery & Lincoln Museum.
MA Arts & Cultural Management is proud to be the Affiliate Masters Programme of Barbican Creative Hub.
Open to all.
2 sessions – please see schedule below
50 tickets available for each session.
FREE
A Discount of 10% at Salt & Fettle Café is included with your ticket for all attendees during the conference.
Schedule:
| Time | Details | |
| Session 1 (10am – 11:30am) | 10:00 | Arrival – coffee and networking |
| 10:15 | Introduction from Course Director, Associate Professor Rachel Baynton | |
| 10:30 | Lizzie Dennis – Removing Barriers to Artistic Growth: Developing Homebased Artist Residencies (10min) Host: Attenborough Arts Centre | |
| 10:40 | Katie Seller – BASE: Establishing a Digital Gallery(10min) Host: BASE Studios and Artist Development | |
| 10:50 | Coralie Palmer – In Good Company: Moving on from Unpaid Producing (10min) Host: In Good Company / Derby Theatre | |
| 11:00 | Rachael Phillips – Lincoln’s Historic Guildhall: Digital Marketing and Cultural Engagement (10min) Host: Lincoln Mayor and Civic Office | |
| 11:10 | Panel Discussion 1 (20min) | |
| 11:30 | Break (20min) | |
| Session 2 (11:30am – 1pm) | 11:50 | Layla Ashberry – Putting it Back on the Map (10min) Host: Lincolnshire County Council / Lincoln Museum |
| 12:00 | Ben Slater – The Book Club (10min) Host: Lincoln Arts Centre | |
| 12:10 | Molly Snee – Having a LAFFF! Growing Creativity in Primary Schools (10min) Host: Lincoln Arts Centre | |
| 12:20 | Tom Morton – International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive: Archive Unlocked (10min) Host: IBCC Digital Archive | |
| 12:30 | Panel Discussion 2 (20min) | |
| 12:50 | Close |