Protecting Wellbeing in Creative Work
Mental Health Is Not Up for Negotiation
A Panel Discussion with Q&A
Too often, the creative industries demand everything — long hours, relentless hustle, constant availability — at the expense of our wellbeing. But mental health isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s non-negotiable.
This essential session brings together voices leading the change, challenging toxic norms and exploring how we can build healthier, more sustainable ways of working — without losing our creative spark.
Join Abbie Hills (Access Coordinator + Disability Advocate) and Katie Barnett (Social Strategist + Founder of OUTSIDE INSIDE), Helena Korner (Documentary Producer + Integrative Arts Psychotherapist + Ops Manager at Film In Mind), Sabrina Dallot Seguro (Intimacy Coordinator and Behavioural and Recovery Coach).
As they open up about boundaries, burnout, and the real work of protecting your peace in an industry that thrives on overwork.
For anyone who’s ever felt the pressure to sacrifice their wellbeing just to stay in the game - this one’s for you.
Turning Setbacks into Fuel for What’s Next
Fail Big, Bounce Hard
A Panel Discussion with Q&A
Failure is inevitable in the creative industries—but it doesn’t have to be the end of the story. In fact, the biggest stumbles often spark the boldest comebacks.
This unapologetic session explores the power of failure as a catalyst for growth, resilience, and reinvention. Expect raw honesty, laughter, and hard-won lessons on how to survive the lows, learn from them, and bounce back stronger.
Featuring Emma Ahlert (Founder of Elsie), Temi Wilkey (Writer, Actor + Director of Main Character Energy), Holly Holdsworth (Writer, Director + Founder of South West Independent Film), Cindy Kramer (Creative Director of Finders Keepers Music).
This conversation will remind you that “failure” isn’t a dirty word - it’s part of the process.
Where are You Stuck? Explore the Hidden Reasons your System Might be Holding You Back and Learn to Release what No Longer Serves You!
Unblocking Your Creativity
WORKSHOP
Feeling scattered, stuck, or disconnected from your creative flow? Join Megan for a restorative session that blends gentle reflection and somatic awareness to help you realign with your purpose, values, and sense of calm. Through the 8 C’s - Calm, Curiosity, Clarity, Compassion, Confidence, Courage, Creativity, and Connectedness - you’ll ground your system, quiet the noise, and rediscover what it means to move from survival mode into self-leadership.
About Megan
Creativity is feelings in motion. Creativity is healing, embodied. Creativity is the cure.
Megan Knight is an EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) practitioner passionate about supporting creative souls who’ve found themselves burnt out, blocked or disconnected from their purpose. Having tried and tested countless therapeutic modalities before discovering EFT, Megan found it to be the most effective, lasting and compassionate approach for those ready to “feel it to heal it.”
Her practice is rooted in the belief that we all have “a box” - a place where we store the things we don’t want to feel or face. Through her work, Megan helps people gently open that box, release what’s been buried, and reconnect to their authentic, creative selves.
Whether you’re battling perfectionism, people-pleasing or creative fatigue, Megan’s approach blends the principles of IFS (Internal Family Systems) with emotional regulation tools to help you move from survival to thriving, restoring calm, courage and creative confidence from the inside out.
@pandorasboxeft
www.pandorasboxeft.com
A practical, confidence-building session that helps you ditch the small talk
Networking IRL: From Awkward to Authentic
A practical, confidence-building session that helps you ditch the small talk and feel more at ease when connecting in person. Learn simple techniques to approach new people, start genuine conversations, and leave behind the pressure of “networking” in favour of creating authentic, lasting relationships. You’ll also pick up tips and tricks on how to stand out and be memorable for all the right reasons.
About Amanda
Amanda is a screenwriter and story consultant whose work spans TV, film, and development projects with major companies including Apple, BBC, Channel 4, and Zero Gravity Group. She’s written 23 episodes of Apple/BBC TV, ghostwritten and script-edited over 90 projects, and collaborated with names like Olivia Colman, Ed Sinclair, Tristram Shapeero, and Carol Kolb. Alongside her industry experience, Amanda shares practical strategies on building confidence, navigating creative industries, and connecting authentically with others.
Workshop (60mins) with practical tips and Q&A.
How can we tell Meaningful Stories Without Costing the Earth?
