The 4th CivicLAB Annual Conference, 2024

The CivicLAB Conference 2024

CivicLAB is based at the University of Derby, a UNESCO City of Life Long Learning and home to a fantastic selection of World Heritage Sites. It has been designed to support academics, creative and cultural industry professionals and freelance creatives to share their insights on research and practice through a place-based approach to knowledge generation. 

The main objective of the Conference is to provide a supportive and creative environment for academics, creative and cultural industry professionals and freelance artists to share their insights on research and practice through a place-based approach to knowledge generation. Together, we will discuss approaches to building civic practice, research and community capacity as a means of addressing long-standing social issues.

As a Civic University, we are committed to supporting Derby and Derbyshire, our place, our people and its rich and diverse community by enacting and enabling imaginative communities to flourish and support creative cultural ecosystems and strategies to grow.

2024 Conference themes

• Securing our future
• Driving ambition to bring positive change
• Making a positive environmental impact
• Supporting health and wellbeing 
• Investing in culture as a driver for change

Conference Chair: Dr Cara Courage

Cara is the Editor and Convenor of The Routledge Handbook of Placemaking (Routledge, 2021); Co-Editor of Creative Placemaking and Beyond (Routledge, 2018); and author of The Arts in Place: The Arts, the Urban and Social Practice (Routledge, 2017).

Find out more about CivicLAB

Conference programme 2024

9:30am - 10:00am 

• Registration 

10:00am - 10:30am 

• Welcome from Dr Rhiannon Jones, Associate Professor (Civic Practice), University of Derby
• Welcome to Artcore from Ruchita Shaikh DL, CEO of Artcore
• Opening Address by Professor Keith McLay, Provost Learning and Teaching, University of Derby
• Introduction and opening of proceedings by Dr Cara Courage, Guest Chair of CivicLAB Conference 2024

10:30am - 10:50am

• Respect/ Society and Change: Collaboration of Schools with Inclusion Charter DCCT and NSC Programme - Peter Beynon, SEMH and Inclusion Advisor and Will Broderick, Head of Teaching and Learning for the Respect Collaboration of Schools

10:55am - 11:15am

• Make/Shift: Mobilising the Creative Power of Communities - Rachel Smith, Director, Make/Shift

11:15am - 12:30pm 

• Shedding Light on Long Covid: A Public Realm Sci-Art Research Project - Chaired by Dr Rhiannon Jones, Associate Professor (Civic Practice), University of Derby

Panellists: 

• Rhiannon Jones, Associate Professor (Civic Practice, UoD)
• Dr Alice Marshall (UoD)
• Callum Bate (RSA)
• Professor Michael Pinchbeck (MMU)
• Rebecca Owen (UoD)
• Dr Gemma Marmalade (UoD)
• Sarah Barley-McMullen

12:30pm - 1:00pm

• Culture and placemaking: Exploring new research and policy recommendations with the Centre for Cultural Value - Anna Kime - Policy Officer, Centre for Cultural Value

1:00pm - 1:10pm 

• Reflections with Dr Cara Courage

1:10pm - 2:00pm (Lunch)

1:30pm - 1:45pm 

• Special conference address by Professor Kathryn Mitchell, CBE DL Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Derby

1:45pm - 2:00pm 

• Performance intervention: Whispers from the Woods - Dan Webber, poet, promoter and producer

2:00pm - 2:10pm 

• Welcome to the afternoon proceedings by Dr Cara Courage, Guest Chair of CivicLAB Conference 2024

2:15pm - 2:30pm 

• People, Place, Practice: UK New Artists in Derby - Michelle Bowen, Director of UK New Artists

2:30pm - 2:45pm

• Dark Skies: Exploring People's Connection to the Natural World at Night - Dr Christopher Barnes, Chartered Psychologist, Dark Sky Advocate

2:45pm - 3:00pm 

• UNESCO Learning Cities Presents: How do we create a learning territory? What factors come into play? - Merveille Tawab Maduma, Architectural Research Laboratory, Toulouse School of Architecture 

3:00pm - 3:10pm (Refreshment break)

3:15pm - 3:55pm 

• Attendee group conversation chaired by Dr Cara Courage, Guest Chair of CivicLAB Conference 2024

3:55pm - 4:00pm 

• Closing remarks from Dr Rhiannon Jones, Associate Professor (Civic Practice), University of Derby

Certificates of attendance can be issued, post-conference by emailing civiclab@derby.ac.uk 

Our venue

Artcore Gallery - 8 Albert Street, Derby, DE1 2DS

Organising Committee

• Dr Rhiannon Jones, Associate Professor (Civic Practice)
• Professor Ian Whitehead, Chair Civic Operations Board
• Hana York, Civic Operations Officer 

For more information surrounding Civic, please email at civiclab@derby.ac.uk or visit the CivicHUB page.