Molly Allbutt

Allbutt Constructs

Molly talks candidly about the parts of freelancing nobody warns you about — from awkward client pitches to creating new opportunities every single day. Her session is a frank, funny, and practical guide to selling yourself with confidence.

Filiz Taylan Yuzak

Vibrant Content

Filiz draws on her first year of freelancing to cover the full emotional and practical landscape — from work-life balance and self-belief to building a portfolio, pitching to dream clients, and navigating rejection, ghosting, and dry spells with resilience.

Louisa Rogers

Northumbria University

Louisa unpacks the multihyphenate career — what it means to work across multiple disciplines and roles simultaneously, why it's increasingly relevant, and how to figure out whether it's the right path for you.

Panashe Mushandu

Panashe gives an unfiltered look at what freelancing actually looks like day to day — taking attendees through a real week in her creative life to show the rhythms, realities, and rewards of the freelance experience in practice.

Eleanor Turney

Many Hats

Eleanor is a freelancer and advocate for the multihyphenate career. She explores why continuous professional development is one of the most underrated tools in a freelancer's kit — and how investing in your own growth sets the foundation for a sustainable, varied career.

Sophie Arinde

The Kollab Network

Sophie helps creatives use social media and LinkedIn with intention — building a personal brand that attracts real opportunities. She also unpacks the blurring line between freelancer and content creator, and why adaptability is now one of the most valuable skills in the creative industry.

Linda Coogan Byrne

Good Seed Productions

Linda delivers a candid, experience-led introduction to freelancing as both a career and a business. She cuts through the romanticised narrative to cover the real advantages, the less visible challenges, and the practical foundations — from offer structuring to client selection — that you need to get started with clear eyes.

Lindsay Stockley

Mastered

Lindsay helps creative freelancers make a crucial mindset shift: your skill is already a business, whether you think of it that way or not. In conversation with her co-founder, she explores how to use AI as a genuine thinking partner — to clarify your offer, work through pricing, and make smarter decisions from day one.

Natasha Campbell

Natasha gives an honest, balanced take on the real trade-offs between freelancing and full-time employment — covering finances, career progression, and the personal qualities that determine where you're most likely to thrive.

Rakha Madahar

desgn.prnt

Rakha shares the real story of how she landed her first paid freelance role without a traditional portfolio or prior experience — and the practical steps that made it possible. An honest look at how existing skills can open doors you didn't think were available to you.

Tariq Peters

Follow The Phases

Tariq shows freelancers how to use their personal brand to become the obvious choice in their niche. He'll share how consistent content can become an organic client acquisition system — bringing leads directly to you, without relying on cold outreach.

Pamela Achiume Cherry

Self Made Journey

Pam covers three essentials for any freelancer: getting visible without it feeling like a performance, building genuine community through networking, and the honest behind-the-scenes story of how she pivoted from advertising into career development and built her own freelance business.

Tom Beasley

Voice Magazine

Tom is the editor of Voice Magazine and a working arts journalist. He pulls back the curtain on the freelance arts journalism landscape, sharing honest, practical advice on building a career in one of the most competitive corners of the media industry.

Claude Kiseke

Freshly Squeezed

Claude shares practical guidance on building a portfolio that actually wins work — helping creatives move beyond collecting pieces and start presenting their skills in a way that gets results and opens doors.

Rish Baruah

University of Stirling

Rish guides attendees through the full arc of going freelance — from finding your niche and generating ideas, to marketing yourself and landing paying clients, to building the strong habits and momentum that make a freelance career sustainable long-term.

Nitya Ramlogan

Into Film

Nitya gives a candid glimpse into what freelancing actually looks like in the film and TV industry. A freelance animator, filmmaker and educator, her short films have screened at festivals worldwide including Tribeca and Stuttgart.

Alison Grade

Mission Accomplished

Why people aren't engaging with your services — and how to fix it. Author of The Freelance Bible (Penguin) and owner of Mission Accomplished, a Screen and Creative Industries consultancy. Alison delivers CPD training through ScreenSkills, BFI and the British Council.

