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WELCOME

The Future Now Symposium is a national platform for vision, collaboration and action across contemporary art, culture and the creative industries. It convenes leading voices from art, design, digital practice and publishing to explore the themes shaping our evolving world – from the ethics of representation and the impact of AI to global diasporas, new technologies and the climate crisis. It is a space to connect, exchange ideas and encounter fresh ways of thinking. Contemporary art continues to take the temperature of society, building bridges between communities, unpacking complex histories and imagining alternative futures. At this critical moment, the Symposium asks us: what does curation look like in an increasingly digital landscape? How can creatives sustain and grow their careers amid economic uncertainty? What forms of investment and infrastructure are needed to support emerging talent across the UK and beyond? These questions frame the day’s discussions, which are shaped and challenged by contributions from leading artists, curators and institutions.

This year’s programme introduces a range of sessions, including practical industry insights in Thriving as a Creative Professional, addressing resilience, entrepreneurship and adaptation in a changing funding environment. A discussion on Curating the Future examines how institutions are responding to technological and social shifts, with insights from The Photographers’ Gallery, V&A, Wellcome Collection and YSP. Squidsoup explores how interactive sensory experiences are transforming storytelling, whilst multi-disciplinary designer Jason Bruges navigates the intersection of art, architecture and tech. Attendees will also hear directly from artists shortlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize 2026, presenting work across film, photography, installation, painting and sculpture. Alongside talks, visitors can book 1-1 Portfolio Reviews with industry professionals and gain exclusive access to the Aesthetica Art Prize 2026 Private View, showcasing work that reflects the most urgent issues of our time.

Cherie Federico, Director, Aesthetica

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: THURSDAY 16 JULY

WELCOME ADDRESS 09:30 - 09:50 DOORS OPEN 09:00

SESSION 2 10:30 - 11:30

THRIVING AS A CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL

SESSION 3 11:45 - 12:45 CURATING THE FUTURE

SESSION 4 13:45 - 14:45 A CONVERSATION WITH JASON BRUGES STUDIO

SESSION 5 14:45 - 15:15 MEET THE AESTHETICA ART PRIZE FINALISTS

SESSION 6 15:30 - 16:30 THE FUTURE OF STORYTELLING WITH SQUIDSOUP

SESSION 7 16:30 - 17:30

CLOSING WORDS, NETWORKING AND DRINKS

SESSION 1 09:50 - 10:30 MEET THE AESTHETICA ART PRIZE FINALISTS 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00

PRIVATE VIEW 18:00 - 20:00 YORK ART GALLERY, Y01 7EW LUNCH 12:45 - 13:45

GRAB YOUR OWN AT YSJU CANTEEN (ACROSS THE GRASS) BREAK 17:30 - 18:00

WELCOME ADDRESS 09:30-09:50 (DOORS 09:00)

We are at a pivotal moment – a period of rapid change across society, driven by technology, shifting economies and global uncertainties. At Aesthetica, we champion bold ideas and the next generation of creative thinkers. Future Now brings together artists, innovators and policymakers to explore new models for a more inclusive, knowledge-driven creative economy. It is a space for critical exchange, where disciplines intersect and fresh perspectives can emerge through dialogue and collaboration. This is an opportunity to be part of something new, driving conversations in contemporary art and shaping practice going forward. In this opening address, Cherie Federico, Director of Aesthetica, frames the key conversations for the day and sets the tone for meaningful dialogue – urging us all to act: the future is here, and it starts with us.

CHERIE FEDERICO

Originally from New York, Cherie moved to the UK to study for her Master’s degree and founded Aesthetica, which she has since developed into an international brand distributed in 1200 stores in the UK and exported to 20 countries. Cherie is a champion of creative talent across the arts, from film and literature to photography.

SESSION 1 09:50-10:30

MEET THE AESTHETICA ART PRIZE FINALISTS

Discover some of the most exciting contemporary creatives working today as Aesthetica Art Prize finalists take the stage. Each artist speaks for five minutes, offering an exclusive insight into their creative process and the stories behind their shortlisted works. From photography and film to installation, sculpture, and digital media, this dynamic session showcases the innovation that is shaping today’s creative landscape. Hear from DIVA, Liza Dracup, Neil Armstrong, Sara Campaci and Yasuaki Matsuura. These voices are redefining the field, providing a vibrant and thought-provoking introduction to the day, and a perfect prelude to the evening’s Private View at York Art Gallery.

Jarrett Murphy, Gates Canal Path.

