Cultural Tides Conference 2026

Harriet Deacon is a Lecturer at the Centre of Excellence for Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Modelling (DAIM), University of Hull, UK. She is also part of the Centre for Responsible AI at Hull. She does research on intellectual property, the economics of intangible heritage and on the use and impact of AI in the cultural heritage sector. She has had research experience in a range of different fields, including intellectual property law, medical history, stigma and discrimination, tangible and intangible heritage. She has worked at a museum and an archives advocacy NGO in South Africa, and as a policy consultant and researcher internationally. She was involved in research projects exploring the role of intangible heritage in sustainable development in India and Kyrgyzstan (hipams.org) and northern Europe (LIVIND). She is currently Principal Investigator on a British Academy-funded project on digital/AI literacy and cultural data governance in Burkina Faso. Since 2010, she has been a consultant to the UNESCO Secretariat for the 2003 Intangible Heritage Convention, working on major projects including global capacity building, periodic reporting and economic aspects of heritage safeguarding. She has also consulted to WIPO’s Traditional Knowledge Division, including on the Training, Mentoring and Matchmaking Program on Intellectual Property for Women Entrepreneurs from Local Communities. She has a BA (Hons) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa (1989), a PhD in History (Cambridge, 1994) and a MSc in Management of Intellectual Property (QMUL, 2016). 

Jane is a Commissioner of Historic England, appointed in 2022. She is also chair of the Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site Partnership Board. 

In 2026 she was appointed chair of The Together Initiative, a coalition of organisations, individuals and brands committed to action on social cohesion and building stronger communities. Together is secretariat to the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion.   

She also chairs the York Central Partnership Panel, one of the largest city centre regeneration schemes in the UK. 

She is a member of Court at Newcastle University. 

Until early 2026 she was the chair of Spirit of 2012, a spend-out trust set up by the National Lottery Community Fund as the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy funder with a £47million endowment. 

In 2022 she was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Jubilee Honours List for services to volunteering, heritage and the arts. 

Clara is the President of ICOMOS-UK and chairs ICOMOS-UK’S Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee (ICHC) which she founded in 2012. The ICHC played a critical role in the UK Government’s ratification of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.  

Clara is a strategic planner by background. Her involvement, as a senior manager and non-executive member, in the planning and delivery of arts and heritage services in the UK spans local government, community sector, and Non-Government Departments over a period of 30 years. She was Deputy Director Operations at UK’s Heritage Lottery Fund, senior manager responsible for research and strategic policy and planning in several local authorities and a member of the Culture Committee at the UK National Commission for UNESCO.  Clara has held several public appointments. She chaired the London Mayor’s Heritage and Diversity Task Force and the Open University’s research board on Cultural Rights and Kenya’s New Constitution, and was the Judge of the 2022 Annual IHBC Gus Astley Student Award.   

Her international roles have included:  Vice President of the International Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage, a member of the Rights-Based Approaches, World Heritage and Doctrinal Review Working Groups and the European Group for National Presidents at ICOMOS International; and a member of the Strategic Review Committee at ICOM International.  

She is the Founder and Coordinator of the Global South Exchange Network which promotes Global South-South Cooperation in the management of cultural heritage. Clara has consulted on cultural heritage in Europe, Canada and America and the Arab region for academic, community and arts and heritage sectors.  

Clara regularly chairs and contributes as a panellist on the protection and safeguarding of culture and heritage at national and international roundtable meetings and conferences. She also writes and speaks on intangible cultural heritage, cultural rights, and the future of cultural heritage in the UK and internationally.  

Tom Frater is Historic England’s North East and Yorkshire Director. Historic England’s purpose is to improve people’s lives by championing and protecting the historic environment. We are responsible for the statutory protection of buildings and monuments, and use our expert advice and targeted grants to support sensitive adaptations and repairs so that special places can continue to be loved and used. Tom joined in Historic England in 2023 from the Civil Service, where his career focussed on regional economic growth and regeneration, including Mayoral Devolution and place-based funding. He lives in North Tyneside.

@HistoricEngland

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-frater-1028097b/

  Gillian Osgerby has been a key figure in shaping the city’s landscape. With eight years at Hull City Council, her expertise in delivering complex capital development projects has driven transformational change across the city, particularly in the realm of preserving its historic assets. 

