Tyne Design Week Opening

The Opening Event of Tyne Design Week 2025 sets the stage for a bold and celebratory exploration of design across the North East. Held at Gateshead College, the morning centres on a dynamic programme of short talks and a lively panel discussion, bringing together leading voices from across the creative industries. With a strong focus on place, the conversation will explore how design is shaping the region’s economic, social, and environmental futures.

Speakers will share insights on the role of design in driving innovation, building careers, and strengthening communities, highlighting the power of design to inspire new ways of thinking and connect disciplines in unexpected ways.

Alongside the talks, an exhibition will showcase a range of creative and design-led businesses from across the North East. From digital studios to fashion labels and product innovators, the exhibition celebrates the breadth of talent in the region and offers attendees the chance to engage directly with the work of local designers.

The event offers a unique opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and kick off a week of creativity, collaboration, and inspiration.

About the speakers

Ron Ashtiani

Successful artist and games industry founder

With a 27-year career in entertainment, Ron Ashtiani began as an artist and animator before rising to creative director, founder, CEO, and now non-exec board director at Steamforged Games.

He launched his career during the video game boom of the ‘90s and 2000s, contributing to major studios before founding Atomhawk in 2009. He grew Atomhawk into a globally recognized visual design studio with teams in the UK and Canada, delivering work on three Marvel films, top TV productions, and over 30 acclaimed games.

After selling Atomhawk in 2019, Ron became Chairman of SockMonkey Studios, guiding it to a successful acquisition by Behaviour Interactive in 2023.

Still an artist at heart, Ron has authored three books, including The Art of Direction (2022), on storytelling in games and film. He’s been named to the BIMA Top 100 and GamesIndustry.biz UK Top 100, and is a proud BAFTA member.

David Alexander

Principal and Chief Executive, Gateshead College

Responsible for the overall strategic leadership of the College.

David joined Gateshead College as Principal and Chief Executive in June 2021, having previously held the position of Vice Principal at West College Scotland, one of the largest educational institutions in the country.

With over 20 years’ experience at a senior level in further education, David’s career also spans roles across the wider public sector and he currently holds non-executive Board positions for the Scottish Funding Council and Beamish Museum. He is also a qualified accountant. David is a passionate advocate of lifelong learning and the ability that it has to create opportunities and change lives for the better. He is also an eternal optimist, being a supporter of Hamilton Academical football club.

Prof Katy Shaw

Director, AHRC Creative Communities

Katy is Director of the AHRC Creative Communities programme and Professor of Contemporary Writings and Director of Cultural Partnerships at Northumbria University.

Creative Communities is a £3.9 million investment by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Hosted by Northumbria University, it explores how co-created culture can enhance belonging, address regional inequality, deliver devolution, and break down barriers to opportunity with cross-sector communities in devolved settings across all 4 nations of the UK.

Katy works with the British Academy (Economic Strategy Advisory Board (DBT & HMT); sits on the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority’s Strategic Advisory Board; is a Senior Associate Producer with Tedx Soho; sits on the British Council Creative Economy Advisory Board; is a BFI Research Advisory Board Member; and Chairs the Wellcome Trust Humanities ECR fund.

Katy recently contributed to the Gordon Brown/Labour Party Report on the Commission on the UK’s Future, A New Britain: Renewing our Democracy and Rebuilding our Economy (2023), the Commission on Culture and Local Government report Cornerstones of Culture (2022) and writes regularly for The New Statesman.

Estelle Blanks

Director of Business Development & Enterprise, Newcastle University

Estelle has 20 years’ experience in economic development through regeneration and innovation in the North East of England, and working across the UK and Europe with a thorough understanding of the national and local innovation ecosystem. She is passionate about sustainable and inclusive innovation and a champion of partnership and collaboration to unlock opportunities. An advocate for equality, diversity and inclusivity, Estelle is part of the Northern Power Women list and hailed as one of the most influential women in the region.

Past work has involved attracting and leading multi-million-pound high-profile programmes in aimed at supporting new and growing innovative companies and achieving positive economic and social impact. Estelle is a member of the CBI Innovation Council, the North East LEP Innovation Board and Non-Executive Director at Nexus.

Mark Adamson

Principal Manager - Sectoral Growth and Delivery, North East Combined Authority

Mark is an experienced Executive who has worked in both the commercial and public sectors across the creative and cultural sectors, professional services, manufacturing and higher education industries, and has previously been lead for Creative Industries at both the Regional Development Agency One North East, and at Arts Council England North East.

