I can reassure you all straightaway – I’m not on a one-woman-quest to make the world a more creative place. There are plenty of us in Greater Manchester, finding our way and doing the stuff. The ‘joy business’, as Martina Murphy described it, is alive and kicking.

There’s good news! If you, like me, slightly glaze over at the business buzzwords that are popping up in 2026 (productivity gap, agentic AI, supply chain resilience anyone) then I have some good news to pass on based on a conference last Thursday (30 April 2026) in Manchester.

Firstly, the good news is that New Century is a great place to be – I had last been there for a daytime rave so the GMCA Creative Industries Exchange was a contrast to say the least but it is a lovely conference venue too, exuding retro chic and a dancefloor upstairs (Jimi Hendrix played there!) and a kitchen/bar informal space downstairs.

So who is in the joy business in GM?

The speakers and interviews gave a flavour of a plethora of creative projects with the businesses rooted in Greater Manchester. From panels speaking about pertinent issues (yes, AI) to case studies of creative projects; the day was inspiring and vibrant.

Sophie Macauley from GRIT Studios and Art Battle (who also contributed some brilliant photos for Where we live is creative) spoke about the fact that there are 400 people on the wait list for a studio space with GRIT. The creative energy is brewing and there’s an appetite for creative outlets.

Julie Hesmondhalgh told the story of saving the Oldham Coliseum theatre and beautifully said, ‘give us bread but give us roses’. There are necessities in life but there are also beautiful stories and creativity that resonates deeply. I feel this so strongly sitting on the boundary of educational material and beautiful, well designed books and journals. Bread *and* roses it is. Unashamedly, I tell you I have books to sell!

In an interview with the Coliseum’s Chief Executive, Martina Murphy, Martina spoke of a cultural campus being created around the theatre and the core value that every story matters, that locally rooted stories retain a universal relevance.

Art and creativity does this, doesn’t it. It takes a concept rooted in someone’s life and often expresses a deep truth that speaks to the many through performance, music, television, artworks, and making. From a Bosky point of view, I hope that is what people find when they pick up ‘Where we live is creative’ – that the joy of creativity, the roses, are shared generously, and inspire the next generation.

What a positive way to usher in May.

Heather