Sustainability in Filmmaking
TALK
Led by Sheherazade Bodin, Founder of Blue Metaphor
How can we tell meaningful stories without costing the Earth?
In this session, filmmaker and Blue Metaphor founder Sheherazade Bodin shares her insights on embedding sustainability into every stage of production, from script to set, and all the way through post. Drawing on her Albert Certification in Sustainable Production, Sheherazade will unpack the practical ways we can reduce waste, rethink materials, and challenge “business-as-usual” approaches that harm both people and planet.
Expect an honest, solution-focused conversation about what green filmmaking really looks like - not just swapping plastic bottles for paper cups, but reimagining how we collaborate, travel, source, and storytell.
As a writer, director and producer, Sheherazade’s company Blue Metaphor champions underrepresented voices and films that drive social and cultural impact. This workshop isn’t just about environmental sustainability, it’s about creative sustainability too: how to keep telling powerful, purpose-driven stories in a way that supports both your crew and the world around you.
You’ll leave with:
Practical tools to make your next production greener
Fresh inspiration for eco-conscious set design and storytelling
Insight into the wider impact of sustainability in the creative industries
A reminder that filmmaking with purpose starts long before you hit “record.”
No Astrology Experience Needed - Just Curiosity, an Open Mind, and maybe a Notebook!
Sun and Moon Synergy
WORKSHOP
Your astrological birth chart is your personal blueprint - a map of potentials and possibilities, a cosmic cheat sheet for understanding what drives you, what drains you, and what brings you back to life. In this session, we’ll unpack your Sun and Moon: your outward sparkle and your inner rhythm. Expect real talk, gentle insight, and a few “ohhh, that’s so me” moments as we explore how to balance your energy, nurture your creativity, and stay inspired without burning out.
No astrology experience needed - just curiosity, an open mind, and maybe a notebook!
Follow Lou at @cosmic__kinship
How to Make the Work That Doesn’t Exist Yet
Build the Shit You Want to See
A Panel Discussion with Q&A
Tired of waiting for permission? This session is about rolling up your sleeves and creating the films, businesses, collectives, and opportunities you wish already existed. It’s for the rebels, the innovators, and the doers who know that if we want change, we have to build it ourselves.
Hosted by Lois (SHORTIES), with Sara Harrak (British-Moroccan Writer and Director), Shannon George (professionally known as Shantí, (Founder and CEO of Brownstone Studios), Comfort Arthur (British-born Ghanaian award-winning animator, illustrator and visual artist).
This conversation will dig into the highs, lows, and practical realities of making your own lane. From crowdfunding to creative resilience, expect sharp insights and raw honesty.
Proudly sponsored by SHORTIES, this panel is a rallying cry to stop waiting and start building.
From Block to Bloom - Turn Limiting Beliefs into Living Art.
Wealth Belief Edit
WORKSHOP
From block to bloom - turn limiting beliefs into living art. Come in with a money belief you’re ready to ditch, leave with a shiny new story that actually serves you. In this fun, hands-on workshop, you’ll team up with Sara, aka the Wealth Coach, to spot those sneaky limiting beliefs and flip them into affirmations that back your growth and confidence. Inspired by Carla’s All About Me colourful, feel-good Self Talk Print Collection, you’ll turn your affirmations into 1–2 mini postcard artworks - cute little reminders of your fresh mindset.
Stick them on your mirror, keep them on your desk, or pop them in your purse so every time you see them, it’s a little nudge to speak to yourself with kindness, abundance, and a big ol’ dose of self-love!
Busting Misconceptions, Battling RSD and Improving our Quality of Life.
ADHD: Let’s Get Real!
TALK
Late discovered ADHDer turned Activist and ‘Leopard Print Army Leader’ Laura Mears-Reynolds turned tragedy into triumph with her globally acclaimed podcast: ADHDAF (ADHD As Females) which led to her gamifying the learning process by turning an ADHD Seminar into Bingo on her three UK podcast tours and at multiple festivals and events.
The impact of her Podcast and tours inspired Laura to found ADHDAF+ Charity connecting and empower ADHD adults of marginalised genders in Scotland, England and Wales with free in-person Peer Support Groups for adults at any stage in their ADHD discovery or diagnosis. SELF DIAGNOSIS IS VALID.
