This weekend has seen the inaugural Northern Design Festival take place in and around Lancaster, at some great venues including The Storey, Assembly Arts, Fraser House and The Gregson Arts And Community Centre. What’s made me want to support this more than anything? Well, it’s a student led initiative by some amazing students at Lancaster University and their passion and enthusiasm has been infectious. It’s that simple.

I was approached by Matti Adams, who is a 3rd year degree student to be involved in ‘Artist Hour’, a day’s event held in the Gregson Centre, Lancaster. So we met and had a fabulous chat. He was looking for local Lancaster artists to exhibit their work and talk about their creative journey. Matti was particularly interested in getting me on board as he’d seen my art exhibited and discovered that I’m from a design background. This made perfect sense to me too, and I couldn’t deny his absolute enthusiasm won me over! So along with another local artist, Neil Wilson, and an amazing team from the NDF, we made Artist Hour happen. 

What I found really refreshing was how these guys pulled the whole festival off. Collaborating together as a team, and their positivity working to pretty tight deadlines that they confidently took in their stride. Lets not shy away from how organising something on this scale, getting local designers, artists, agencies and more from all around the north involved would have been an enormous project. I can confidently say the next generation of creatives within the design field and event management is in good hands. 

Friday night saw the opening event with a private view of the exhibition in The Storey followed by a very lively, thought provoking and interesting discussion on the North/South divide within the design world was just fabulous. An intelligent discussion from a high calibre panel of Craig Oldham, Lisa Collier, Sana Iqbal and Andy Walmsley could have gone on all night frankly, there was much to discuss and much to come away with. One thing that it did for me was remind me of just how much I really LOVE design.

Design isn’t my sole practice anymore, I am pursuing my love of artistic freedom and expression and a life long promise I made to 7 year old me, I’m creating art and sharing that with others. I do still incorporate interesting design projects into my workload as and when I can as raising a family with diverse needs, and supporting my lovely hubby dealing with some health issues, meant a slower pace and limiting my workload. But design is ingrained in me, and I now have the best of both worlds, taking on a variety of projects that energise me and my design enthusiasm, and my creative spirit and character. Being part of this event has reaffirmed this. It reminded me of my time studying design, and how good, clever design really does make me tick. My nearest and dearest could see how I was buzzing afterwards. This in itself speaks volumes really.

Art and design are two very different practices, design demands method, problem solving, and solutions, whereas art is that creative outlet and freedom of imagination. I love that I can wear the different hats and apply my diverse skills to the many areas that are demanded in any such discipline. The private view on the opening night at The Storey, based on a theme of ‘Identity Crisis’ resonated with me as I’ve often asked myself where exactly do I fit in to the art world, a designer or an artist. But I’ve come to realise I’m neither one nor the other, I'm both, and much more. I’m a creative chameleon and doing exactly as the panel discussed on Friday, I'm carving my own way, doing my own thing, and doing what makes me happy. 

Thanks to the NDF24 team, you were all simply amazing.