Where creativity took centre stage

Clerkenwell Design Week 2026 was an incredible few days. Dulux Trade was proud to be right at the heart of it, sponsoring the Conversations at Clerkenwell talks stage at the historic St Bartholomew's Church, Spitalfields Market.

Every one of our three talks played to a full audience. The energy in the room was everything we hoped for – bold ideas, brilliant minds, and conversations that challenged the way we think about colour, design, and the spaces we inhabit.

Our competition winner: Leigh Bagley | The Graphic Pattern Studio

The event also marked the moment Leigh Bagley's winning design for our Light up the Stage Competition 2026 came to life on stage. Drawing on the Dulux Colour of the Year palette, The Rhythm of Blues, Leigh's design combined layered geometry, translucent colour, and visual rhythm – echoing the fluid energy of blues music and the dynamic exchange of ideas that happened on stage.

All images have been taken from Talks programmes 2026 - Clerkenwell Design Week 2026

Three talks. Three days. One stage.

Dulux Creative Director Marianne Shillingford hosted three talks during the event, each exploring a different dimension of colour. From the science of how we perceive and respond to it to the palettes shaping the built environment of tomorrow, to a frank conversation about what's really inside the paint we use, the stage sparked some truly inspiring discussions.

Watch: The True Nature and Power of Colour

Hosted by Dulux Creative Director Marianne Shillingford, and joined by Dr Rhys Jones, Chartered Biologist, Stephanie Kyle, Architects Journal Changemaker of the Year, and John Booth, Artist and Designer, this was one of the standout sessions of the festival. A rich, wide-ranging conversation about colour as a biological force, a design tool, and a language we're only beginning to fully understand.

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Hear from our speakers

Following the talks, we sat down with three of our speakers for a series of one-to-one interviews. Each one takes a deeper dive into the ideas and questions that colour our world. Watch them below.

Marianne Shillingford | Creative Director, Dulux

Marianne explores the art of colour forecasting and why colour is about so much more than aesthetics.

Dr Rhys Jones | Chartered Biologist

Dr Rhys Jones explores the biology of colour vision and the science behind how we respond to different hues.

Stephanie Kyle | Architects Journal Changemaker of the Year

Stephanie explores the power of colour in design, from the role of light to the science of colour psychology.

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