Laura is also the Co-founder of ADHDAF Emporium: a marketplace championing the creations of neurodivergent makers and raising funds for ADHDAF+ Charity.
Alongside the unexpected millions of ADHDAF Podcast listens the world over; this raver who swears like a sailor has unbelievably been nominated for the Positive Role Model Award for Disability at the National Diversity Awards for the last two years running.
A rebel with a cause; validating and shame eradicating in leopard print. Laura wants the world to know that ADHD is NOT a trend… ADHD is real. And that together we can change the system.
Unlock Your Creative Energy, One Breath at a Time
Creative Breath
WORKSHOP
In this restorative and energising workshop, Karen introduces the power of the breath as a creative tool. Designed specifically for those working in the fast-paced world of the creative industries, this session explores how conscious breathing can help regulate the nervous system, unlock focus, and reconnect us to our natural rhythm.
Through a mix of gentle theory, guided practice, and experiential exercises, Karen will share how breathwork can reduce stress, boost clarity, and spark creative flow. Participants will learn simple, effective techniques to support wellbeing in everyday life — from the studio to the set — and leave feeling grounded, centred, and creatively recharged.
About Karen Cording
With over 20 years’ experience in the design and branding world, Karen has led teams and managed global clients across Bristol and London studios including Epoch, Bulletproof, and Taxi Studio, as well as consulting independently for brands such as Unilever and African Originals.
After seeing first-hand the pressures of agency life, Karen founded State of Mind Thing - a platform that blends her creative industry experience with training in yoga and breathwork to support wellbeing in the workplace. Through practical workshops and facilitated conversations, she helps people in creative industries reconnect with themselves, manage stress, and thrive - not just survive.
Reclaiming the Room + Telling Your Story Authentically
Pitch Without Permission
A Panel Discussion with Q&A
The traditional pitching process is broken—too often shutting out women and underrepresented talent before the conversation even begins. But what happens when we stop waiting for permission, and start telling our stories on our own terms?
This empowering session flips the script on how to share your vision, land opportunities, and stand out without diluting who you are. Expect real-world strategies, confidence-building tools, and unapologetic honesty about navigating rejection, bias, and the power dynamics at play.
With Amanda Graham (Writer, Script Editor + Public Speaker), Vanessa Coates (Series Producer with a strong track record in Wildlife, Adventure and Live TV), Eliza Hatch (Photographer, Activist, Speaker + Founder of Cheer Up Luv), Temi Wilkey (Writer, Actor + Director of Main Character Energy).
Workshop with Sonia Wargacka
RADICAL IMAGINEERING
A creative Lab where Imagination meets Action
What if your boldest ideas weren’t “too much” but exactly what the world needs? In this interactive workshop, Sonia Wargacka invites you to stretch the limits of your imagination and experiment with turning radical concepts into tangible change.
Workshop (60mins) with practical tips and Q&A.
Together, we’ll:
Break the mould – challenge assumptions and dismantle creative blocks.
Prototype the impossible – play with tools and frameworks to bring visionary ideas to life.
Rewire culture – explore how imaginative thinking can shift narratives and spark movements.
Expect a mix of playful exercises, group ideation, and practical takeaways you can apply to your work, activism, or creative practice.
This isn’t just about dreaming—it’s about doing.
About Sonia
Bristol-based production coordinator, producer and activist whose credits span global TV hits like Sex Education (Netflix), Industry (BBC/HBO), and His Dark Materials (BBC/HBO). Alongside prestige drama, she champions stories with impact - producing award-winning projects like the documentary Rave On for the Avon, the horror short Hungry Joe, and What Was She Wearing?, a film tackling sexual harassment in schools.
In 2018 she a global social impact video company, creating films across five continents for organisations driving positive change. With a Master’s in Humanitarianism, Conflict and Development, Sonia blends storytelling with activism to entertain, challenge, and inspire.
Workshop with Megan Hine
Wild + Ready: A Survival Guide for Women Filming in Remote Locations
A practical, confidence-building workshop for women stepping into outdoor, remote, or challenging environments — from UK fields to deserts, rainforests, and mountain tops. Led by survivalist and expedition leader Megan Hine, this session equips you with the essentials to stay safe, comfortable, and in control while focusing on your creative work.
Hands-on workshop (60–90 mins) with practical demos, small-group exercises, and Q&A.
