Alfie Ordinary

Alfie Ordinary is an award winning drag artist and event producer who specialises in creating unforgettable experiences. His unique take on the drag art form has made him a stand out act on the international cabaret and theatre scene. 

Jules Gilleland

Jules Gilleland is a designer, facilitator, and creative instigator who has spent her career exploring how play and tangible objects can transform the way people think, learn, and collaborate. She is the creator of Think with Things, a hands-on methodology that sparks curiosity, creative problem-solving, and deeper human connection through playful exploration of everyday objects.

With a Master’s degree in Product and Spatial Design from Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland, Jules’ research focused on designing learning environments WITH children. Her work has taken her from classrooms to boardrooms, cultural institutions to government agencies, always championing the power of playful thinking.

For the past year, she has been developing THINGS LAB, an evolving learning space that helps teams, educators, and organizations bring Think with Things into their environments. Through a growing collection of hands-on games, labs, and resources, THINGS LAB supports people in rediscovering the joy of play, hands-on exploration, and unconventional problem-solving. Her new book, Build Your Own THINGS LAB, was born from a lab she developed for educators—it started as a 10-page handout and grew into 178 pages. Set to be published by summer 2025, the book invites educators to bring this approach into their daily learning environments and let play, and THINGS take a central role in learning and collaboration.

Jules has worked extensively with the European Commission, designing and leading over 30 workshops across various DGs and agencies, engaging more than 2500 participants. She has also collaborated with cultural institutions such as BOZAR in Brussels, curating 12 family engagement days encouraging hands-on creativity. In 2014, her innovative work in education was recognised when she won the Open Education Challenge (OEC).

After 24 years in Brussels, Jules is now embarking on an exciting new chapter—moving to Wiltshire, England, to live in a walled garden and reopen Turtlewings, where Think with Things was born. Originally a 620m² creative hub in Brussels, Turtlewings welcomed adults and children to design, think, and play. Now, nearly a decade after its closure, Jules is bringing it back as a design studio only with a renewed focus on designing spaces and experiences for wonder and wellbeing.

Whether in a formal training setting, an open-ended creative session, or a garden full of possibility, Jules’ work is about disrupting traditional thinking patterns, inviting curiosity, and proving that play is not just for children—it is the key to lifelong learning and innovation.

Keynote 3

Coming soon…