On June 11th, we gathered at the Reliance Theatre at Emily Carr University for the UEA Public Symposium — a day built around a single, resonant theme: Culture in Place.
The day was kicked off by Melissa Higgs of HCMA, who introduced our main theme and set the tone for everything that followed.
This year, we tried something new. We moved away from traditional presentations and embraced an intimate fireside format — open, honest conversations that invited our speakers to think out loud, share the messy middle of their work, and connect with one another and the audience in real time. Across the day, we hosted nine firesides and one UEA Project Lab film — and the result was something we'll be chasing for years to come: candid, generous, and deeply human.
What struck us most was the range. Our conversations spanned design, development, civic leadership, hospitality, and cultural entrepreneurship — voices that, on the surface, work in very different corners of the city. The perspectives were remarkably diverse: how culture takes root in a neighbourhood, how it's expressed through food, architecture, and gathering; how it's protected, celebrated, and carried forward.
And yet, for all that diversity, every conversation was connected by the same thread — a meaningful, powerful, and emotional through-line about what it means to build culture into the places we share. It reminded us that placemaking isn't just about the built environment. It's about the people, the stories, and the feeling a place leaves you with.
To our speakers, our members, and everyone who joined us in the room — thank you. You made Culture in Place more than a theme. You made it real.