What you’ll learn:
Safety & Security Essentials – situational awareness, reading your environment, solo/crew travel habits, and personal security kit.
Feminine Hygiene & Comfort in the Field – smart ways to manage periods, privacy, and hygiene in all conditions.
Basic Outdoor Skills – packing light, water purification, weather protection, and what to do if plans change.
Thrivalist Mindset – staying resilient, managing fear and fatigue, and making clear decisions under pressure.
Where are You Stuck? Explore the Hidden Reasons your System Might be Holding You Back and Learn to Release what No Longer Serves You!
Unblocking Your Creativity
WORKSHOP
Feeling scattered, stuck, or disconnected from your creative flow? Join Megan for a restorative session that blends gentle reflection and somatic awareness to help you realign with your purpose, values, and sense of calm. Through the 8 C’s - Calm, Curiosity, Clarity, Compassion, Confidence, Courage, Creativity, and Connectedness - you’ll ground your system, quiet the noise, and rediscover what it means to move from survival mode into self-leadership.
About Megan
Creativity is feelings in motion. Creativity is healing, embodied. Creativity is the cure.
Megan Knight is an EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) practitioner passionate about supporting creative souls who’ve found themselves burnt out, blocked or disconnected from their purpose. Having tried and tested countless therapeutic modalities before discovering EFT, Megan found it to be the most effective, lasting and compassionate approach for those ready to “feel it to heal it.”
Her practice is rooted in the belief that we all have “a box” - a place where we store the things we don’t want to feel or face. Through her work, Megan helps people gently open that box, release what’s been buried, and reconnect to their authentic, creative selves.
Whether you’re battling perfectionism, people-pleasing or creative fatigue, Megan’s approach blends the principles of IFS (Internal Family Systems) with emotional regulation tools to help you move from survival to thriving, restoring calm, courage and creative confidence from the inside out.
@pandorasboxeft
www.pandorasboxeft.com
Brought to you by the Stills Sister Collective
The Untold Power of Female Unit Stills
Workshop
Unit stills are more than just behind-the-scenes snapshots — they shape the story a project tells the world. Yet women and non-binary photographers are still underrepresented in this space.
Jess (founder of The Stills Sister Collective) shares why bringing female perspectives onto sets matters — from representation and trust with cast/crew, to the unique artistry and authenticity women bring to stills. Expect an open, inspiring session on re-thinking industry norms, championing inclusivity, and practical advice for producers, directors, and creatives on hiring female photographers.
Fearless Worth: How to Value Yourself (and Make Sure Others Do Too)
Own Your Worth: Standing Strong in Your Power
With Jo Knowler (Head of People & Talent, SB Social Media UK – SupercarBlondie & SBX Cars)
WORKSHOP
With over 15 years’ experience building high-performing teams across media, digital, and startup environments, including leading recruitment and people development at LADbible Group and now SupercarBlondie, Jo Knowler knows what it takes to help talent thrive.
Too often, women are made to feel like they’re “too much” or not enough. In this empowering workshop, Jo shares practical tools and real-world strategies to help you recognise your value, communicate your worth with confidence, and stand strong in your power.
Drawing from her journey as both a senior leader and a mum, Jo brings honesty, humour, and heart to the conversation, helping you leave with renewed self-authority, clarity, and the courage to make sure others see your worth too.
Why Women + Underrepresented Talent are Leaving, and Why We’re Not Going Quietly
The Creative Exodus Is Real
A Panel Discussion with Q&A
The creative industries are losing brilliant women and underrepresented talent at an alarming rate. Burnout, toxic cultures, lack of recognition, and systemic barriers have forced too many of us out of the spaces we once fought to enter.
This bold state-of-the-industry conversation asks: what’s really driving the exodus—and what are we building instead?
Join Katie Cadwell (Creative Director + Industry Advocate), Nikita Dare (Founder of SISTALAND), and Kim MacAskill (Screenwriter, TV Writer and AAA Game Writer), Hollie Lacayo (Fashion Stylist, Journalist and Chair of Fashion UK) as they cut through the noise with unfiltered honesty. Expect sharp truths, lived experience, and radical ideas for reshaping the future of creative work.
Proudly sponsored by Lucky Dip and the NDA Podcast, this session isn’t about quiet exits—it’s about bold, collective action.