As Programme Director for the £70m Hull Maritime project, Gillian oversees the restoration of six of Hull’s most significant maritime landmarks, including the Grade II* listed Maritime Museum, Dock Office Chambers, Queen’s Gardens, the North End Shipyard, and the historic ships – Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship. Her role involves providing strategic leadership to ensure the successful delivery of these high-profile projects, alongside a comprehensive community engagement programme that aims to connect the city’s rich maritime history with its residents and visitors alike. 

Gillian’s work extends beyond Hull Maritime, with notable contributions to other landmark projects in the city. Under her leadership, Pearson Park has been refurbished, properties along Beverley Road improved, and the Guildhall Time Ball installed. She’s also been instrumental in the restoration of the National Picture Theatre and the South Blockhouse site. 

Gillian’s leadership and passion for Hull’s heritage have been central to revitalising the city’s historic assets, ensuring they remain a central part of Hull’s future while honouring its past. 

Chris is the Corporate Director of Regeneration at Hull City Council, responsible for overseeing the council’s major capital projects, economic development, culture, property and assets and streetscene teams. Chris recently joined the council from NHS England, where he was Director of Capital, with oversight of the NHS’s £9bn capital budget and delivery of capital programmes, such as new diagnostic centres and surgical hubs. 

Before joining the NHS, Chris worked as a senior civil servant in central Government where he held a number of roles, including as Deputy Director in HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, advising Government ministers on issues such as local government spending and devolution, adult social care, housing policy and private infrastructure financing. Chris has a wide network across local government, the NHS and central Government departments, and experience of senior management and leadership in complex policy and political environments.   

Tom is a leader in in music and creative industries policy, strategy and campaigns.

Tom was a founding architect of the Live Music Act, designed to deregulate live music performance from entertainment licensing, and navigated its passage through Parliament while working in the House of Lords.

At UK Music, Tom subsequently coordinated the successful Parliamentary campaign to introduce the agent of change principle to protect music venues. He also took a leading role in responding to challenges presented by the pandemic, the impact of leaving the EU and the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Tom has also played a key role in major debates on copyright policy. This includes campaigning to support music rights in the Copyright Directive and organising a successful industry wide judicial review of government plans to weaken copyright law.

Tom joined UK Music in 2012. Prior to this, Tom worked in the Houses of Parliament for 11 years as an advisor and researcher in both Government and Opposition.

In 2018 Tom was promoted to the role of Deputy CEO and Director of Public Affairs. In this role, Tom retained oversight of all public affairs work at UK Music, as well as research, policy, skills and education work-streams and budgets.

He took on the role of acting CEO at UK Music between January-September 2020 before returning to the role of Deputy CEO and Director of Public Affairs. He then again took on the role of Interim Chief Executive of UK Music in September 2023 and was confirmed as UK Music’s permanent Chief Executive in June 2024. Tom represents UK Music on the Creative Industries Council and Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board, and was appointed by the Foreign and DCMS Secretary’s to the government’s newly formed Soft Power Council in January 2025.

As Director of New Technologies and Innovation at Arts Council England, Owen supports the use of new technologies, the distribution and business models of digital content, as well as digital and data skills in the arts and culture sector. He joined Arts Council England from The Space where he was Head of Audience Development and Distribution, working on over 70 commissions across a range of artforms. Before The Space, he was a Marketing Manager at Amazon in the Video Games category, where he was responsible for developing the customer base and revenue-generating strategies. Prior to that, Owen was at Global Radio, managing the digital properties of some of the UK’s biggest media brands. He began his professional career as a musician, touring internationally and recording. His work as a musician continues with Far From Saints, the chart-topping UK/US collective. 

Phil Benson is an award winning Entrepreneur, Technology Advocate, Company Advisor and Speaker.  Phil has played a key role in assisting economic regeneration initiatives, cultural & creative development (including as a Hull City of Culture 2017 board member) & advising businesses across the tech and start-up ecosystem.  Phil is the Co-Founder of UK Black Tech & UKBT Institute, an organisation that supports and facilitates the continued growth of innovators, tech innovation and research across the UK. Phil has cross sector expertise and has operated on several boards within the public, charitable and private sectors. He currently serves on the External Advisory Board for Computer Science at The University of Leeds, advisory board for a Space tech company and advisor for an ESG Software company. He also is part of a Research Advisory Group – for EDI research at the Royal Academy of Engineering . 