SESSION 2 10:30 - 11:30

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS: THRIVING AS A CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL

Creatives today need more than talent – they need a strategy for resilience. We’re facing a rapidly evolving future, that is changing with each technological development and international event. There are also funding shifts and increasing pressures on arts education to contend with. A sustainable practice requires entrepreneurial thinking. In this session, Cherie Federico, Director of Aesthetica, guides artists through goal setting, understanding audiences, identifying revenue streams and navigating representation. She shares her personal experiences co-founding Aesthetica with Dale Donley over 20 years ago. Learn tools to build visibility, secure funding and enter new markets – all while maintaining artistic integrity and vision. This is a hands-on, actionable session for taking control of your creative career, without compromising.

CHERIE FEDERICO

Cherie is the Editor of Aesthetica Magazine and the Director of the Aesthetica Film Festival, which is BAFTA-Qualifying. She is also the founder of the Aesthetica Art Prize and the Future Now Symposium. Originally from New York, Cherie moved to the UK to study for her Master’s degree and founded Aesthetica, which she has since developed into an international brand distributed in 1200 stores in the UK and exported to 20 countries. Cherie is a champion of creative talent across the arts, from film and literature to photography.

CARRIE CHAN

CONTEMPORARY PROGRAMME CURATOR V&A

SENIOR CURATOR YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK

NEPHERTITI OBOSHIE SCHANDORF

ENGAGEMENT & PARTICIPATION LEAD WELLCOME COLLECTION

CURATOR

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS’ GALLERY

SARAH COULSON

TAOUS DAHMANI

SESSION 3 11:45-12:45

CURATING THE FUTURE: INCLUSION, COLLABORATION & INNOVATION

Curation is evolving, responding to new audiences and reconsidering whose voices are heard. This session brings together leading UK curators to explore the future of the field – one that is collaborative, conscious and socially engaged. It’s an opportunity to look to the future and explore the next chapter for museums and institutions around the world.

Chaired by Nephertiti Oboshie Schandorf, from Wellcome Collection, the panel features Taous Dahmani of The Photographers’ Gallery, Carrie Chan from V&A, and Sarah Coulson, YSP. Together, these experienced figures will discuss inclusive storytelling, innovative exhibition practices and the changing role of curators in shaping cultural narratives.

SESSION 4 13:45-14:45

A CONVERSATION WITH JASON BRUGES STUDIO

Experimental art is increasingly appearing in public spaces. From architectural-scale interventions to dynamic installations, these artworks offer new modes of storytelling across wide-ranging settings such as hotels, universities, hospitals, parks and museums. Jason Bruges Studio is world-renowned for transforming spaces with interactive light, kinetic installations and immersive design, challenging conventional boundaries between environment, technology and public engagement. The studio has received numerous accolades and commissions from the likes of BFI Southbank, Bloomberg, Natural History Museum, The Shard, Tate and V&A. This session delves into the intersection of art, architecture and digital media, offering insights into collaborative practice, audience participation and innovation across today’s creative landscape.

JASON BRUGES

Jason Bruges is a multi-disciplinary artist and designer based in London. He creates interactive, site-specific installations that blend architecture, technology and mixed media to explore dynamic spatial experiences. Considered a pioneer of this hybrid in-between space, Bruges has paved the way for a brand new generation of design studios, artists and designer-makers. Moreover, his projects have engaged audiences worldwide, combining spectacle and innovation, and he continues to develop pioneering works through Jason Bruges Studio.

Mirror Mirror

Photo: courtesy of Jason Bruges Studio Commissioned for V&A Museums.

SESSION 5 14:45 - 15:15

MEET THE AESTHETICA ART PRIZE FINALISTS

Go behind the work of several more Aesthetica Art Prize finalists as each delivers a concise talk. These insightful creatives take to the stage to share the inspirations, processes and ideas driving their practice forwards. This session highlights diverse approaches to contemporary art-making and provides a rare look behind the finished pieces. You’ll hear from Alexis Pichot, Claudia Behrensen, Filip Haglund, Katharine Dowson and Neville Gabie. Gain insight into the creative thinking that went into the creation of the Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition 2026 and explore the bold innovation and originality that is shaping today’s visual arts landscape. A dose of inspiration guaranteed.

SESSION 6 15:30 - 16:30

IMMERSION AND IMAGINATION WITH SQUIDSOUP

Enter a world where immersive environments meet experimental media. Since its formation in 1997, Squidsoup has redefined the potential of artistic installation, creating multi-sensory experiences that blur boundaries between architecture, sculpture and technology. In this keynote, Director Hannah Brady explores how digital, interactive and sensory experiences can transform storytelling. The studio’s work creates playful, contemplative and often hypnotic encounters that invite audiences to step inside a new reality. Their practice has been exhibited internationally, and commissioned by leading institutions and brands, including Burning Man festival, Canary Wharf and Vivid Sydney, as well as in front of thousands at Sydney Opera House and Alexandra Palace, redefining how art, innovation and perception intersect.

