InterAct’s Celebration Event was hosted at Holywell Conference Centre, Loughborough University, on 10th and 11th February 2025. The event brought together a wide range of individuals involved in all elements of InterAct, from Core and Commissioned Researchers to Strategic Advisory Board members and Global Mission collaborators.
The central theme of the conference surrounded ‘what is next?’, allowing participants to identify future collaboration interests and work towards new ideas and funding opportunities as a result of their time with InterAct.
The first day of the event featured a sandpit session hosted by The Collective. This was an intensive, interactive, and free-thinking environment for groups to develop innovative research ideas for potential future funding.
The team enjoyed a three-course dinner at Burleigh Court in the evening, celebrating the outcomes of the project and exciting prospects for future collaboration.
The second day of the event featured a showcase session, allowing the Core and Commissioned Research teams to showcase the outcomes and impacts of their work to colleagues, as well as the funding council Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), senior members of Made Smarter Innovation Challenge and the InterAct Strategic Advisory Board.
During the day, Boxset Media collected video of the event, as well as interviewing key InterAct members about their experiences on the project. We were also joined by graphic recorder Cara Holland, who turned the discussions of the day into illustrations. These videos and illustrations will be made available on the InterAct website.
As the curtains closed on the Celebration Event, InterAct Co-directors Professor Janet Godsell and Professor Jillian MacBryde expressed their gratitude for the attendees that contributed to such a vibrant and collaborative event atmosphere, as well as all those that have been involved in InterAct throughout the project.
We look forward to seeing what is next for the future of the InterAct Network.