Northern Nature, Culture & Place Forum
The Northern Nature, Culture and Place Forum is a pioneering event dedicated to showcasing and shaping the ways by which the North’s combined natural, historic and cultural capital can be harnessed for the good of its people.
The people of the North of England urgently need places to live and work that are fit for the future; places that are vibrant, healthy and resilient in equal measure.
As communities work together to fulfil this need, they can harness the North’s combined natural, historic and cultural heritage. After all, nature and culture work together to make places in which people thrive in all their diversity.
This pioneering event will show how the natural assets and cultural richness of the North of England can be enhanced together. Join professionals in local government, third sector organisations, companies, public agencies, independent funders and more, to learn from examples of where action on nature and culture is already connected.
Explore our programmeJoin the Northern Nature, Culture and Place Forum to:
- Discover untapped opportunities to connect the North’s natural, historic and cultural heritage.
- Hear about great examples of where this has happened already.
- See how funding and finance for different forms of heritage can work together rather than in isolation
We are delighted to bring you the forum in partnership with Northern Culture and Place Partnership, as part of the 2025 Convention of the North event series.
EVENT PARTNER
Our programme and speakers
Discover opportunities to enhance both natural and cultural heritage together, through keynote presentations, expert panels and audience discussions.
Explore our programme21 January 2025
10:00 – 16:00
Aspire, Leeds City Centre
3 minute walk from Leeds Station
Tony Juniper
Chair, Natural England
Tony Juniper
Chair, Natural England
Tony Juniper is Chair of Natural England. Before taking up this role in April 2019 he was Executive Director for Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF-UK, a Fellow with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and President of the Wildlife Trusts. Until January 2018 he was an independent sustainability and environment advisor, including as Special Advisor with The Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit.
He speaks and writes widely on conservation and sustainability themes. He’s the author of many books, including the multi-award winning bestseller ‘What has nature ever done for us?’ published in 2013. The Ladybird guide to climate change, co-authored with HRH The Prince of Wales and Emily Shuckburgh, was published in January 2017. His latest book, ‘Rainforest‘, was published in April 2018.
Tony began his career as an ornithologist, working with Birdlife International. From 1990 he worked at Friends of the Earth, initially leading the campaign for tropical rainforests, and from 2003 to 2008 was the organisation’s Executive Director. From 2000 to 2008 he was Vice Chair of Friends of the Earth International.
He was the first recipient of the Charles and Miriam Rothschild medal (2009) and was awarded honorary Doctor of Science degrees from the Universities of Bristol and Plymouth (2013). In 2017 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Helen Featherstone
Director of England, North, National Lottery Heritage Fund
Helen Featherstone
Director of England, North, National Lottery Heritage Fund
Throughout her 25-year career in arts and heritage, Helen has championed and advocated access to heritage, arts and culture for all.
An inclusive and dynamic leader with a people-centred approach she is passionate about the role that heritage plays in helping us make sense of the world around us.
Prior to joining the Heritage Fund in 2023, she was Deputy Director and part of the Executive Team at Yorkshire Sculpture Park where she was responsible for business planning and overseeing estates, finance, development, marketing, trading, visitor experience, administration and HR.
Helen was also CEO of Sheffield Industrial Museums, where she worked with the local community and developers to win the Academy of Urbanism Best British Neighbourhood Award for a heritage-led regeneration approach.
Helen has a MA in Cultural Policy and Management and a BA in History of Art and Design. She has also worked at Arts Council England and had several culture focused roles in local government where she was responsible for audience development, wellbeing and working with a range of diverse communities.
Helen also has extensive experience of trustee positions, most recently Chair of Greentop Circus in Sheffield, and up until joining the Heritage Fund was a Private Sector Board member of West Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership. She worked with Mayor Tracy Brabin as Vice Chair to establish an Arts, Heritage and Sport Committee to demonstrate the importance of culture in West Yorkshire.
Duncan Wilson CBE
Chief Executive, Historic England
Duncan Wilson CBE
Chief Executive, Historic England
Duncan Wilson joined Historic England as the organisation’s first Chief Executive on 1 April 2015.
Historic England is a public body which improves people’s lives by protecting and championing the historic environment.
Previously, Duncan was Chief Executive of the Alexandra Park and Palace Trust, developing a major regeneration and conservation scheme to restore the Victorian theatre and television studios. He has also been Chief Executive at the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College, maintaining one of Europe’s finest groups of baroque buildings, and the Somerset House Trust, opening the site to the public.
Duncan’s first job as a chartered accountant in 1987 was as Senior Management Accountant
at English Heritage. Before accountancy he worked as a professional archaeologist in Oxford and Herefordshire, following post graduate research in European Archaeology.
He is a Trustee of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and the Greenwich Foundation.
He was awarded the CBE for services to heritage in 2023
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We look forward to seeing you there!
Sponsor the conference
Join us as a crucial sponsor to raise your brand profile, meet new contacts and build relationships at the Northern Nature, Culture & Place Forum.
Get in touchDo you have a project or initiative that is already pioneering in the way it connects nature and culture in the North of England? We are offering a few projects exhibitor spots at this conference. Find out more here.
The event is being organised by the award-winning Ecosystems Knowledge Network (EKN), in partnership with Northern Culture and Place Partnership, as part of the 2025 Convention of the North event series.
EVENT PARTNER