Day 00 of BEYOND Conference kicks off with an unmissable series of fringe events on Monday 24 November 2025, transforming MediaCity into a hub of creative innovation, collaboration and discovery. From practical AI demonstrations to creative health explorations and an evening celebration of Greater Manchester’s creative talent, the BEYOND Fringe offers something for everyone in the creative industries.
The best part? These events are free to attend with advance registration, giving you a taste of what BEYOND has to offer before the main conference programme begins on Day 01.
Afternoon Panels: Deep Dives into Creative Innovation
From Prompt to Production: Practical AI for Creatives
Monday 24 November 2025 | 2:00pm–3:00pm Hot House, MediaCity
Curious about how AI tools are actually being used in creative workflows? This fast-paced session cuts through the hype to reveal practical tips, workflow discoveries and insider insights from professionals testing the limits of text, video, music and multimedia generation.
Discover what works, what doesn’t and what’s possible from those putting AI to work, not just talking about it. This lightning talk format brings together R&D specialists, innovators and practitioners who are pushing creative boundaries with artificial intelligence.
Speakers:
➤ Florian Block, R&D Lead, AI & Immersive, dock10 / University of York
➤ Guy Gadney, Founder & CEO, Charismatic.ai
➤ Jocelyn Burnham, Independent AI Communicator, AI for Culture
➤ Pete Woodbridge, R&D Innovation Manager, Music Futures
➤ Richard Wormwell, Head of Innovation, dock10
➤ Robyn Winfield-Smith, Theatre & Emerging Technologies Lead, Hat Trick Production
Register for From Prompt to Production
Creative Health and Createch: Designing Inclusive Futures
Monday 24 November 2025 | 3:00pm–4:00pm Hot House, MediaCity
How can CreaTech support people to ‘Live Well’? This panel explores how Greater Manchester, the first city region in the world to declare itself a ‘creative health city region’, has embedded creativity into healthcare, prevention and wellbeing.
Join experts from healthcare, academia and creative practice as they examine the intersection of creative technologies and health innovation, showcasing projects that demonstrate how creativity can transform lives and communities.
Speakers:
➤ Debbie Bandara, Senior Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University
➤ Garth Williams, Director, Safety Catch Ltd
➤ Julie McCarthy, Strategic Lead for Creative Health, GMCA
➤ Jorge Lopes Ramos, Co-founder and Executive Director, G.A.S. Station
➤ Leah Green, Head of Simulation and Senior Lecturer, University of Salford
Register for Creative Health and Createch
Made in Manchester: Building a Thriving Creative Economy
Monday 24 November 2025 | 4:00pm–5:00pm Hot House, MediaCity
Greater Manchester boasts a vibrant and diverse creative ecosystem, but are we unlocking its full potential? This panel brings together local businesses with local authorities to explore how businesses expanding into the region can better leverage local talent, infrastructure and creative services.
Learn how to deliver end-to-end projects that keep investment circulating within Greater Manchester, strengthening the region’s creative economy and supporting sustainable growth.
Speakers:
➤ Alisha Kadri, Founder, One Giant Leap
➤ Gary Hilton, CEO, GAS Music
➤ Marie-Claire Daly, Head of Culture, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
➤ Sally Gilford, Culture Programme Manager, Salford City Council
Register for Made in Manchester
Creative Mixer: A Fusion of Creativity, Innovation and Exploration
Monday 24 November 2025 | 5:30pm–9:00pm Hot House, MediaCity
The Creative Mixer is the flagship evening event of Day 00, celebrating Salford’s next generation of digital artists who are exploring, disrupting and redefining the realms of creative output in the UK.
Hosted by eminent broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake, expect an exciting and inspiring mix of live performances, creative workshops, groundbreaking installations and plenty of networking opportunities. This is your chance to experience Greater Manchester’s creative energy first-hand, connect with innovators exploring new forms and spark future collaborations.
Performances
DJ Sophia Hadji-Michael – BBC 6 Music and Reform Radio host will set the soundtrack for the evening
Noelle Nurdin – Electronic producer, spatial audio and AV artist pushing the boundaries of live electronic performance through immersive technologies
WETRIP – Performing as part of the FaT OuT 25 programme with their live show curated and produced by From the Other
Tamsin Middleton – Writer and performer ‘Vice Vera’ will give a live performance of Expanded Emotion while showcasing her prototype stage-wear adorned with addressable LEDs, which responds to her voice. Developed in collaboration with Jayne Sayer.
