Svein Hullstein (born 1967) is a Policy Officer and a National Seconded Expert in the higher education unit at The European Commission’s DG for Education and Culture. Through his career he has been working in various fields of higher education, with a particular emphasis on internationalisation. He has a background from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and from several administrative positions at the University of Oslo. He has also served as education and science counsellor at the Norwegian Embassy in Paris. He graduated from the University of Oslo in French studies and political science.

With over a decade of international experience in the cultural and education sectors, Feilim O hAolain brings expertise in project management, EdTech curation, and digital policy. Originally from Ireland, Feilim has spent the past four years coordinating projects at ArtEZ University of the Arts, in the Artisteducator in Theater programme. As recently appointed Studio Manager for the Future Storytelling Lab, he oversees various special projects, manages the residency program, and collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to develop innovative interdisciplinary education initiatives centered around technology.

Reader in Design Anthropology, Aude is Research Lead at The Glasgow School of Art. From her academic background in Fashion history and first career as curator and director of a French Textile and Fashion museum, Aude has developed a specific interest in the way clothing heritage informs society. Specialising in Children’s material culture, she has completed a PhD addressing the socialisation of children through clothing in the Global North. As a consultant and researcher involved in the coordination of international and interdisciplinary funded projects (Dressed for School, IN2FROCC …), Aude explores innovative approaches to an inclusive, sustainable and participative heritage, with a specific interest in its creative interpretation. Aude is on the board of the organisation Designing for Childrens rights, where she advocates for children’s inclusive material culture.

Designer and design researcher, founder of Ark-Ellia Design and Illustrious Lab. Board member of the GIS ACORSO/IN2FROCC scientific group. Co-coordinator of the Designing for Children’s Rights D4CR French Local chapter. Laetitia’s work particularly addresses new meanings through innovation and design as well as cross-sector opportunities. She has contributed to several European projects regarding cultural heritage and sustainability. She has led the Wear-Abouts project supported by the EU WORTH Partnership Project exploring new educational approaches based on smart fashion, has co-founded Illustrious Lab, and has conducted Nordic projects Illustrious North and Co-Play. She has recently completed the STIMULI project, as part of The Art of Staying Healthy program and the Hisse et Oh! – Artists and Early Childhood artistic/design residency.

I'm Cezara Carla Pădurean, a graphic designer with a passion for multisensory experiences, infographics, and data visualization. As a university assistant at the Faculty of Arts and Design, I get to inspire future creatives while pursuing my own innovative projects. One of my standout project, “Reality Translated into Darkness,” focuses on enhancing public space interaction for visually impaired individuals. By creating tactile guidance 3D maps in Timișoara, Romania, I merge art with functionality to make cities more accessible. I fuse artistic expression with practical solutions, creating an accessible, functional design. With a deep interest in conceptual thinking, I explore how data and design can merge to create intuitive, sensory-rich experiences that shape the future of inclusive environments.

Joe’s work spans the interface of creative industries, higher-education and government from founding creative enterprises, contributing to policy development and co-creating pioneering initiatives with public and private partners. Co-founder of The Innovation School and The Creative Campus at The Glasgow School of Art, Co-founder of LAB Genalguacil, Director of Research Genalguacil Pueblo Museo Foundation and lead for the PACESETTERS Real-World Lab Genalguacil, external advisor CYANOTYPES, fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.

With 15 years of experience in the Cultural and Creative Industries, Ella has made impact with projects in the field of arts, culture and social innovation all over Europe. She is the co-founder of The Night Mayor Foundation in Amsterdam and worked as a Senior Project Manager at Trans Europe Halles the biggest network of independent cultural spaces in Europe. Ella is as much an activist as a spiritualist, and with a set of strong beliefs and a holistic approach, she aims to push things forward by stimulating human interaction and connection. Her latest project is the creation of Rural Radicals: a cultural enterprise dedicated to empowering and enriching non-urban creative spaces and communities.

Anna Mignosa works at Erasmus University Rotterdam and at the University of Catania. Her research focuses on cultural economics, specifically cultural heritage, cultural policies and their evolution, new models of public governance, the relationship between culture and development and the economics of craft. She is co-editor of Teaching cultural economics (Edward Elgar, 2020), the Economic analysis of craft (Palgrave, 2019) and the Handbook on the Economics of cultural heritage (Edward Elgar, 2013). She is involved in CHARTER with Erasmus University. Anna is interested in the application of research for the benefit of society, has been involved in several grass-root initiatives on culture and development.

As an educator, researcher and academic leader Andrew has worked across a number of complementary disciplines including computing, design and psychology. He now heads the Department of Technology and Psychology, a vibrant academic unit that offers undergraduate, postgraduate and professional programmes in disciplines such as computing, media technologies, psychology, cyberpsychology and user experience design. As a lecturer, Andrew has taught and supervised students studying topics including programming, generative art, human-computer interaction, user experience design, data visualisation, and physical interaction design. His research interests include various aspects of human-computer interaction, particularly spoken language, and he has published book chapters, conference papers and articles in these disciplines. He also regularly acts as a reviewer for conferences and was co-organiser of Dublin UX Camp 2017. Passionate about learning, particularly as it relates to education that furthers the design and development of technologies that improve people’s lives, Andrew has been involved in successful funding bids to design and run initiatives in this area, including ICT & Young Women in Computing Summer Camps, Springboard & Jobs Stimulus programmes, and the Creative Futures Academy project.

