The Emerging Innovators Takeover is a dedicated session at BEYOND 2025, designed to spotlight early-career talent.
Step into the future of creativity with Next-Gen innovation, where the 2025 Emerging Innovators cohort takes the stage to share bold ideas reshaping our world, on Day 02, Wednesday November 25, at BEYOND 2025!
What can I expect?
In a series of lightning talks and a dynamic roundtable, early-career researchers and creators reveal pioneering work across XR, storytelling, sustainability, and social impact — redefining what innovation means today. This dedicated session at BEYOND is designed to foster meaningful dialogue between the next generation of creatives and senior leaders across industry, policy, and academia. The session is split into two parts.
Part 1: Lightning Talks & Innovation Knowledge Share
Members of the 2025 BEYOND Emerging Innovators cohort will deliver short presentations introducing their work, creative practices, and the innovations for which they have been recognised. Presentations will highlight projects spanning areas such as XR, storytelling, social impact, sustainability, and interdisciplinary research.
Following the presentations, a roundtable discussion will invite participants to reflect on how innovation is defined and understood today. The conversation will explore broader and more inclusive definitions of innovation, recognising its intersection across industries, disciplines, and lived experiences.
Part 2: Reverse Mentoring
Reverse mentoring challenges traditional hierarchies by positioning younger voices as knowledge-holders, offering fresh perspectives to senior figures in the creative economy. At BEYOND 2025, this session will bring together students, early-career creatives, and Emerging Innovators with senior participants, including industry experts, policymakers, and academics.
Through facilitated discussions, younger participants will share their insights into emerging practices, technologies, cultures, and challenges in entering and navigating the creative sector. Senior participants will be invited to reflect on these perspectives, interrogate assumptions, and consider their implications for policy, research, and organisational development.
The session is designed to foster mutual understanding and demonstrate the value of two-way knowledge exchange in shaping more inclusive futures for the creative industries, and looks set to be a an enlightening afternoon.
Do you have a Young Creative ticket?
If you’re a Young Creative ticket holder (aged 18-30 or in full time education) you can get free access to all the afternoon programming on Day 02 at BEYOND, including the Emerging Innovators Takeover. The Takeover is a great opportunity to see other young creatives presenting their work and engaging in dialogue with peers and professionals. Head on over to our Young Creative blog to find out if you qualify for a Young Creative ticket and for details of how to get one.