Sustainable Design shouldn’t really be a term, since all design should take sustainability as a key requirement. So we’ve brought together speakers from a broad range of fields to explain how they put sustainability at the heart of what they do, and to share the results and impacts they’ve seen.

Confirmed speakers so far include:

Stella Hall - Director, Festival of Thrift

The Festival of Thrift began in 2014 at Lingfield Park, Darlington, winning a RIBA award for its sustainable redesign of the former Patons and Baldwins wool factory. Inspired by developer John Orchard and designers Wayne Hemingway MBE and Gerardine Hemingway MBE it has been led since the outset by Festival Director Stella Hall. In 2016, after winning the Observer Ethical award for Arts and Culture she moved the Festival to Kirkleatham in Redcar where it has increased its reputation as a showcase for new ideas, attracting up to 45,000 people over the weekend. She will explore the potential for future new directions focussed on building a creative and sustainable future together.

Andrew Buchanan, ReNew ELP Ltd

ReNew ELP are soon to commence production on the Wilton site using a ground-breaking technology that will convert end of life plastic waste into sustainable hydrocarbon oils and chemicals. In effect they will take plastic waste and turn it back into the original constituent parts, ready to be used again, and are hoping to make a big dent in the 2.5 million tons of plastic that goes to landfill every year. Andrew will tell us more.

Sam Murray, Teesside University

Sam Murray is a third mission academic exploring the ways universities can help cultural and digital organisations with innovation. He currently work on the Creative Fuse North East project managing innovation pilots with a variety of cultural and digital companies, as well as research cultural policy making in the North East and on a national level. He will talk about what universities can do for you whether it's help innovate new products and services or influencing policy on your behalf