CHEAD Annual Conference 2025

The Shift: Harmonising the Arts, AI and technology for sustainable futures

The rate at which technology is advancing presents both opportunities and challenges for the fields of art and design, as well as society.

The intersection of art, design and technology is leading to new forms of artistic expression, storytelling, design, and even ways of solving complex problems. However, traditional jobs roles in the creative sector will shift, with the need for new skills and competencies in our future graduates. This brings challenges for HE to address, not least the emergence of generative AI, the digital divide and equity of access to technology and issues of ethics and intellectual property. This in turn will hamper the sectors’ potential to address pressing issues such as the climate emergency and social equity.  

Manchester, the home of the Industrial revolution and the birthplace of the computer, provides a unique opportunity for CHEAD to identify and debate how we balance innovation and social responsibility, and prepare Art and Design education and research, staff and students, for the challenges and opportunities of harmonising Art, Design and Technology towards sustainable futures.