Look Hear is a fortnightly event being held at the View Factory in Newcastle from August through to September.

Every second Wednesday from 5pm, a selection of architects and designers will discuss their work, process and inspiration.

Entry is free and you're invited. You can book in at http://www.lookhear.org.au/ or just roll in...

I love this concept - a forum for idea's and creativity to be bandied about and re-configured into interesting new concepts and contexts.

The first of these conferences saw presentations by Emergency Architects, Caroline Pidcock and Upcycle - all Newcastle based architects and artists, discussing their current projects and aspirations. Look Hear is a fabulous concept that supports the emergence of creative industries as the driving force behind the "re-vegetation" of Newcastle proper and just causes us to think. There's a groundswell of change happening here, best reflected in the Renew Newcastle Project - check it out at http://www.renewnewcastle.org/

I'm looking forward to hear Marcus Westbury, the founder of Renew Newcastle, discuss urban renewal and creative industries later this week. I think Newcastle's at a point now where it's self-consciously emerging from it's status as a big country town, a bit like Bris-Vegas ten years ago.