HANNAH BRADY

Hannah Brady joined Squidsoup in 2019 as Creative Producer and was appointed Director in 2025. Bringing a specialism in delivering multi-partnered projects, she is responsible for producing a portfolio of thought provoking digital artworks. Hannah has delivered works with the arts collective Blast Theory, the digital media centre Watershed and the producing house Situations. Her strengths lie in enabling collaboration between technologist and artist in complex projects and strives to set the conditions for curious minds to dream, think and create.

SESSIONS

SESSION 7 16:30 - 17:30

CLOSING WORDS, NETWORKING AND DRINKS

Conclude your day at Future Now 2026 by reflecting on the ideas and insights sparked by our packed programme of talks and events. With a glass of prosecco in hand, artists, curators, delegates and innovators will gather to exchange thoughts and celebrate collective ambition. Today has been a catalyst for discussion on creativity’s societal impact, the emergence of new engagement models and how to kickstart a career. Not to mention the urgent ideas that continue to be expressed through contemporary art in all its forms. Join in conversations with fellow attendees, make new connections and close the day inspired, recharged and excited. Who knows where a simple “hello” might lead?

PORTFOLIO REVIEWS

YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY, CC/011 & CC/007

These 1-1 sessions at York St John University are designed for artists across disciplines, including painting, photography, digital media, sculpture and video. Industry experts provide tailored advice on developing ideas, advancing careers, securing funding and approaching curators and galleries. Each session lasts 20 minutes, offering practical guidance on accelerating practices and maximising opportunities. This is a rare opportunity to ask the questions you’ve always had to those who have decades of experience in the creative industries. Gain direct insight from leading professionals working across the contemporary arts sector. Booking is essential. The first review is free with your pass. Additional reviews can be booked for £25 per slot.

18:00 - 20:00

AESTHETICA ART PRIZE EXHIBITION: PRIVATE VIEW AND AWARDS, YORK ART GALLERY (YO1 7EW)

Ticket holders are invited to the exclusive Private View of the Aesthetica Art Prize 2026, celebrating 20 years of championing those operating at the cutting edge of contemporary art. This evening highlights the talent of some of the most innovative and thought-provoking artists working today. Featuring digital media, film, installation, painting, photography and sculpture, the exhibition explores timely themes: accelerating technologies reshaping perception and truth; the legacies of colonial histories and their impact on identity and belonging; and ecological systems under strain. This is art which interrogates and illuminates the complexities of our modern world.

Chrissy Lush, The Visitor

Alexis Pichot, from Marche Céleste

CARRIE CHAN

Carrie Chan is currently the Contemporary Programme Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. She curates live programmes and commissions arts projects to activate the museum’s spaces. Spanning across contemporary art, design and performances, Carrie’s curatorial initiatives include Friday Lates, V&A’s programme for London Design Festival, as well as other site-responsive installations and displays.

CLAIRE LOUISE STAUNTON

Claire Louise Staunton is a curator and researcher. She is the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art/Teesside University and a Tutor of History and Theory at Architectural Association, London. Her research practice addresses the intersection of art, politics and housing. Curating is Staunton’s principal research methodology, and she has worked on exhibitions at MK Gallery and the ICA.

ELEANOR SUTHERLAND

Eleanor joined Aesthetica in 2017. As Creative Producer, she works across the magazine’s print and digital platforms, researching and writing on contemporary art. She loves discovering creatives and sharing their work with global readers. Eleanor strives to make art accessible through clear, engaging and assumption-free language. She studied Art History & English at University of York and is passionate about computer science.

DR GABRIELLE BARKESS-KERR

Dr Gabrielle Barkess-Kerr is a curator, anthropologist and Teaching Fellow in Contemporary Art Theory at the Edinbrugh College of Art. Her research focuses on curation, ethnography and anthropology. She’s previously worked as an Academic Tutor in the School of Arts and Creative Industries at the University of Sunderland and has experience working in a creative agency and in public engagement roles.

GRISELDA GOLDSBROUGH

Griselda Goldsbrough is a visual artist and writer. She is committed to cultural and creative activity in community engagement projects within heritage, science, museums, galleries and healthcare. She is also Art and Design Development Manager at York Hospital, where she’s worked since 2016. Griselda has been involved in the Aesthetica Art Prize for 10 years, working alongside the team to recognise and champion new talent.

HADEEL ELTAYEB

Hadeel Eltayeb is a curator who explores identity and cultural production. She is Displays Curator at The Design Museum. Past roles include Associate Curator at The Media Majlis at Northwestern University in Qatar, and Curator and Arts Manager at Al Riwaq Art Space in Bahrain. She was a 2019 Research fellow of the British Council at Venice Biennale. She specialises in oral history and art from South West Asia and North Africa.

