Artist + Educator Conference 2025

An event by 'The Northern Festival of Illustration' and The Northern School of Art, hosted at Hartlepool Art Gallery. This event is sponsored by festival's sponsors & in collabortion with NSEAD.

Non-profit event £5.00 (+ booking fee)

The Artist + Educator conference brings together art educators and creative practitioners from all levels of education, to explore how diverse cultural perspectives shape and enrich creative teaching practices. Through keynote talks and hands-on workshops, participants examined innovative pedagogical approaches that transcend borders and foster intercultural understanding, exploring the theme 'diversifying the creative curriculum'.

In response to The Northern Festival of Illustration’s flagship exhibition “Stories of Home” featuring 120 contemporary artists, the professional development session will focus on the role of cultural identity in artistic expression, the sharing of traditional and contemporary practices across communities, and strategies for embedding inclusivity, collaboration, and global awareness into art education.

All conference & workshop attendees will receive a participatory certificate by the FOI for Educators Professional Development – ‘Diversifying Creative Curriculum 2025’.

See more festival events at thefestivalofillustration.com

Timing:

16.00pm – 17.00pm– Arrival & Exhibition Viewing / Registration & Welcome Coffee & Cake

Participants arrive, network, and view the Festival of Illustration Exhibition “Stories of Home” featuring an international display of 120 contemporary artists.

17.00pm – 17:20pm Welcome Talk

Welcome address by Conference Chair Olivia Burton, The Northern School of Art, Director of Research

17:20pm – 17:40pm | Keynote 1 - Speaker to be announced.

“Art Education Without Borders: Rethinking Pedagogy in a Global Context”

17:40 – 18:00 | Keynote 2 - Speaker to be announced.

“Tradition Meets Innovation: Pedagogies of Place and Practice”

18:00 – 18:45 | Hands-on Workshop

Storytelling as a Cross-Cultural Teaching Tool; animated workshop, by Matthew Burton, Co-Director of The Northern Festival of Illustration (no experience required).

18:45 – 19:00 | Closing Reflections & Next Steps
Summary of the day and announcement of future initiatives.

19:00 – 19:30 | Networking Reception
Informal conversations, connections, and exhibition of participant works.