Personal Linkedin: philbenson64 

Company Social: @UKBlackTech 

Facilitator: Rachel Meadows; Vocal Coach, Mental Health-Informed Artist Mentor & Consultant 

Description: 

In a creative world that often demands constant output, adaptability, and emotional labour, burnout can feel like an inevitable part of the job. But what if sustaining a creative career didn’t have to mean sacrificing your wellbeing? 

In this interactive workshop, Vocal Coach and Mental Health-Informed Artist Mentor Rachel Meadows introduces simple, science-based tools to help artists and cultural teams navigate high-pressure environments with greater balance, focus, and resilience. Drawing on the principles of nervous-system regulation, participants will explore how stress affects creativity, performance, and collaboration — and learn practical strategies to stay grounded through the inevitable highs and lows of creative work. 

Through guided reflection, practical exercises, and a short grounding practice, this session invites you to pause, reset, and reconnect with what helps you feel most alive and sustainable in your work. 

You’ll leave with: 

• A clear understanding of how the nervous system shapes creativity and burnout 

• Tools for regulating stress in high-performance or high-change environments 

• A personal micro-practice to integrate into your daily work or team culture 

• Renewed energy and clarity for sustaining your creative life and supporting others 

Who it’s for: 

Artists, educators, arts leaders, and cultural practitioners seeking sustainable ways to create, 

collaborate, and lead without losing themselves in the process. 

Rachel Meadows is a vocal coach, mental health-informed artist mentor, and consultant with over ten years’ experience supporting professional and emerging singers to build sustainable, resilient careers. Formerly Head of Vocals at one of the UK’s leading contemporary music institutions, Rachel holds a Master’s degree in Voice Pedagogy, specialising in Performance Psychology, and is a certified mental health-informed practitioner, having studied under Dr George Musgrave; co-author of Can Music Make You Sick? and lead researcher for Music Minds Matter. She combines academic expertise with deep industry insight gained from years working as a professional performer. 

As a backing vocalist, Rachel has toured internationally across the UK, Europe, the USA, and the Middle East, performing on UK arena tours, and as a lead and house-band vocalist on the UK, European, and US festival circuits. She is also a long-time member of the acclaimed electro-synth band Heaven 17. 

Alongside her performance work, Rachel is a mentor with The Creative Well and Help Musicians UK, where she supports artists in navigating the psychological demands of creative careers. Her practice bridges voice science, nervous-system awareness, and artist development, helping singers and creative teams reconnect with their artistry and creative work, while safeguarding their wellbeing. 

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Instagram: @rachelmeadows.singer.coach 

LinkedIn: @rachelmeadowscoaching 

Website: www.rachelmeadows.co.uk 

This session, led by the British Council, will equip artists and arts organisations with the knowledge and tools to approach international working with confidence. It will explore the practicalities of cross-border collaboration, including logistics, cultural sensitivities, funding, and legal considerations. Participants will gain insights into building sustainable international partnerships, understanding global arts ecosystems, and preparing for the challenges and opportunities of working abroad. The session will be particularly valuable for those new to international engagement or looking to expand their global reach in a strategic and informed way. 

Festivals come in all shapes, sizes, budgets and levels of controlled chaos , and even those of us who run them sometimes wonder how they work. We’ll use a bespoke card game (developed by ColliderFest and previously unleashed at UK Sci-Comm conferences) to explore what  goes into designing a science themed festival programme. 

Working in small teams, you’ll draw cards representing audiences, venues, budgets, partners, themes and wild-card “real-world curveballs”  then race to build a festival concept that is exciting, coherent and (at least vaguely) deliverable.  

Come for the game, stay for the insider insights and leave with new collaborators.  

P.S. full disclosure  we (ColliderFest) will be shamelessly collecting your brilliant ideas for shaping our future programme! 

Alongside his academic duties, Mark spends his time communicating science to as wide an audience as possible. He founded the Hull Science festival which has now morphed into ColliderFest.and and leads on widening participation projects in the region. He still finds time to contribute to various media outlets, his prose regularly appears in the mainstream press, and he pops up on broadcast media. He has also provided science consultancy services to film, game production companies and he sits on the Science Advisory Council of the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

This breakout session brings together national and regional funding bodies—Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Two Ridings—to share their strategic priorities and how these are delivered through funded programmes and initiatives. Attendees will gain insight into how each agency supports cultural and heritage development, the types of projects they invest in, and how their approaches align with broader place-based and sector-wide goals. The session will offer valuable guidance for organisations seeking funding, collaboration, or a deeper understanding of how national and regional strategies shape the cultural landscape. 

