THE line up of speakers for a free conference at MAST Mayflower Studios has been revealed.

Southampton Forward, held on Thursday, seeks to build on the success of Southampton being the first city on the south coast to reach the finals in the UK City of Culture 2025 competition.

Welcoming delegates will be Sara Scott, Executive Director, MAST Mayflower Studios, and Cllr Satvir Kaur, the Leader of Southampton City Council. This will be followed by a performance by poet, Issa Farrah, and an introduction from Claire Whitaker CBE, Chief Executive of Southampton Culture Trust.

The conference will set its stall out from the outset with the first session called Driving Change, chaired by Lady Sue Hollick, a Trustee of Southampton Culture Trust.

Panelists will explore ways in which cities and regions can be transformed by investing in culture and celebrating diverse communities.

In the second of the morning’s sessions, entitled Taking the Lead, the focus will be on the importance of civic leadership.

The panel will be exploring a number of questions including “Who leads change?”, while comparing different perspectives on the role of civic leadership, how to ensure widespread engagement and where and how people can make change happen.

In the afternoon delegates will be invited to a series of workshops entitled Spotlighting our Young People to discuss Southampton’s mission to become a UNICEF Child-Friendly City.

Following this will be further breakout discussions on Encouraging a Culture of Health, Focusing on Festivals, Celebrating Community, Developing Heritage and Reaching across the Region.

Peter Henley, BBC South’s Political Editor will chair the final part of the conference.

The day will culminate with a Southampton Forward reception and performances from local artists.

Cllr Kaur said: “Becoming finalists for UK City of Culture rightly put Southampton in the national spotlight. Now we must focus on how we maximise this exposure and build on the great partnership work that emerged from the process.

“As a city we face huge challenges, and this is a great opportunity to grow our city and allow local people and communities to benefit from that growth.”