Our GLAD events since 2023, have increasingly highlighted that creative education is essential civic infrastructure, not peripheral to society, but central to cultural, economic and community development. Participants have challenged deficit narratives about art and design education and emphasised how creative practice can advance equity, sustainability, collaboration and future-ready skills.  In response, GLAD are doing something a little different in 2026/27!

Instead of a one-off event, GLAD will present a UK-wide series of regional half-day gatherings at HEIs. The series will create a distributed platform for exploration and co-creation under the broad theme of PLACE. By situating these conversations across the UK, the series will recognise diverse regional strengths and local contexts, elevating collective narratives that demonstrate how art schools lead through, for, and with their communities.

We are delighted to announce the following ten events. Further details on each event and how to join below.

Our hosts and partners

The GLAD Regional Series 2026–27: PLACE is delivered in partnership with CHEAD(Council for Higher Education in Art and Design) and we would like to gratefully acknowledge their support.