Alex is an academic, researcher and designer. As Programme Director of Irish Design 2015, he was responsible for leading and managing this government backed initiative which sought to increase the awareness, understanding and use of design in Irish society and business. The initiative delivered an 11-fold return on investment, and a direct economic impact of over €55 Million. He was subsequently commissioned by the Design and Crafts Council, Ireland to develop Ireland the Design Island – Towards a National Design Strategy. Launched in 2017, this publication was the first Government-endorsed design strategy In Ireland since the iconic 1961 Scandinavian Report. He has authored 8 books including Product Design (published by Laurence King, and translated into five languages), and managed National and European research projects worth in excess of €1 Million. His creative work has been exhibited at numerous international venues including MUDAC Lausanne, Designers Block Milan, IMMA and 100% Design London. A former Head of Design & Applied Arts at Edinburgh College of Art, he has taught and managed at a diverse range of institutions - including the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot-Watt University, University of Dundee, Edinburgh Napier University, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design and the Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing - with his students winning dozens of international awards. He has been a visiting professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, Aston University and University College Dublin and recently completed a Visiting Erskine Fellowship at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Alex is chair of Design Educators Ireland, the representative body of third level design education providers in Ireland. He is a member of the National Design Forum and the Government’s EGFSN Design Skills Implementation Group, and leads a number of sectoral projects including Collaboration between Industry & Enterprise, and Developing Career Pathways in Design. He is also a Fellow of the RSA and Institute of Designers in Ireland. Alex sees creative education as having the responsibility and power to build a platform for positive cultural, economic and social change.

Ella Broekstra is an experienced HR manager with specific expertise in the cultural and creative sector. She gained this expertise in her previous role as HR manager at Stichting Omroep Muziek (The Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Radio Choir), and as interim HR manager for Phion, the orchestra for Gelderland and Overijssel, as well as through assignments for NAPK, Nieuw Vide, and Rewire. Additionally, she served as the chair of the HR network of Dutch orchestras, as project leader for the Sector Plan for Culture, and as advisor to the Sociaal Fonds Podium Kunsten. Recently, she has worked as a freelancer on projects for Bibliotheek Rivierenland, NAPK, and Werktuig PPO, and as project leader for the HRM infrastructure on behalf of PACCT. Currently, Ella works as a projectleader Sustainable Employability and Professionalization for Platform ACCT.

President of the ARTeria Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in Poland dedicated to supporting the cultural and creative sector, professional development of artists and creatives, including up-skilling and re-skilling opportunities, and innovations in arts education. She has experience in developing cultural policies, international projects and events focusing on international and transdisciplinary collaboration, transforming them into innovative practices for creative and sustainable transformation in cultural and creative ecosystems. She has authored and co-authored numerous publications and participates in various international partnerships, networks and expert groups. She was a member of the Council of Cultural Organisations under the Minister of Culture and National Heritage in Poland. Before ARTeria, Anna worked in the media (editor-in-chief of television and several newspapers) and as deputy director of a concert hall with an audience of 2000. She has an artistic background - she is a painter and designer, graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow.

Esko is the Cyanotypes project officer for MyData, a global NGO headquartered in Helsinki that works towards ethical personal data management. He is also a boundary spanning cross-pollinator helping people understand how to navigate systems change. He has had a broad ranging career in fields as diverse as theatre, festivals, public service administration, innovation management, systems thinking and transformation management working in government institutions, as a company founder, and with non-profit associations and networks. His fields of expertise include culture change, network analysis, systems thinking, innovation processes, service design, agile development, leadership development, complex adaptive systems, collective intelligence, facilitating participatory processes, foresights, creativity and storytelling. He is currently helping groups make sense of the emergence of generative AI technology and the future impacts of them on various domains including the creative industries.

David van Traa has been a member of the Executive Board of the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK) since 1 April 2023. Before taking up his position with the Executive Board, he was ultimately responsible for the development of the Zuidas business district as director of the City of Amsterdam’s Zuidas project. David has extensive experience in the city of Amsterdam, primarily in the field or urban development, culture and collaboration between knowledge institutions, the business community and the government. David holds a number of executive and supervisory positions with various cultural institutions. He is a board member of Felix Meritis and Supervisory Board member of Stichting Nieuwe Helden (New Heroes Foundation), a collaboration platform for cultural creators.

Maria Hansen is Executive Director of ELIA, globally connected European network of Higher Arts Education. She worked in the performing arts for more than 30 years, in Canada and the Netherlands, served as board member of the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) from 2009–2016 and received ISPA’s Patrick Hayes Award honoring transformative leadership in 2020. Maria is a member of the University Council of Nuremberg University of Music, board member of Oorkaan and (until recently) the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. She chairs the Hogenbijl Foundation which awards two annual prizes in film making and classical music in the Netherlands. Maria has been passionate about environmental sustainability in the cultural field for many years. As managing director of the Municipal Theatre and Concert Hall Philharmonie in Haarlem, she was a driving force in achieving green certification for nine local cultural organisations. Maria currently leads the climate change package of SHIFT Culture and the establishment of a green certification program for cultural networks. She has represented ELIA as official partner of the New European Bauhaus initiative in several projects, including the New European Bauhaus Collective and Agents of Transformation, a project of international student conversations on the NEB.