Join us for Community - a two-day festival at Material Source Studio Manchester.
Have you booked your tickets for Community yet? Taking place 20-21 November, this two-day festival brings together the built environment and commercial interiors sectors as a whole.
To mark three-years of creative collision at Material Source Studio Manchester, both Members and Partners are invited to sit together to share, support, inspire, eat, drink, and enjoy all that emerges from off-the-cuff conversation.
From two keynote talks to craft workshops, Studio tours, live music and lunch & learns, we’ve curated a programme of activity that seeks to support you in being both inspirational and useful.
Day One focuses on the Wellbeing of People, and Day Two on the Wellbeing of the Planet. A snapshot of the line-up is included below, and you can build your own programme here. Join us for all sessions, a couple, or just one. On either day, or both. Please note, some of the events will take place in the same time slot, so do check before booking.
Day One: The Wellbeing of People - 20 November
Enhancing the wellbeing of people is our focus for Day One of Community, exploring EDI and neuro-inclusive design, regulation changes, and the positivity that comes from bringing different groups and perspectives together.
The session programme runs as follows:
Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00 Talk: Thinking Differently: Architectural Design for Neurodiversity and Non-Visible Disabilities by Stephanie Kyle, Senior Architect & Inclusive Design Consultant, and AJ100 Changemaker of the Year.
This interactive training session follows on from a fantastic event by our Studio partners, Altro. It begins with an introduction to neurodiversity and focuses on inclusive design for neurodivergent building users and people with non-visible disabilities. The objective is to challenge common misconceptions regarding inclusive design for neurodivergent conditions, while also addressing disabilities.
The session is designed to raise awareness of the complexities of neuro-inclusive design and highlight elements that can inadvertently exclude neurodivergent individuals and those with hidden disabilities, which are frequently observed in many new buildings in the UK.
Talk is followed by breakfast with take-away available if you need to get to the office.
Daytime
10:00 – 16:00 Material Source Studio Tours
New to Material Source Studio, or keen to see the latest updates? Our team will provide immersive Studio tours throughout the day.
12:00 – 14:00 Lunch served by Material Source (available to all Studio guests).
12:00 – 15:30 Lunch & Learn with Concept Cubicle Systems: Approved Document T: Guidance for washrooms in workplace and public buildings (Slot 1 - 12:00-12:30 | Slot 2 - 13:00-13:30 | Slot 3- 14:00-14:30 | Slot 1 - 15:00-15:30)
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch & Learn with Arte: Introducing its latest natural collections
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch & Learn with Vepa: Bio-based furniture innovation
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch & Learn with Forbo: Exciting product developments
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch & Learn with Parkside Architectural Tiles: An introduction to circularity & sustainability in design
Evening
16:30 – 20:00 Fun: Community celebration: Food, drinks & live music by Material Source
16:30 – 19:30 Fun: Gingerbread Making Workshop with Crown, Forbo, Newhey, Vepa and Material Source
Day Two: The Wellbeing of the Planet - 21 November
Taking sustainability as our focus for Day Two of Community, we explore solutions for supporting a more positive future for the planet, while championing the people and brands bringing them to life.
The session programme runs as follows:
Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00 Talk: Manchester's Material: Graphene - Tackling Carbon, Fire & Longevity with John Whittaker, Engineering Director at Graphene Innovation Centre, The University of Manchester.
Championing innovation on our doorstep, John Whittaker, Engineering Director for Graphene at the University of Manchester provides an update on this wonder material with extraordinary sustainability, advancing materials performance to new levels, and applicable to current building codes to benefit and meet new targets in the built environment.
Talk is followed by breakfast with take-away available if you need to get to the office.
Daytime
10:00 – 16:00 Material Source Studio Tours
New to Material Source Studio, or keen to see the latest updates? Our team will provide immersive Studio tours throughout the day.
12:00 – 14:00 Lunch served by Material Source (available to all Studio guests).
12:30-13:30 Lunch & Learn with Milliken: Our path to net-zero
12:30-13:30 Lunch & Learn with Radii: An introduction to Radii Planet
12:30-13:30 Lunch & Learn with CDUK: Surface design solutions
13:00-13:30 Lunch & Learn with Vepa: Bio-based furniture innovation
15-00-16:00 Lunch & Learn with Arte: Introducing its latest natural collections
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch & Learn with Parkside Architectural Tiles: Parkside hosts - Terrazzo making with ethical stone
Evening
16:30 – 20:00 Fun: Community celebration: Food, drinks & live music by Material Source
16:30 – 19:30 Fun: Cocktail Making Workshop with Autex
16:30 – 19:30 Fun: Eco-Resin Home Accessory Workshop with Material Source
We really hope you can join us for this special event. See you there!
