A historic Newcastle city centre building is set to become the base for a live experiment exploring the future of work. The Boiler Shop, which today hosts conferences, gigs and food festivals, will be transformed into a real working environment for two days later this month.
More than 300 people, including leading voices from business, design, HR, property, health, wellbeing and performance, will attend Work Beyond Walls. The event aims to create a 'living workplace' built by up to 20 of the world's leading workplace brands, including MillerKnoll, Egger, Hay and Deadgood. Attendees will work, meet, sit, test, debate and hear from leaders in workplace design and culture.
From locomotive factory to workplace lab
The Boiler Shop was part of Stephenson's Works in the late 1820s, the world's first locomotive factory which produced Locomotion No. 1, Rocket and Planet. The venue will now host the event, which takes place on September 9 and 10.
Speakers include Develop North chief executive Michelle Percy; Phil Witcherley, director of economic growth and innovation at the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority; and former Olympic middle-distance runner and founder of workplace performance consultancy EPIKOS, John Mayock.
Exploring the full working environment
Across the two days, the event will examine the full working environment and what people need from work today, including the spaces people use, the culture around them, the rapid evolution of technology, and the impact on wellbeing and performance.
Work Beyond Walls is the brainchild of Paul Glaister, brand principal at workspace consultancy Workpattern. He said: "The North East has always been creative and ambitious; we punch well above our weight in many ways. Why should we have to go to London to have a conversation about how to make work 'work' better for us?
"That's why we created Work Beyond Walls – a space to hear the biggest ideas, meet national experts, and influence the future of our working lives. The North East has the people, the ideas and the appetite to lead this conversation here.
"We're running the event as a not-for-profit because the return we care about is a much bigger picture of workplace culture, performance and wellbeing for the whole region."
WorkPulse survey and podcast launch
The event will also kick-start the next phase of the WorkPulse survey, which has already built evidence from more than 2,300 UK workers. The ongoing research project explores work and workplace trends across the UK to inform the future of workplace design and culture.
Philippa Lobb, design/A&D consultant at Workpattern, said: "As the idea for the event was emerging, we asked ourselves – what is the problem we need to solve for the community? We soon realised that this is a debate which needs to happen across sectors and with a range of different people.
"The more that we learn, the more we have the opportunity to enhance wellbeing, productivity and prosperity for people and organisations. You can come for a talk, work from the space for a few hours, join a workshop or stay for the whole experience. It's free, and we'd love people from right across the region to be part of it."
Alongside the event, Workpattern has launched a six-part podcast – Work In Motion – hosted by workplace consultant and commentator Ian Ellison. The series follows the team in the build-up to the doors opening at Boiler Shop on September 9.