Rebecca Ball was appointed as North Area Director for Arts Council England in August 2024, leading the delivery of Let’s Create across the North East, North West and Yorkshire. 

Through her career, Rebecca has worked across dance, theatre, visual arts and museums. Before joining Arts Council England, Rebecca was Chief Executive and Creative Director of Sunderland Culture, which delivers creative and cultural programmes across Sunderland, including at National Glass Centre, Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens and Arts Centre Washington. 

Rebecca also led the creation of Sunderland’s in 2017 bid for UK City of Culture and, prior to this, was the Director of The Cultural Spring, Sunderland and South Tyneside’s Creative People and Places programme. 

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Before moving to the North East in 2011, Rebecca worked for a number of arts organizations across the UK, including The Place in London, and South East Dance in Brighton as well as at Arts Council England South East. Rebecca has an MA in European Cultural Policy and is passionate about the impact of creativity and culture on all of our lives. She is an avid reader and dances at any opportunity. 

Celia McKeon is the Chief Executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, which inspires giving that brings people together and strengthens communities across North & East Yorkshire. Two Ridings provides the secretariat for the Hull Community Fund, as well as a range of other funding programmes for grassroots groups providing culture and heritage activities. Cela has worked in the voluntary sector for more than 25 years, and has expertise in philanthropy, grant-making, charity leadership, social justice and conflict resolution. She is passionate about the power of local community action in driving change that improves people’s lives. 

Led by the Hull Music Board, this breakout session will brin people together to collaboratively shape the delivery plan for Hull as a UNESCO Music City, ensuring alignment with the four Music Plan themes: 

Relationships 

Inclusion 

Stories 

Infrastructure 

Born and raised in Hull, James is currently the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Chrysalis Records, where he leads on global marketing campaigns for a diverse roster of artists such as Laura Marling, Marika Hackman and De La Soul. With over 15 years in the music industry, he’s gained a trusted reputation and strong network, built on delivering award-winning campaigns that blend creative storytelling with strategic and commercial impact. 

Once a former musician and club promoter in Hull’s own vibrant scene, he brings both homegrown grassroots experience and global industry insight. Passionate about developing the next wave of talent and helping shape the future of the industry, he’s proud to give back to the city that shaped his journey. 

Joe Duggan is Head of Communications and Digital at National Youth Theatre and cofounder at The Question Is Films. He has over 15 years of experience leading dynamic campaigns to reach millions of audiences members at some of the world’s biggest events from London Fashion Week to the 2012 Olympic Games. He is a digital specialist who has partnered with leading brands including Netflix, Microsoft, TikTok and Samsung to tell stories in innovative new formats. In 2025 he collaborated on campaigns with talent including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Kate Winslet and Guillermo del Toro. He produced live storytelling featuring new technologies at events including the inaugural SXSW London, the first children and young people’s AI Summit and Bett UK, the world’s leading EdTech event. 

tech UK report on our work with Microsoft here: https://www.techuk.org/resource/why-a-successful-uk-industrial-strategy-depends-on-the-convergence-of-the-creative-and-digital-setors.html 

Councillor Mike Ross came to Hull in September 2000 to study at the University of Hull. Like so many people he fell in love with the city and made his home here.   

Mike has been a City Councillor since 2002, leader of the Liberal Democrat group since 2015 and Leader of the City Council following the Liberal Democrat election victory in 2022. 

During Liberal Democrats’ previous administration (2006-2011), Mike held various portfolio responsibilities.  While in opposition Mike also chaired the scrutiny committee responsible for scrutinising the Council’s finances.   

Mike enjoys spending time with his family, watching sport and exploring the outdoors! 

Rob feels honoured to live in Hull and has had a varied career, from starting out working in retail, working as a nurse, bank clerk, chief officer of several voluntary and community organisations, and now a City Councillor. 

Rob believes everyone needs beauty in their lives and strives to make this reality, in 2016 he became a HEY volunteer to be part of Hull’s City of Culture year, which brought a renewed desire to be involved in the creative sector in Hull. 

Rob has a passion for his city and loves being involved in making it a better place to live. He loves the arts in all its forms and feels privileged to be the Portfolio Holder for Culture and Leisure, where he gets to meet amazing people from around the city and beyond.