Speakers

Chris McCreery is a Belfast resident with a passion for cultural-led regeneration, and considerable experience working across national government and the private sector, as well as leading his own cultural institutions. He is the founder of the Northern Ireland Science Festival and served as its Creative Director and CEO for nine years, leading the festival from its beginning and growing it into one of the biggest festivals of its kind in Europe.

Vũ Thảo is founder and creative director of Kilomet109 – an eco-fashion brand from Hanoi, Vietnam. Thảo collaborate with several communities of indigenous craft artisans around Vietnam to grow, spin, weave, print and naturally dye Kilomet109 fabrics. In recent years, Thảo has been accompanying Việt Nam Design Week – as a mentor and judge for the annual national design competition.

Poppy joined the team at City of Design Dundee in 2018 where she coordinated the annual Subnetwork Design Meeting hosted by Dundee. Poppy has since continued to strengthen and develop partnerships with the city’s international network of UNESCO Creative Cities. Poppy is also passionate about providing opportunities for Dundee’s designers and as a result, launched the Dundee Design Census as a tool for encouraging these opportunities.

Architect Đoàn Kỳ Thanh initiates creative projects that are in Hà Nội and for Hanoians. Together with many colleagues and partners, he created large-scale creative complexes such as Zone 9, X98, and Hanoi Creative City. He introduced many creative business models that attract young people, create jobs, and contribute to a more exciting cultural life in Hà Nội city. Thanh is one of the pioneers in advocating for the building of a creative scene in Hà Nội that brings benefit to local communities.

John has been on the leadership team at the Nerve Centre in Derry for over twenty years, developing and delivering pioneering digital literacy and upskilling programmes aimed at inspiring the creative & digital capacity of young people.  An award-winning broadcast documentary maker, John has produced a wide range of film, including the Our Place in Space project for the Unboxed Festival in 2022, and which is currently touring in Hà Nội as part of the British Council’s UK/Viet Nam Season.

Chu Kim Đức co-founded Think Playgrounds in 2014 to promote children’s right to play in urban areas. As a social enterprise, Think Playgrounds have been working with partners, communities and local governments to build over 230 public playgrounds in Việt Nam. One of the main focuses of the organisation is to pilot new models of working where communities are engaged in the creation of eco-friendly, child- friendly, inclusive, and creative public spaces.

Hà Nội-born and raised, Trương Uyên Ly is a journalist, independent researcher and media consultant. Ly has been actively reporting and observing the arts and cultural scene in Hanoi and Vietnam for more than two decades. Ly is now managing the event-listing website and online creative hub Hanoi Grapevine.

A creative manager with experience in varying disciplines from visual to performing arts, design, music, film, publishing, photography, and contemporary dance. Thảo works both full time and as contributor on numerous art projects, mostly in Việt Nam or closely connected to Việt Nam. Thảo led the British Council’s work in the Arts and Creative Industries at the British Council in Viet Nam for seven years before taking on the role as Senior Programme Manager for their UK/Viet Nam Season 2023.