Mark joined the North East Combined Authority in October 2023, having previously been Project Director for five years for the cross-university project Creative Fuse North East. A key part of his current role includes leading on the strategic development and delivery of the Culture, Creative, Tourism and Sport portfolio for the Combined Authority, working with partners and stakeholders to develop the North East as an exemplar model for cultural place making, cementing its appeal as a place to visit, live, and work and growing the region’s creative industries as part of the ambitions in the North East Local Growth Plan. In addition, Mark’s team also includes responsibility for supporting wider programme delivery including business support, innovation, and access to finance.

Simon Green

CEO, Edge Innovation

Simon has a background in corporate innovation, leading projects in Africa, Latin America and Asia for five years. He subsequently set up and ran technology businesses in healthcare and transport before moving into innovation support and access to finance work, generating over £20m in funding for North East businesses over the past decade.

Having setup Edge Innovation in 2015 and the Innovation SuperNetwork in 2016, Simon subsequently span out the Rural Design Centre as a way of focusing activity on rural innovation and led the development of Northumberland Community Energy Ltd, the community energy company for the county.

Simon has a degree in chemistry from Sheffield University, an MBA from Durham University and the Certificate in Corporate Finance through the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.

Stephen Houghton

Founder, Reach Design

Stephen is the founder of an international award-winning design agency based right here in the North East. Established in late 2022, Reach Design is dedicated to creating tangible, positive impact for businesses and, importantly, for our shared world.

With over two decades of creative leadership, Stephen's extensive background includes design roles at IBM and the acclaimed consultancy Tangerine, spearheading Front End insights teams and managing creative talent in six global studios from China to the US, within a Fortune 500 organization.

Stephen’s innovative mindset, combined with an expertise in empowering diverse global talent and technologies, has resulted in over 100 patents and design registrations and driven user and business-centric innovation for some of the world's leading brands.

Alan Ramsay

Founder, Roots and Wings CIC

Born and raised in Newcastle, Alan studied Economics (BSc) at UCL. He went on to study Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise Management (MSc) at Newcastle University followed by a sponsored masters in Multidisciplinary Design Innovation (MA) at Northumbria Design School. In 2008 he co-founded Roots and Wings C.I.C. to address social and environmental issues through creative solutions. They’re a not-for-profit design company made up of creative problem solvers, dedicated to tackling a wide array of projects, all of which have a social or environmental objective.

Alan is also Chair of Recovery College Collective, an innovative peer-led mental health charity, and is Co-director Pink Lane Coffee Collective, a specialist coffee shop and roastery.

Helen Smith

Technical Director - Landscape Architecture, JBA Consulting

Helen is a Technical Director and Discipline Lead for Landscape Architecture at JBA Consulting and provides a technical and management lead role for the JBA UK Landscape teams. Helen graduated from Sheffield University with a BSc Dual hons in Landscape Design and Ecology and a PG Dip in Landscape Architecture. Helen gained her Chartered Membership of the Landscape Institute (CMLI) in 2003 and has over 25 years' experience in both private practice and multidisciplinary planning and environmental teams.

Helen currently leads teams to deliver character assessment, masterplanning and strategic visioning, and planning applications for a wide range of developments in different sectors, with a focus on coastal protection natural flood management, SUDs and nature-based solutions. She has experience in large scale regeneration projects, residential design, strategic infrastructure and energy projects. She has also given evidence at Public Inquiry. Helen has key skills in staff and project management, client liaison and business development.

Helen has carried out tutoring at the University of Newcastle, guests lectures at Birmingham City University and Leeds Beckett University, was a former member of Sheffield University Professional Review Group and was previously the Chair of the North East branch of the Landscape Institute. Helen has been a mentor on the Pathway to Chartership for a number of successful candidates and is a keen cold water swimmer in her spare time.

Laura Warwick

Senior Change Manager, NHS Business Services Authority

Laura Warwick is a Service Designer with over 15 years of experience, all rooted in the North East of England. She has worked both in-house and as a freelance consultant, focusing on embedding service design approaches in voluntary sector organisations, including Mind, Lloyds Bank Foundation, and GirlGuiding UK. She also spent time as an Assistant Professor at Northumbria University, where she taught and conducted research on design in social change. In recent years, she has brought her expertise into the public sector joining NHS Business Services Authority in 2023. After a year as Lead Service Designer, she is now working within an operational team to drive innovation and continuous improvement across the organisation.

Neil Wilson

Founder, ECHOKIT

Neil is a Chartered Designer with over 25 years of experience and award-winning work across design disciplines. As founder of ECHOKIT, he creates acoustic surfaces and lighting with a focus on neurodivergent inclusion and biophilic design.

Neil is also Creative Director at ‘Neil Wilson Design’, is a multidisciplinary creative studio offering furniture, interior, brand and digital design. His work has featured across the UK, including at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.

About the venue

You can find further details about this venue here.