Featured Speakers
Emma Thompson, Fat Out – Discover how Fat Out is working with artists and tech partners to make immersive installations like WETRIP more inclusive, especially for deaf audiences, through haptic floors, spatial audio and creative collaboration.
Garth Williams – Creative Technologist and founder of Safety Catch, the startup on a mission to create connection and community through collaborative story making.
CreaTech Artist CoLab Installations
Experience groundbreaking work from artists in the CreaTech Artist CoLab project:
➤ Isabella So / Hattie Kongaunruan – Best Before Memory: Sculptural installation
➤ Joe O’Rourke – I Want You Here: A visual arts installation re-staged and re-explored through collaboration with Lizzie King
➤ Lizzie King – Wetlands/Floodland
➤ Kirsty Barlow – Quiet Space: A visual art and sound installation delivered in collaboration with Sara Wolff
➤ Mishka Henner – The Conductor: A visual and sound artwork connecting audiences to planetary lightning events
Plus creative workshops from Short Supply, an iconic polaroid wall with Jamie Lee-Wainman and complimentary drinks and Nell’s pizza to fuel your evening of creativity.
Register for the Creative Mixer
RIBA Design Generators & Reality Integrators
Monday 24 November 2025 | 12:00pm–8:00pm Blue Tower, Level 7, MediaCity
This session explores the ongoing foresight and futures scenario research of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Led by Dr Derek Hales, RIBA Architect & Salford Practice Research Lead, the event examines createch in science and the polluting impacts of media infrastructures, e-waste, rare metals and soils.
The workshop explores futures scenarios for design generators and reality integrators, examining how the convergence of createch, immersive tech and digital twinning creates a practice transformation ecosystem. The day concludes with a lecture by Professor Neil Spiller, Professor of AVATAR and Editor of AD magazine, on Reflexive Architecture.
Register for RIBA Design Generators & Reality Integrators
Looking Ahead: Investor Networking Breakfast
While Day 00 focuses on creative exploration, Day 02 kicks off with a special opportunity for those interested in the investment landscape of the creative industries.
Wednesday 26 November 2025 | 8:00am–9:30am The Lowry
Join investors, funders and creative innovators to explore growth opportunities across the creative sector, particularly in AI and CreaTech propositions where creativity and technology converge to create scalable, sustainable, investable innovation. Meet entrepreneurs, startups and project leads seeking investment and connect with VC firms, angel investors, private equity, grant funders and policymakers.
Supported by DCMS Create Growth, Innovate UK and GM Business Growth Hub.
Register for Investor Networking Breakfast
Get Your BEYOND 2025 Ticket
While BEYOND Fringe events are free with advance registration, they’re just the beginning of what BEYOND 2025 has to offer. The full conference takes place from 24–26 November at MediaCity UK, bringing together 100+ speakers across 50+ sessions exploring the Creator Economy, CreaTech and Innovation Districts.
Hear from creative leaders at YouTube, BBC, Channel 4, Google DeepMind, the V&A and more. Join 1,000+ creative professionals for keynotes, labs and networking with the sector’s most influential voices.
Explore the full BEYOND 2025 programme and get your tickets
Concessions (£199 + VAT)
Concession rates available for students, freelancers, artists, and micro companies.
Concession ticket →
Young Creative Tickets (FREE)
Creatives aged 18-30 or full-time students can access BEYOND for FREE on Day 2 (25 November, 2pm-5pm).
Young Creative ticket →
Practical Information
Registration: Advance registration is required for all BEYOND Fringe events. Register for each session separately to help us manage event logistics and venue capacities.
Location: All afternoon panel sessions and the Creative Mixer take place at Hot House, MediaCity. The RIBA session is at Blue Tower, Level 7, MediaCity. All venues are less than 10 minutes walk from one another.
Access: Free tickets to students and early career creatives (aged 18-30) include access to the fringe events on Monday 24 November, the flagship Creative Mixer event and selected conference sessions on Tuesday 25 November.
Partners: The BEYOND Fringe is delivered in partnership with Salford Council, GM Business Growth Hub, University of Salford and MediaCity.
Right of admission is reserved. We may have to restrict access at various times to manage venue capacities. By registering for tickets, you agree to share your details (name, job, company, email, location, sector) with event partners.