Lauren is the Festival Director for National Festival of Making and collaborates on much of the project direction across mass and intimate cultural festivals and new commissions for Morecambe based, Deco Publique, the creative practice she co-founded with Elena Gifford to deliver impactful cultural work in the North. With a focus on strategic stakeholder relationships, financing, operations and delivery, there is almost no area of planning, curation & production that Lauren doesn't have a hand in. She is on the steering group for Light Up Lancaster, Lancaster Arts Partners & a trustee for community music and education charity More Music.

With an extensive background in large scale commercial construction, Lauren brings a unique practical and commercial knowledge to the cultural industries. Disillusioned with the industry, in 2011, she took the brave step to return to education graduating with a first class honors degree from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, completing a research paper titled ‘Volunteering for Cultural Events and Arts Programmes.

As a small creative company, the pair have been fortunate to gain significant sector recognition for making work that transforms seaside spaces, rural landscapes, waterfronts and northern cities.  Deco Publique projects are driven by partnership, engagement and collaboration. The team are exceptionally passionate about the work they produce and are proud of the cultural offers they have created.

2018 projects include National Festival of Making, Art in Manufacturing, Vintage by the Sea Festival, consultancy for Great Places, Lakes & Dales and producing new landscape artworks for Morecambe Bay Partnership’s Headlands to Headspace art commissions.

Currently shortlisted for the UK Festival Awards: Best Family Festival & Best Non-Music Festival.