Beyond Conference

08/10/2026

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) programme at BEYOND Conference is live - set within the wider schedule, across both Experience and Growth days.

As a leading funder of creative industries research, providing £100 million of new investment to expand the Creative Industries Clusters programme, AHRC brings to BEYOND a strand of sessions on the R&D that is shaping the sector's future. This comes at an important moment; the creative industries are one of the eight growth-driving sectors in the UK's Industrial Strategy.

At BEYOND, the AHRC will make its biggest announcement of the year, as it introduces the latest wave of Creative Clusters. You'll also get to -

- hear from the new clusters
- learn about the new AHRC Commercialisation Strategy
- preview CoSTAR's live funding opportunities for this Autumn
- hear from project teams within the AHRC's India-UK programme.

Be there, be a part of this important conversation for the sector - tickets available now at: www.beyondconference.org/tickets?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Beyond+Conference&utm_campaign=publer

🗓️ BEYOND Conference at MediaCity, Salford
November 23- 25

04/10/2026

Just 50 days until BEYOND Conference 2026! ⌛

Taking place at at Mediacity, Salford, November 23-25.

Have you got your ticket yet?

Check out the live schedule, explore Experience day (November 24) and Growth day (November 25). Full tickets and single day tickets available.

Championing global creative innovation since 2018.

https://beyondconference.org/b26/schedule/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Beyond+Conference&utm_campaign=publer

02/10/2026

From emotionally responsive robots to mechanical performers taking the stage, Creative Robotics is opening new possibilities for storytelling, performance and entertainment.

Dr Hooman Samani’s work brings together social robotics, human-robot relationships and artistic practice, treating robots not simply as tools but as expressive agents and creative collaborators. This visual and impactful talk explores what robotic performance means for the experience economy: how audiences engage, feel and remember.

Explore the schedule: https://beyondconference.org/b26/schedule/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Beyond+Conference&utm_campaign=publer

02/10/2026

There is still time to share your creative research and innovation with some 600+ delegates at BEYOND Conference 2026.

Put your work in front of the people who can take it further. The Immersive Futures Lab at BEYOND gives organisations a space to present prototypes, live technology and creative projects directly to funders, investors, collaborators and commissioners. This year's showcase can be found on the ground floor of Lowry, open throughout the conference.

Limited spots in this year's showcase are still available. Contact Holly at [email protected] to find out more or visit: beyondconference.org/get-involved/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Beyond+Conference&utm_campaign=publer

01/10/2026

BEYOND’s Growth day on November 25 explores how we fund and scale creative innovation sustainably, bringing together investors, founders, policymakers and cluster leads working to unlock the creative industries as one of the most dynamic investment frontiers of our time.

This breakfast opens that conversation at 8-9.30am - explore good, sustainable growth in practice, from grants and seed investment through to venture capital, debt and accelerator support, including GM Business Growth Hub’s Creative Industries Accelerator. Join funders and founders working across CreaTech and IP-driven growth, offering a practical guide to the investment landscape shaping Greater Manchester’s creative economy.

The breakfast is open to both BEYOND Conference and Festival ticket holders.

Explore the schedule: https://beyondconference.org/b26/schedule/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Beyond+Conference&utm_campaign=publer

📷 Stuart Jenkins

29/09/2026

For fifty years, Aardman has created characters and stories loved around the world.

Emma Hardie, Aardman’s Executive Commercial and Brand Director, is joined by Caroline Meaby, Head of Programmes & Engagement at OKRE, as she shares how craft, character and emotional connection have become lasting commercial value for Aardman, as it celebrates its 50th birthday.

From creating Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, to expanding into new platforms, immersive experiences and creative partnerships, discover how Aardman takes its unmistakable worlds into new places with purpose: choosing opportunities that bring audiences closer, open new possibilities for growth and protect the creative integrity of its intellectual property. A story of imagination, stewardship and fifty years of knowing what audiences love.

Explore the schedule: https://beyondconference.org/b26/schedule/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Beyond+Conference&utm_campaign=publer

25/09/2026

How can we experience a place before it exists?

At BEYOND Conference on November 24, David Edge, Associate Director and Experiential Environments Practice Leader at ARUP, reveals how technologies developed through film, gaming and immersive environments are changing the design of buildings and infrastructure

Through Arup’s Experience Labs and high-fidelity digital simulations, designers, communities and decision-makers can inhabit proposals together, testing not only how places look, but how they will feel, function and be experienced.

Read more: https://shorturl.at/mXRAV?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Beyond+Conference&utm_campaign=publer

23/09/2026

BEYOND Conference is pleased to announce Prolific North as its Media Partner for BEYOND Conference 2026, taking place at MediaCity, Greater Manchester, on 23-25 November, for the third consecutive year.

BEYOND Conference, now in its 9th year, is the UK’s leading R&D conference for the creative industries, bringing together researchers, industry leaders, policymakers and investors from across the globe.

Ben Waterhouse, Commercial Director said:

“Prolific North is delighted to be a media partner for BEYOND Conference. For nearly 15 years, we’ve championed the people, businesses and ideas driving the North’s creative, digital and technology sectors. BEYOND shares that ambition, bringing together creative leaders, technologists and innovators to explore how the industry is changing and where the opportunities lie. With the North playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s creative economy, we’re looking forward to helping amplify the conversations, ideas and developments that will impact its future.”

Read more:

BEYOND Conference has announced Prolific North as its Media Partner for BEYOND 2026, taking place 23–25 November at MediaCity, Greater Manchester. Now in its ninth year, BEYOND is the UK’s leading R&D conference for the creative industries, bringing together researchers, industry leaders, policy...

21/09/2026

What does the experience economy look like in 2026, and where is it going next? Professor Andy Miah sets the agenda for the first day of BEYOND Conference on November 24 (Experience) by examining forces redefining how experiences are created and valued.

From audience behaviours and AI-driven discovery to participatory culture and the convergence of physical and digital space, he reveals a sector in transition. Drawing on events, festivals, sport and place-based innovation, this session identifies the shifts that policymakers, researchers and producers need to understand and act on now.

Andy is Chair of Science Communication & Future Media at University of Salford.

Explore the schedule - Experience (November 24) and Growth (November 25) and secure your ticket today - links in bio.

21/09/2026

What does the experience economy look like in 2026, and where is it going next? Professor Andy Miah sets the agenda for the first day of BEYOND Conference on November 24 (Experience) by examining forces redefining how experiences are created and valued.

From audience behaviours and AI-driven discovery to participatory culture and the convergence of physical and digital space, he reveals a sector in transition. Drawing on events, festivals, sport and place-based innovation, this session identifies the shifts that policymakers, researchers and producers need to understand and act on now.

Andy is Chair of Science Communication & Future Media at University of Salford.

Explore the schedule - Experience (November 24) and Growth (November 25) and secure your ticket today https://beyondconference.org/b26/schedule/?utm_source=fb_page&utm_medium=Beyond+Conference&utm_campaign=publer