Digital Arts: What Took Us so Long?

Digital technology has been reshaping arts and culture for decades, so why did Digital Arts only just become an official artform? Join us to unpick what ACE's landmark recognition really means for artists, funders and the creative industries, and what comes next. With Tonya Nelson (ACE), Owen Hopkin (ACE), Anne Rupert, (Blast Theory), Marc Boothe (B3 Media)

Partner: British Underground and Arts Council

THE NORTH IS NOW: From Mercury to Momentum

How the North of England is reshaping the UK music industry. From the Mercury Prize and MOBO Awards moving North, to the rise of new regional infrastructure, export offices and creative investment - the centre of gravity in UK music is shifting. Join us for a conversation hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Maia Beth exploring what this new era means for artists, industry and audiences alike - and why the future of UK music growth can’t be built from London alone.

Partner: Generator

From Zero to IP: A Film Founder’s Guide to Building Across Borders

A fireside conversation exploring what it takes to build a creative career and company from the outside - without inherited networks, across countries, and within an industry that can be difficult to access. Romanian-born, London-based producer Mara Cracaleanu reflects on her journey moving between Romania and the UK, starting from zero connections, and learning in real time how development, financing, international collaboration, and creative entrepreneurship actually work in practice. Structured as a layered conversation, the session moves from personal experience into wider industry insight: access, proof, borders, ownership, and scale. Through examples from her work across documentary and fiction, Mara will explore how emerging producers can build credibility, create opportunities, and think beyond traditional production models toward IP, cross-platform storytelling, and internationally connected creative businesses. At its core, this is a conversation about building without a roadmap, and creating your own blueprint.

Partner: Melancholia Pictures and Studio Ulster

Beautiful British Games with the Beautiful Games Club podcast

ustwo games - the studio behind Monument Valley, Alba and Assemble With Care - are bringing their Beautiful Games Club to a live stage at UK House, and they're asking the question that sits at the heart of everything they make: what actually makes a game beautiful? Part book club, part live podcast, the Beautiful Games Club celebrates video games that deserve a closer look - games that resonate visually, creatively and emotionally long after you’ve put the controller down. In this special live conversation, the team at ustwo games will unpack some standout British-made games, sharing their personal responses to them, the ideas they bring into the world, and the wider cultural impact they leave behind. Come join and have a cosy chat about games over a cuppa.

Partner: USTWO

SIGNALS: Designing TV for a Responsive Audience

Television has always tried to talk with us - from the phone-in shows of the seventies, to CEEFAX surfing over the picture, to the red button waiting patiently in the corner. Each was a signal of something bigger: an audience that wants to participate. In this session, Manon Dave, Head of Future World Design at BBC R&D, shares the story behind SIGNALS - a project reimagining interactive television for an audience expecting to participate. Expect a candid look at the prototypes, provocations, and design principles shaping what comes next for broadcast - and a glimpse of the responsive, conversational TV of tomorrow.

Partner: BBC

Not just Hollywood: where franchises start now.

Bluey started in Brisbane. Paddington started in a London picture book. Between them they’ve conquered theme parks, broken streaming and box office records, moved grown adults to tears, and built fan communities around the world. So, what does that tell us about where franchises actually come from now? This conversation explores why emotional specificity travels further than generic, what Bluey and Paddington can teach the next generation of franchise builders, and where the properties audiences will fall in love with next are already taking shape.

Partner: BBC Studios

What’s Investable in the Future of Creative Industries? CoSTAR Foresight Lab × UK House @ SXSW London 2026

A curated UK House investor discussion at SXSW London 2026, combining cinematic foresight with real world insight from CoSTAR Foresight Lab (futures opportunities), OlsbergSPI (incentives and policy), CoSTAR National Lab (startup pipeline), and Station 12 (investor perspective) focused on what’s investable now, what’s emerging next, and what unlocks opportunity in the creative industries.

Partner: CoSTAR & UKIE