The Makers Movement is continuing to gather momentum. Its essential idea is that making things and manufacturing can be democratised with the help of a new generation of technologies, notably 3D printers. There's a message that we are more in touch with our world if we make parts of it rather than just being passive consumers. The movement is helpfully reconnecting craft to high technology.
We hosted the Digital R&D Forum in Manchester yesterday with 300 people in attendance, and with introductory speeches from our partners, Alan Davey from the Arts Council and Rick Rylance from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
A few weeks ago a group of senior officials were gathered together for a day to discuss design. I'm very keen to improve government's ability to be creative and to innovate. So why did my heart sink a bit?
My colleague Hasan Bakhshi has just published a brilliant analysis of the creative economy in the UK. Written with Alan Freeman and Peter Higgs, this is the first time I have seen a seriously rigorous approach to creative industries and creative roles.
A fascinating report out today on the nation's values, corroborates some trends which have been visible for a long time.
I'm becoming ever more sceptical about the continued spread of the phrases 'Bottom of the Pyramid' and 'Base of the Pyramid', and whether they are either meaningful or useful. Here are some comments to prompt debate (I'd quite like to be proven wrong on this).
The French government's strategy unit has just published 500 propositions, innovations et curiosités sociales venues de l'étranger.
Many thanks to everyone who took part in our roadshow in Cardiff, which had a full house.
The Studio Schools Annual Conference in Southampton was a good showcase of a rapidly scaling innovation. 16 studio schools are now open, 32 will be open by this time next year and at least as many again are preparing detailed plans.
I did a lecture last night in York University on evidence and knowing yourself.
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