Each edition of Cultural Conversations is built around a thought-provoking theme, with inspiring speakers, hands-on activities, performances, and music. No two events are the same – each one has its own unique energy. Whether you’re a painter, ceramicist, designer, photographer, marketeer or just someone with a creative spark, you’ll find your people here.
It’s free, it’s open to everyone, and it’s where ideas turn into action.
Come for the stories. Stay for the energy. Be part of the conversation.
Women changing the game
Aligning with International Women’s Day earlier in March, the theme for this edition of Cultural Conversations is ‘Women changing the game’. This event will celebrate the power of female creativity and leadership across sectors. Who’s rewriting the narrative?
Whether you’re an artist, a designer, a placemaker, or simply curious about Hull’s future, come join the conversation. Expect great people, big ideas, and plenty to talk about.
Arrive early to catch up with friends and colleagues or stick around after to keep the conversation going.
Laura Andrew – Story & narrative strategist, Co-founder of Better Said Studio
You can’t read the label from inside the jar. It’s a simple idea but one that sits at the heart of Laura Andrew’s work as a story and narrative strategist and co-founder of Better Said Studio.
With over 20 years of experience in high-stakes communications – including work across emergency services, public sector leadership and complex organisational change – Laura has spent her career helping people find clarity when the stakes are high and the story matters.
Today she works with founders, leaders and organisations that excel at what they do but are often too close to their own work to recognise its power. Laura helps them step outside their own perspective, uncover the stories that reveal the depth of their expertise and articulate their work in a way the world can immediately understand and trust.
Because when people finally see the true shape of their authority, they see themselves differently – and the world begins to see them differently too.
Maureen Lennon
Maureen is a Hull based playwright. Her full-length work includes Mary & The Hyenas for Pilot Theatre and Hull Truck Theatre, Baby He Loves You for Middle Child Theatre, Dead Girls Rising for Silent Uproar, Helen for Theatre 503 and Terrain Theatre and Us Against Whatever for Middle Child Theatre. In 2020 her play Helen was shortlisted for the Theatre 503 international playwriting prize. She is a Sphinx30 playwright, and a BBC’s Voices 2024 writer. She is published by Nick Hern and Bloomsbury.
She has also written several large scale works for community casts, including GUTS! The Musical for Hull Truck Theatre, The Coppergate Woman for York Theatre Royal, and What About The Children for Hull Truck youth theatre. Her shorter theatre credits include work for Paines Plough, Sheffield Theatres, Pilot Theatre, Middle Child Theatre and Bellow Theatre. She is a First Story writer in residence, RLF fellow and an experienced teacher/ facilitator. She is currently under commission to Mikron Theatre and Hull Truck Theatre. ‘
Beth Bellingham – Matrescence Educator & Founder of The Matrescence Project.
Nobody told Beth that becoming a mother would change who she was – not just her sleep, her routine or her body, but her identity and sense of self.
When she searched for answers, she discovered a word she had never heard before: matrescence – the developmental transition a woman goes through when she becomes a mother.
Understanding that one word changed everything.
Now Beth is on a mission to ensure other mothers find it sooner.
A northern mum of two girls, Beth is a matrescence educator, speaker and founder of The Matrescence Project, a platform dedicated to helping mothers understand the profound identity shift that comes with motherhood.
Through her work with mothers, partners and workplaces, Beth helps people recognise that the confusion, grief and transformation many women experience after having a baby are not signs of failure – they are signs of matrescence.
Her work replaces shame and self-doubt with language, clarity and compassion, helping mothers feel less alone in one of the most significant transitions of their lives.
Because when mothers understand matrescence, something powerful happens: things finally start to make sense.
Hayley Buchan – Youth coach, Founder of Rising Minds
For 25 years, Hayley Buchan has helped young people discover they’re capable of far more than they believed possible.
From raising £150,000 to take 60 teenagers from one of Hull’s most deprived areas to Australia, to developing the Rising Minds Method™ – a coaching framework grounded in positive psychology and adolescent brain development – Hayley has spent her career proving one truth: young people don’t disengage because something is wrong with them. They disengage because they’re developing and nobody has given them the tools to make sense of it.
Today, as founder of Rising Minds, she works with schools and families to help young people build the inner resources to handle whatever life throws at them – not just in school but beyond it.
Her work doesn’t stop when coaching sessions end. Parents and teachers become part of the process, ensuring the transformation sticks where it matters most: real life.
Because when a young person truly understands themselves, they don’t just cope. They rise.
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Accessibility
Is Humber Street Gallery wheelchair accessible?
Yes. You can access every part of the gallery without steps. The entrance is level with the street, and there’s a lift to all floors, including the rooftop.
Do you have accessible toilets?
Yes. We have one all-gender accessible toilet on the ground floor with grab rails and emergency pull cords.
Can I bring my assistance dog?
Absolutely. We welcome guide dogs, hearing dogs and other trained assistance animals throughout the building.
Do you provide large print or accessible exhibition guides?
Yes. We offer large print as standard and Dyslexia-friendly versions of exhibition texts. You can pick them up in the gallery or download them from the exhibition pages of our website.
Is there somewhere quiet I can go if I need a break?
We know the gallery can sometimes feel busy or overwhelming. Ask a member of staff and we’ll help you find a quieter space to take a moment.
Do you offer sensory-friendly experiences?
Some exhibitions include sensory content and we have regular quiet hours. We also have ear defenders available to borrow at the front desk. If you need anything specific, get in touch before your visit. You can find details of our noisy and quiet hours at the top of this page.
Is there Blue Badge parking nearby?
Yes. There are Blue Badge parking bays on Humber Street and surrounding roads, just a short distance from the gallery.
Are your events and workshops accessible?
We aim to make all events as accessible as possible. Access details vary depending on the activity, so check individual listings or contact us with any questions.
What if I have an access need that’s not listed here?
We’re happy to chat and find ways to support your visit. You can call us, email us or drop in for a conversation.