UKCR 2026

UK Creativity Researchers’ Conference, 2026:
Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh Scotland.

Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th June 2026

That’s right, we’re heading back to bonnie Scotland for our first two day conference.

To sign up to our mailing list for details on our network and conferences, click here.

Details we can share so far (much more to come)…

Theme

This year’s theme is Creativity Research in Action. Anyone with an interest in creativity is welcome, from academia, practice, industry, and beyond.

Key Speakers

We are pleased to announce our first speaker is Dr Mark Batey, leading thinker & practitioner in creativity & innovation. We’re honoured that Mark has agreed to host a Creativity in Action Masterclass following a multi-level approach (individual, team, organisation, leadership) with an applied focus across both academia and industry. More details to follow!

Location

The UKCR 2026 annual conference will be held at:

Edinburgh Napier University,
Craiglockhart Campus,
Edinburgh, EH14 1DJ.

Our Craiglockhart campus is well-served by public transport to and from the centre of the city: more information here.

We will have an option to include accommodation for two nights (23rd and 24th June) in your registration fee, more details below.

Registration and call for speakers

This year, we will be open to a variety of types of presentation and engagement. Would you like to host a symposium? Please do! Got a workshop or demonstration in mind? Great! Traditional posters and speakers will also be more than welcome.

Registration and our call for speakers will be open soon!
Please keep an eye on this site for updates, or sign up to our mailing list.

Sundowner

We will host drinks and nibbles at the end of our first conference day. All delegates are welcome to join!

Accommodation option

As we are expanding to a two-day event, we have secured some accommodation for those who would like it. The Edinburgh Napier apartments are centrally located in either our Bainfield (Fountainbridge – EH11 1AR) or Orwell Terrace (Haymarket – EH11 2DY) residences, with bars, restaurants and a supermarket on the doorstep. They are just a 15-minute walk to the city centre or a 10-minute walk from Haymarket train station, which links with the tram service to Edinburgh Airport. A bus or taxi would be recommended to reach the conference campus, or it is a 45 minute walk if the weather is on side!

All apartments feature individual lockable rooms with small double (4ft) beds & private en-suite bathrooms, plus a fully equipped communal kitchen/lounge area with flat screen television. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout and we provide all bed linen, bath & hand towels.

When registration opens, there will be two options. One to register for conference only, and one to register for conference and accommodation together. The price will be displayed on the site. We have 24 rooms available, so book quickly!

Sticking to Our mission

Our aim is always to keep our events as affordable, accessible, inclusive, and welcoming as possible. Please see the website welcome page for details of our guiding principles.

Organisers

The organisation of the UKCR 2026 conference is led by Dr Lindsey Carruthers of Edinburgh Napier University, Dr Gillian Hill of the University of Buckingham, and Dr Shelly M. Kemp of King’s College London.