Chaired by:

Leonie Bell is Director of V&A Dundee. As Director, she leads the organisation to deliver the museum’s vision to inspire and empower through design. Leonie has had a wide variety of leadership roles in culture and design from Glasgow 1999: UK City of Architecture & Design, Scottish Government, London 2012, Glasgow 2014, Creative Scotland and The Lighthouse. She is also an Honorary Professor of Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee, a Design Economy Ambassador for the Design Council, a trustee of the Edinburgh International Festival, and a member of The Empress Theophano Prize Advisory Council.

Speakers include:

Eelco Hooftman is the Co-founder and Director of GROSS. MAX. Landscape Architects. Eelco integrates the theory and practice of landscape architecture in an extensive output of international projects and award-winning competitions. He directed the Landscape Master Plan & World Heritage Conservation Management Plan for Royal Botanic Gardens Kew as well the winning design for the transformation of the former Tempelhof Airport in Berlin. Eelco has also worked on several key urban transformation projects including Zorrozaure Bilbao, La Belvedere de Garonna Bordeaux, La Salle Botanical Gardens Philippines, and Eden Project Dundee.

Steven Blench, together with partner, Ffion Blench, as Chalk Plaster, root their practice in the rich history and traditions of plain and decorative plasterwork. Their work encompasses both historic restoration and contemporary design. Research into the traditional production and use of plastering materials provides a basis for their playful explorations in clay, lime, and gypsum. Their eclectic projects have included designs for contemporary architectural facades, furniture and artworks.

Laura Darling is an illustrator and writer. Primarily working in pencil, paint and ink, she combines hand-drawn layers using traditional and digital printing methods, creating lively, characterful illustrations. Laura’s practice is guided by observation, and she use drawing and writing as a way of making sense of the world, distilling complex information into engaging visual narratives. Working with clients including Perth Museum, Glasgow Children’s Hospital and V&A Dundee, Laura’s illustrations appear as pocket-sized activity trails and enormous murals; a graphic novel and a children’s picture book, a printed banner, and as animations in a multi-media installation. She is currently working on a book about the history of the potato.