18 September marked the second ever Stir Creativity event. A day for busy communications professionals to step away from the everyday, make new connections and give their creativity some room to breathe.
Hosted aboard the iconic HMS Belfast, the event brought together 54 kind, clever and creative people for inspiring stories, thought-provoking conversations and a healthy dose of playfulness.
There were Olympic lessons from Lizzy Yarnold OBE, a refreshingly direct philosophy from artist Dave Buonaguidi – AKA Real Hackney Dave – and practical ideas from our very own Alan Oram. We explored the ship, decorated ducks, recorded some videos and decided what we were ready to throw overboard.
It was certainly not an average Friday.
All aboard
Stir Creativity was created to give people working in communications the chance to pause, connect and find inspiration somewhere beyond the usual conference room.
This year, that somewhere was HMS Belfast.
Moored on the Thames with Tower Bridge as its neighbour, the historic warship gave us a unique setting for a day about courage, curiosity and looking at familiar challenges differently.
A Yeoman introduced us to the history of HMS Belfast, bringing the ship’s remarkable story to life and giving us a deeper appreciation of our surroundings. During lunch, guests were also free to explore the decks, passageways and rooms of the ship for themselves.
The venue gave the whole day a different energy. Around every corner there was something unexpected to discover – and plenty to get people thinking and talking.
A champion’s mindset
Our first speaker was Lizzy Yarnold OBE, the only British athlete to win two Winter Olympic gold medals.
Lizzy shared the story of her journey in skeleton: a sport that involves hurtling headfirst down an ice track at extraordinary speeds. Her achievements required far more than physical ability. They demanded courage, resilience, preparation and the ability to keep going when things became uncomfortable.
Her experiences offered lessons that stretched far beyond elite sport. Lizzy spoke about challenging the limits we place on ourselves, responding to setbacks and finding out what might be possible when we take one more step – or do one more lap.
Her question, “Will it kill me? No? OK, do another lap,” clearly stayed with people.
One guest put Lizzy’s mentality into practice almost immediately:
“I challenged the Team Lizzy mentality – ‘Will it kill me? No? OK, do another lap’ – and it got me around four laps of the course. Not an Olympic gold, but it was a massive achievement for me.”
Creativity’s greatest hits
Next, our co-founder Alan Oram took us through his Creativity Bootcamp Mixtapes: four musical stories exploring the conditions that help better creative work happen.
Beginning with David Bowie and moving through George Harrison, the Blitz club scene and Britpop, Alan looked at four ingredients for bigger, bolder ideas:
- Moonshot: What are we trying to make possible?
- Constipation: What is stopping the good ideas from getting through?
- Collision: What could we combine to create something new?
- Tension: What do we need more of without losing what matters?
The session encouraged people to look beyond familiar channels and outputs, identify what blocks their creativity and invite different perspectives into the room.
It also explored the tension between technology and humanity. AI can help us work faster, but speed is not the same as creativity. The strongest ideas still begin with human curiosity, judgement, conversation and care.
One guest later told us:
“The mixtapes presentation in particular is one I’d love to show my team.”
What would you throw overboard?
Throughout the day we also invited guests to consider one deceptively simple question: What would you throw overboard?
Deadlines. Perfectionism. Imposter syndrome. Unnecessary meetings. The pressure to have every answer immediately.
Whatever was weighing them down, guests captured it on a postcard before sharing some of their answers with Zoe Hanson, The Podcast Lady.
The activity created space for honest reflections on the habits, expectations and pressures that can get in the way of good creative work. It was playful, but it also revealed how much many of us carry into our working lives and how liberating it can feel to name something we are ready to let go.
Ducks, doodles and permission to play
Creativity was not confined to the people presenting.
Waiting on the tables were blank ducks and Sharpies, inviting everyone to doodle, decorate and create their own unusual crew member throughout the day.
The ducks became conversation starters, desk mascots and wonderfully individual miniature works of art. More importantly, they permitted people to play without worrying about producing a perfect result.
Sometimes creativity needs a brief, a strategy and a clear outcome. Sometimes it just needs a blank duck and a permanent marker.
A refreshingly direct philosophy
Our afternoon speaker, artist Dave Buonaguidi – better known as Real Hackney Dave – brought the day to a suitably bold conclusion.
Dave shared stories from his life and creative career, along with the philosophy that sits at the heart of his work: “F** this shit.”
It was not about giving up or not caring. It was about knowing when to stop overthinking, step away from expectations and do what feels true to yourself. Dave encouraged us to take risks and to live the life we’ve always wanted to.
His irreverence, honesty and distinctive artistic style gave everyone plenty to think about and plenty to laugh about too.
Dave then selected three “throw overboard” postcards at random. Their authors each won one of his prints, creating a memorable end to the activity and a very happy trio of winners.
As one guest explained:
“I can’t tell you how delighted I was to win one of Hackney Dave’s prints. Halfway through his presentation, I realised I already had a tiny postcard image of one of his prints that I’d cut out of a magazine years ago.”
Creativity in good company
The talks and activities gave the day its structure, but the people in the room gave it its energy.
Our 54 guests brought experiences and perspectives from across communications and the public sector. They shared ideas, met new people and made time for conversations that do not always fit into a busy working week.
There was laughter, honesty and a genuine willingness to connect. From the discussions around the tables to drinks and networking at the end of the day, the atmosphere felt generous, relaxed and full of possibility.
The messages we received afterwards captured it better than we could:
What we brought back to shore
Stir Creativity gave us a day away from routine – but its ideas were designed to travel home with us.
Lizzy reminded us to be brave enough to keep going. Alan showed us how ambition, creative collisions and productive tension could strengthen our work. Zoe helped us identify what we were ready to leave behind. Dave encouraged us to stop overthinking and start doing.
HMS Belfast reminded us that the right environment can completely change the way we see things. The decorated ducks reminded us not to take everything too seriously. And our guests reminded us that creativity flourishes when thoughtful, curious people have the space to come together.
We stepped ashore with fresh perspectives, new connections and plenty of ideas to put into action.
Some things came home with us. Others were happily thrown overboard.
Thank you to everyone who attended Stir Creativity 2026. It was a true pleasure to have you all aboard!