HANNAH BRADY

Hannah Brady joined Squidsoup in 2019 as Creative Producer and was appointed Director in 2025. Bringing a specialism in delivering multi-partnered projects, she is responsible for producing a portfolio of thought provoking digital artworks. Hannah has delivered with the arts collective Blast Theory, media centre Watershed and producing house Situations. Her strengths lie in enabling collaboration between technologists and artists.

HANNAH STARKEY

Photographer Hannah Starkey has had numerous solo exhibitions across the world. Her work has been included in Tate Modern, London; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York; Turner Contemporary, Margate; Huis Marseille, Amsterdam; Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt; the V&A, London; and The Hepworth Wakefield. She has received coverage in Aesthetica, The Guardian, The Telegraph and The New York Times, amongst many others.

DR JAMES FINCH

Dr James Finch is a curator and art historian specialising in British art of the 19th and 20th centuries. He is currently Senior Curator at the Royal Academy of Arts and has published widely including, most recently, a book on the painter James McNeill Whistler. Previous roles include Curator, Historic & Modern Paintings and Drawings at the Fitzwilliam Museum, and Assistant Curator, Nineteenth Century British Art at Tate Britain.

KIT MONKMAN

Kit Monkman is a leading innovator in screen-based art and interactive media. He is a Director and Founder at Viridian FX, one of the leading VFX houses in the North of England – with credits like House of the Dragon. Kit directed Macbeth (2018) and the five-channel video The People We Love (2020). He is co-founder of KMA, transforming public spaces across the world. Kit has worked with big names, from Netflix to Sky.

NEPHERTITI OBOSHIE SCHANDORF

Nephertiti Oboshie Schandorf is a British-Ghanaian producer of site-responsive performance, audio and moving image in non-gallery contexts. She seeks collaboration and is inspired by cultural archives. Nephertiti serves on the Art on the Underground Advisory Panel and is Engagement and Participation Lead at Wellcome Collection. She is a Trustee of Artichoke, and Former Artistic Director of Peckham Platform.

DR OPE LORI

Dr Ope Lori is the Founder and CEO of Pre-Image Learning and Action, an arts and diversity consultancy. She was a Lecturer at Chelsea School of Arts, Leeds Arts University and a guest Lecturer at the RCA. She specialises in lens-based media, on race, gender and desire in her political practice. She is author of the boundary-breaking book Beyond the Feminine: The Politics of Skin Colour and Gender in Visual Culture (Bloomsbury).

PIERRE SAURISSE

Pierre Saurisse is a Senior Lecturer for the MA Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. He is the author of Performance in the Museum (Lund Humphries, 2025) and Mechanics of the Unpredictable: Art and Chance around 1960 (2007). He completed his PhD in France, and has taught contemporary art at Aix-Marseilles and Rennes Universities. Over the past several years, his research has concentrated on performance art.

POPPY BOWERS

Poppy Bowers is currently Senior Curator of Exhibitions at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. As a contemporary art curator, she has worked with many artists on largescale projects over the years, including Alison Wilding, Barbara Walker, Imran Perretta, Isaac Julien, Richard Tuttle and William Kentridge. She recently collaborated with Yuki Kihara on a new iteration of the artist’s installation exhibition Paradise Camp.

SAMMARA ABBASI

Sammara Abbasi is the former Curatorial Assistant, Exhibitions & Live Programmes, at Modern Art Oxford. Born and raised in West London, she graduated with a BA in Art History and an MA in Museum Studies from UCL, where she was a Research Assistant to the Socialist Anthropocene in the Visual Arts project. Sammara is interested in culture, curation and heritage, and has held roles at the Whitechapel Gallery.

SAM RUSHTON

Sam Rushton is a Visual Arts Relationship Manager at Arts Council England. Based in Yorkshire, he has worked at the BBC, British Council and Creative UK, with a focus on supporting artists across the country in visual and digital arts, in theatres and on-screen. Prior to ACE, Sam was as a freelance artist in the North, exhibiting locally and internationally. He has experience on both sides of making of Arts Council funding applications.

SARAH COULSON

Sarah Coulson is Senior Curator and Publications Lead at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. She has curated several major exhibitions and off-site projects including Saad Qureshi’s museum debut and YSP’s Chapel programmes. Sarah collaborates with renowned artists and poets on site-responsive commissions, whilst shaping public initiatives that connect international audiences with contemporary sculpture and the natural landscape.

DR TAOUS DAHMANI

Dr Taous R. Dahmani is a London-based French, British and Algerian art historian. She is a Curator at The Photographers’ Gallery in London, specialising in photography and contemporary visual culture. She has curated international exhibitions including Unstable Point at Jaou Tunis Biennale, and continues to contribute to programmes and publications that explore photography’s enduring political and cultural resonances.