Kristina Drinkwater

IPSE

Kristina covers the key foundations of self-employment — from pricing and contracts to confidence, protection, and support. As Director of Membership at IPSE, she has spent over a decade helping self-employed people at every stage of their journey.

Matthew Knight

Freelancing.Support

15 ways to look after your mental health when you're freelancing. Matthew is founder of Leapers — a community that has supported over 250,000 freelancers — and Chief Freelance Officer at Freelancing.Support, the independent guide to independent work.

Dov Waterman

Point Blank Music School

Dov Waterman is a composer, educator and coach based in London, with over twenty years of experience across the music industry. He has worked as a film and media composer specialising in the film advertising industry, a sound designer, and a sample library developer for companies including Arturia and Native Instruments. He now lectures at Point Blank Music School and works as a creative coach, helping musicians and composers build more resilient, sustainable creative practices. His work sits at the intersection of music, education and human development.

Rachel Sene Todd

Falmouth University

Rachel is part of the Falmouth University Employability Team, which supports students and graduates with the tools, resources and opportunities to help them reach their potential and progress in their careers. From CV support and specialist career events to employment opportunities, business development guidance and freelance advice, the team helps students and graduates take their next steps into the creative industries.

Tristan Bankale

Publicis Groupe

Tristan breaks down what he would do if starting freelancing from scratch today — focusing on three practical, high-impact actions that create immediate momentum. A clear, actionable starting point for anyone looking to land their first clients and build a sustainable freelance career.

Manase Mtopa

Hnry

A commercially focused Accountancy and Project Management professional with extensive experience in Financial Services and IT. He has managed budgets up to £750m and specialises in translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insights for senior decision-makers.

Sakshi Choraria

fivefeettall

Freelance Brand Strategist, Certified Canva Trainer, Canvassador and Founder of fivefeettall. On a mission to build communities that genuinely resonate with your brand — and make learning feel like an experience.

Anna Wisdom

Kingsbridge Group

A digital-first creative marketer specialising in short-form social content, long-form video production, and digital design. A self-starter who thrives collaborating across disciplines and brings creative solutions to any brief.

Matt Dowling

Freelancer Club

Founder of Freelancer Club and one of the UK's leading voices on the future of freelance work. With over two decades in the industry, he chaired the national Working Group for the Creative Self-Employed — helping secure the appointment of the UK's first Freelance Champion.

Abi Murr

With over a decade of experience on both sides of the freelance relationship, Abi knows exactly what agencies are looking for — and what makes a freelancer impossible to ignore. She breaks down contracts, in-demand skills, and how to position yourself as the person agencies call first.

Bobby Georgiev

Goodbye Kansas Studios

A multidisciplinary creative with eight years of experience on high-end animated features and TV productions, including The Lion King and Nimona. Bobby gives an honest take on the realities of freelancing versus permanent roles in the VFX and animation industry.

Stylianos Kampakis

tesseract.academy

AI expert and data scientist with 15+ years of experience, having helped businesses raise over $50M through AI strategy and implementation. A published author on AI, Data Science and Web3, with collaborations spanning London Business School, Cambridge, and UCL.

Jeremiah Johnson

Helps L&D, Operations, and Communications teams adopt AI in ways that actually stick — through practical workshops, team coaching, and workflow automation playbooks. His clients typically save 20+ hours per week on repetitive knowledge work.

John Robertson

University of Stirling

Enterprise Programme Officer at the University of Stirling, supporting start-ups and SMEs to turn ideas into real-world impact. Also a Business Mentor with The King's Trust, helping young entrepreneurs build confidence and grow their ventures.

David Linaker

Windsor Studio

Photographer, videographer and broadcaster with 30 years of industry experience. David has produced content for BBC, ITV, Sky and major brands including British Airways and Microsoft, and now opens the doors of Windsor Studio to show where freelancers fit into the world of professional film and advertising production.

Paul Booth

Mastered

Creative Director and 3D Artist specialising in lighting and layout for cinematic experiences. With a background spanning design, academic research, and a PhD in Web Science, Paul brings a rare blend of creative and strategic thinking to his work.