Future Takeover

Collusion and the St Neots Smart Place initiative present Future Takeover, an event over three days exploring the long-term growth of St Neots and its creative sector through ambitious thinking. The events take place at the Arts & Soul cafe.

Creative St Neots

Thursday 24 January, 6.30 – 9pm

A bold way forward for the creative sector. This session with explores the future development of the cultural and creative industries sector in the town by considering opportunities for growth, the strength of the current industry, how to develop successful and dynamic workspaces, and future sector skills needs – not just the immediate future but in 20-30 years. We will be challenging everyone to think a little bit bigger! Speakers include cultural strategist and producer Sherry Dobbin and Managing Director of the Bradfield Centre James Parton, plus a film about The Neotists created by Christian Payne and Adrian Storey. Plus there will be free pizza and cake to help your creative thinking. Tickets here.

If St Neots were Sim City: Town planning with a twist

Friday 25 January, 6.30 – 9pm

This session will explore the vision for the expansion of the town and its long-term future in a holistic way, importantly considering how you the public can help to drive this change. It will look at the role technology can play in creating a ‘smart’ market town, enabling citizens to have an impact on quality of life issues such as air quality. Speakers will address the future of transport, public services and market town living. Plus there will be free pizza and cake to help your creative thinking!! Speakers include Andrew Chetty, Partner at Umbrellium, Prof. John Miles, future transport researcher from the University of Cambridge, and John Taylor, Assistant Director of Huntingdonshire District Council. We’ll also be hearing from a young person living in St Neots about the ideas they and their friends have for the town. Tickets here.

Future Town Fair

Saturday 26 January, 10.30am to 3pm

A drop-in event for all the family (no tickets required) with talks and an ideas lounge, workshops including Roblox St Neots and digital making, a maker fair featuring creatives living and working locally, 3D projection and virtual reality gaming and creating.

The Future Takeover is supported by The Neotists, Smart Places, Arts Council England and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority. It supports the ambitions outlined in the Local Plan and Masterplan for St Neots and seeks to identify ambitious new thinking in the delivery of a creative place where people want to live, work and play, both now and 20-30 years in the future.