RSA Lecture: Investing in Creative Talent

Developing skills, talent and pathways for a thriving creative economy. The creative industries drive innovation, economic growth and social value. Yet, many organisations struggle to attract, develop and retain talent, while young people and underrepresented communities continue to face barriers to creative careers. This November, RSA Cambridge brings together leaders and practitioners from Cambridgeshire's creative, cultural, education and innovation sectors to explore pathways into creative work, future skills needs and opportunities to build a more inclusive and thriving creative ecosystem. Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) will kick off with the latest evidence on current and future skills needs across the UK's creative industries, and what this means for policy, employers and workforce development. Then Form the Future will share insights on building stronger education-to-employment pathways and deepening connections between employers and education providers. After this, a cross-sector panel with perspectives across research, culture and higher education, will collectively explore how Cambridgeshire can nurture a more inclusive creative workforce for the future. Finally, we’ll conclude with an open audience discussion, to share perspectives, reflections and ideas. Agenda 17:30 | Attendees arrival and check-in 17:45 | Welcome and scene-setting 17:55 | Keynote: The Creative Skills Challenge- Creative PEC 18:05 | Keynote: Building Creative Talent Pipelines- Form the Future 18:15 | Panel Discussion: Closing Culture's Skills Gap- Perspectives from research, higher education and the cultural sector 18:45 | Q&A and audience discussion 19:15 | Reflections and closing remarks 19:20 | Networking reception 19:45 | Event ends - doors close Speakers (biographies to be added soon) Nik Gunn, Creative PEC Anne Bailey FRSA, CEO, Form the Future Dr Idrees Rasouli FRSA, Associate Professor of Design and Urban Innovation, Anglia Ruskin University Rosie Cooper, Wysing Arts Centre Chairs Elizabeth Donnelly MSc FRSA MRAeS MIfSE is a senior charity chief executive and systems-level leader with a career spanning governance, policy, STEM, and social mobility. She has led national organisations through periods of growth, reform and external scrutiny, combining strategy with operational discipline and a strong ethical core.As Chief Executive of the Women’s Engineering Society, she rebuilt the organisation’s financial position, modernised governance, and expanded reach and influence across industry, academia and government.Elizabeth’s work focuses on widening access, strengthening institutions, and translating evidence into impact, bringing lived insight into the invisible rules, networks and barriers that shape opportunity. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethdonnellymraes/ Laurence Oldham, former head of game design at Frontier Developments, recently founded Digital Impact Incubator to support the transition of people studying games from education to employment. He started his gaming career with Frontier in 2002 and since then has worked as lead designer on multiple projects, from Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-rabbit, to Kinect: Disneyland Adventures and Elite Dangerous. In 2019 he moved from his role as game director on Elite to head of design, leaving that role in 2025 to explore how to help students bridge the gap between education and work. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-v-oldham/ What you need to know To help us run events smoothly, please book in advance so we can manage capacity. And if your plans change, please cancel your booking. Our events fill quickly and your place could make someone else's day. Everyone should be able to take part in our events fully. If you have any accessibility requirements, let us know via your Eventbrite registration and we'll take care of the rest. By registering, you've agreed to receive event communications and to your name, organisation and title being shared with the host and other attendees to support networking. Please note that photography and filming may take place for archival and promotional purposes. To opt out of either, email [email protected]. The information you provide is used to manage the event and record attendance. To find out more about how we use your data, please see our Privacy Policy. Please note that registration closes two hours before the event begins.