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Gather: It’s Great Up North

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The stereotype goes ‘it’s grim up north’ – we know that is anything but true. The regions are thriving hotbeds of creativity, and it’s no secret Manchester often leads the way… so we’re delighted to be bringing four GREAT Manc-based speakers down to Brum for a night of inspiring talks.

On the subject of lazy stereotypes, we’re also continuing to dispel the ‘print is dead’ myth by launching the second issue of our Birmingham Design magazine on the night! Packed full of Brum talent, 120 pages of it, with two stunning linoprint cover variants. Get a copy at a special price when you buy your Gather ticket, or grab a copy on the night from the BD shop.

Our awesome foursome (well, five-some) of speakers are a mix of freelance, agency and in-house, working across design, illustration, collage and sound-design… whet your appetites and grab a ticket!

DR:ME, aka Ryan and Eddy, is a daring and disruptive design studio pushing creative boundaries with their fearless approach to visual communication – they are masters of collage (& lovely boys) – and they’re bringing some copies of their amaSzing book with them!

Sana Iqbal is the Founder of Studio Sana, a strategic design studio creating beautiful brands and campaigns that change hearts and minds. She’s creatively led on winning election campaigns in the USA and UK – her clients include the UK Labour Party.

Caroline Dowsett is an artist, painter and maker who creates beautiful work from shapes, colour and line. Her work is playful, vibrant and full of joy. Working across formats including murals, textiles, stationary, branding and packaging, her work is instantly recognisable.

Last but not least, Tom Heaton is director of brand & communications at PHMG – the world’s leading audio branding agency – which he joined in 2021 tasked with transforming the brand. He has extensive agency experience, having worked with clients including The FA, Channel 4, the NHS and Wolves.

Food will be supplied by the brilliant Brum Mi, serving up East Asian Street Food.

Speakers

DR.ME

Ryan Doyle and Mark Edwards

DR.ME is a Manchester-based creative design studio that was founded in 2010 by Ryan Doyle (DR) and Mark Edwards (ME). The studio has gained a reputation for its bold and experimental approach to design, and its ability to create innovative solutions for a wide range of clients.The studio has worked on projects for clients in a range of industries, including music, fashion, art, and culture.

Sana Iqbal

Founder of Studio Sana

Sana Iqbal is the Founder of Studio Sana, a strategic design studio creating beautiful brands and campaigns that change hearts and minds. She creates smart communications and amplifies good work, through storytelling, for people and organisations working to make the world a better place. She’s creatively led on winning election campaigns in the USA and UK. Clients include the UK Labour Party, Students Organising for Sustainability, Reproductive Justice Initiative and The World Transformed. She’s also a Board Member of writing organisation 26.

Caroline Dowsett

Artist

Artist, painter and maker. Creating pieces from shapes, colour and lines. Her work is full of movement, inspired by feels, sounds, words and the everyday. Working with a variety of colourful palettes, in a bold, playful approach, alongside fluid shapes and words to convey messages and joy.

Caroline has created a diverse body of work over the years in her recognisable style. From murals, textiles, stationary, varies packaging and branding, with no boundaries to where her work can be applied.

Tom Heaton

Director of Brand & Communications at PHMG

Tom is Director of Brand & Communications at PHMG—the world’s leading audio branding agency with offices in the UK, US and AUS. He joined the company in 2021 to transform the brand following 15 years agency-side, where he worked with clients such as The FA, Channel 4, NHS, Silverstone and Wolves specialising in branding, strategy and typographic design.

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