Creative Changemaking: Highlights from Creative Cambridge Conference 2025

Image source: Cambridge Enterprise

What does it mean to be a changemaker?

For me, it means creating accessible, engaging services by meeting people exactly where they are – and sometimes, that’s in Minecraft.

I was honoured to join the Creative Changemaking panel at Creative Cambridge 2025, chaired by Emma Salgard Cunha. Alongside the inspiring voices of Christopher Burgess, Laura Davies, and Sara Wookey, we explored how arts-led approaches can drive real-world impact across sectors – from health to heritage to social change.

Creating accessible services

In my talk, I shared how I began integrating Minecraft into my private counselling practice to offer children and young people a therapeutic space that felt familiar, flexible, and affirming. Many of the families I work with had struggled to access services that truly adapted to their needs – particularly when navigating trauma, bereavement, or neurodivergence.

As I began co-creating therapeutic spaces in Minecraft, practitioners started reaching out – eager to understand how to use digital tools in their own work. That demand led to the creation of PlayMode Academy, where I now train professionals to use Minecraft and other creative digital platforms in ethical, inclusive, and clinically grounded ways.

A Sandbox for Social Impact

Minecraft isn’t just a game – it can be a digital sandtray, a collaborative canvas, and a therapeutic world where children and young people express themselves in ways that go far beyond words. Whether building memory gardens, choosing blocks to represent relationships, or crafting castles to feel safe, Minecraft can support deep emotional work without relying solely on verbal communication.

I spoke about my role in the Bridging the ChASM research project with the University of Cambridge, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). This project shows how services can use digital tools not just to engage, but to adapt – making support genuinely more accessible.

Reflections and Connecting

Events like Creative Cambridge remind me of the power of creative, collaborative spaces – and the importance of designing services that move toward people, rather than expecting them to move toward services.

If you're exploring how to make therapeutic work more accessible, relational, and responsive, I’d love to connect. You can explore current training offers at www.playmodeacademy.org

Image source: Minecraft