On 14 October 2026, Manchester School of Architecture hosted the launch of Pedagogy as Creative Practice in Architecture: Inspiration and Resistance During Change, co-edited by Kasia Nawratek and Christopher Little and published by Routledge.
The book examines the tensions shaping architectural education, caught between professional accreditation, institutional demands, and the need to nurture experimentation, imagination, and critical thinking. With a particular focus on the North of England, it explores creative practices that emerge within, alongside and sometimes in resistance to these pressures.
Organised into two sections, Discussions and Insights, the collection brings together critical reflections and examples of innovative teaching, highlighting the often invisible work educators undertake to protect architecture as a space for exploration and discovery.
The launch brought together contributors and guests from Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool and beyond. A panel discussion with Professor Malcolm Miles, Anna Gidman and Sam Holden explored institutional tensions, creative freedom and the possibilities of remaining hopeful amid uncertainty.
Reflecting on the event, Kasia Nawratek said:
“Architectural education thrives in the grey areas, between what can be prescribed and what must be discovered. These spaces are increasingly under pressure, but they are also where creativity, criticality and hope can flourish.”
The event also sparked enthusiasm for further collaboration between architecture schools across the North of England. The North offers not only a geographical context but also a methodological perspective: working away from established centres, questioning dominant assumptions and exploring alternative approaches to education.
And in a playful celebration of creative resistance, guests made punk-inspired badges, bringing a little humour and pedagogical mischief to the occasion.
Where to buy the book
Pedagogy as Creative Practice in Architecture: Inspiration and Resistance During Change is available from Routledge.