Could you invent something to spread happiness?
Open call encourages creations to make the world a better place
A new project is inviting people across Wearside to unleash their imaginations - all in the pursuit of spreading happiness.
This might just be the news we’ve all been needing.
Launching in Sunderland and South Tyneside, JoyLab is calling on residents of all ages to answer one simple question: what could you invent to bring a moment of joy to someone’s day?
Participants are encouraged to draw and describe their ideas before submitting them via the project’s website. Every entry will be showcased online, with each inventor receiving a personalised response.
From the submissions, a panel made up of community representatives and creative experts will select 10 standout ideas to be brought to life. These inventions will then feature in two public exhibitions set to take place in Sunderland and South Tyneside in summer 2026.
The project is open to everyone – from children and families to community groups, schools and older residents – with a submission deadline of May 17.
Anyone wishing to take part should draw and describe their invention idea and then upload it to the website www.joylab.org.uk. Every submission will be featured on the Joy Lab microsite, and each inventor will receive a personalised response.
Alongside the open call, a programme of workshops will be delivered in schools, libraries, care homes and community spaces across the region, helping to spark ideas and encourage participation in areas identified as culturally underserved.
Joy Lab also marks a significant milestone, celebrating 10 years since the founding of Little Inventors, which grew out of the internationally recognised 2016 Sunderland project INVENTORS!.
Founder Dominic Wilcox said: “Joy Lab is for everyone. You don’t need to be an engineer or an artist - just someone with an idea that could make another person smile. We’re inviting the whole region to imagine something joyful and share it.
“Joy Lab is a lovely way to mark the tenth anniversary of Little Inventors, which started as a Cultural Spring commission before becoming a global phenomenon.
“Little Inventors was an invitation to young people to imagine and draw a new invention, 25 of which were created by local makers into prototypes or models. Whereas Little Inventors was purely for children, Joy Lab is open to everyone.”
Supported by Arts Council England, The Cultural Spring, South Tyneside Council, the University of Sunderland and Sunderland Culture, the project aims to bring communities together through creativity while celebrating imagination, innovation and joy.