The UK’s largest family arts and culture conference returns on Thursday 12th February 2026 at Northern Stage.   

This year, we focus on the power of turning stories into action, passion into progress, and art into impact. We’ll hear from Changemakers & Storytellers who are weaving bold new narratives through creativity and connection.  From local artists sparking grassroots movements to national organisations redefining inclusion, this conference is a call to action and a celebration of possibility.

Scroll down to find out more about the Programme, Tickets, Bursaries, Accessibility and Sponsors. 

“The event was hugely useful, I was energised by the excellent speakers, met amazing people who I hope to collaborate with in the future, learned a lot of new tools and approaches that I hope to implement in my work, and above all, it was a fun and inspiring day.”

– Past Event Attendee

Keynote speaker – Tobi Kyeremateng

We are thrilled to welcome Tobi Kyeremateng to the Family Arts Conference as our keynote speaker. Tobi is a BAFTA-winning producer for film & TV and has worked extensively in youth access projects, with a focus on creating rich cultural experiences and sustainable social change through film, live public events, and community-led programmes. Examples of her work include; launching the Black Ticket Project, a scheme which offers free theatre tickets to young Black people, and project managing ‘Let’s Build’, an ambitious and imaginative architectural project that handed over the design process to young people.

Tobi’s opening keynote will set the tone for the conference, bringing the theme ‘Changemakers & Storytellers’ to life. Through reflections on everyday creativity, what it really means to be a changemaker, and why access to the arts matters now more than ever, Tobi will inspire us to think differently about the stories we tell and the change we can make together.

Bursaries

Access and inclusion are central to the Family Arts Campaign. As such, for all of our national events, we offer a set of subsidised tickets, available to help make our events more affordable for individuals and organisations who might not otherwise be able to get involved, as well as supporting those who are under-represented in the arts and cultural sector workforce to attend.

Find out more information on our Bursary page.

This year, we are excited to partner with Creu Cymru and Art Fund to support the delivery of seven additional bursaries.

• Creu Cymru will support two bursaries exclusively for their members, helping to ensure that voices from across Wales are part of the national conversation. Find out more. (Applications closed)
• Art Fund will support five bursaries for museum and gallery professionals, reflecting their commitment to supporting the continued growth, adaptability, and resilience of the museum and gallery sector. Find out more.

“Without the bursary from the Family Arts Campaign I would not have been able to attend. The event was hugely useful; I was energised by the excellent speakers, met amazing people who I hope to collaborate with in the future, learned a lot of new tools and approaches that I hope to implement in my work, and above all, it was a fun and inspiring day.”

– Past Bursary Recipient

Where is the event?

The Conference will take place at Northern Stage, a theatre space in Newcastle.

Address:
Northern Stage
Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 7RH

For more travel guidance, please see further information here.

Please note: Northern Stage does not have any disabled parking but if you have a Blue Badge, you can contact the Newcastle University parking team directly on 0191 208 7171 or 0191 222 6000 to confirm a Blue Badge space.

Accessibility

The Venue

We are delighted to be hosting our event at Northern Stage; a fully accessible venue committed to offering a welcoming experience for all visitors. For full access details, including virtual tours and what to expect, visit Northern Stage’s website.

Family Arts Conference will take place across multiple spaces in the building:

• Stage 1 – Main conference space, used for keynotes and large breakout sessions
• Stage 2 – Breakout space
• Stage 3 – Breakout space
• Mezzanine – Creative Marketplace
• Cafe/Bar – Registration and catering

The Programme

We want to ensure the conference is accessible for everyone and we’ll be releasing a detailed conference programme in due course. To enable you to book with confidence, we’ll be including the following in our conference programme:

• A quiet space, available to all delegates at any point during the conference.
• A multi-faith reflection space, available to all delegates at any point during the conference.
• A Creative Marketplace, with a range of self-led creative activities on offer, available to all delegates from lunch onwards.
• A variety of large group presentation style and smaller participatory style breakouts to choose from.
• Regular breaks throughout the programme schedule which include a catered lunch as well as tea, coffee and refreshments throughout the day.

We are committed to providing bespoke support for accessibility requirements wherever possible. This could be anything from a BSL interpreter or hearing loop provision, a water bowl for your guide dog or sending you a photo of a named member of the team who you can locate on the day for any support you may need. When booking online, there’s the option to tell us about any access needs you may have, but if you would like to discuss your needs with us in person, or have any access questions please email Willow Bowen, Programme Manager at Family Arts Campaign on willow.bowen@familyarts.co.uk.

Booking Terms and Conditions.

“I enjoyed the whole day. All the speakers were great, and I left feeling really inspired and motivated by the end of the day to come back to work and share thoughts and things we can work on with the others in my team.”

– Past Conference Attendee