Haggis neeps ‘n tatties, lads vs. lassies banter
London, 20 January 2026 – INVNT, the global innovation-led brand storytelling agency, is proud to sponsor The Drum’s annual Burns Night on Thursday, 22 January, at The Drum Labs, London. All proceeds from this ticketed event will benefit Brixton Finishing School, supporting underrepresented talent in the creative industries.
Hosted as a down-to-earth Scottish feast for select industry guests, the evening features haggis and traditional rituals including the “Immortal Memory” speech as well as a ”Toast to the Lassies” and renditions of some of Robert Burns’ most recognised poems and songs.
How it started
This marks the fifth edition of the event, born from a conversation at The Drum Awards between Scott Cullather, Chair and Co-Founder, INVNT and Diane Young, Co‑founder and CEO, The Drum, where Diane and Gordon shared their vision to host a Burns Night via The Drum to celebrate their Scottish heritage. As such, Scott offered support to bring the traditional event to reality but asked for a charity beneficiary, aligning with one of INVNT’s agency values to “do good for good”.
“Burns Night has become a ritual celebrating storytelling, much like Robert Burns himself,” said Cullather. “We’re thrilled to craft stories and experiences that honour tradition while driving purpose. We believe in doing great work that does great things, where storytelling becomes a catalyst for real impact.”
Diane Young said, “It’s great to combine a fun night of being totally Scottish (and sharing that with lots of part-bewildered non-Scots!) with getting people from the industry together and supporting Ally’s work.”
The Cause
Brixton Finishing School is an organisation dedicated to improving diversity in the creative industries and providing opportunities for young talent from all backgrounds. Last year’s edition raised £18,500+ to empower 4,000 Alumni.
Ally Owen, Founder, Brixton Finishing School said “I’m incredibly grateful to The Drum, INVNT, and Piscari Ltd for their five years of dedication to our mission to connect careers in the creative industries with communities traditionally held outside of it. We believe that when everyone has the same opportunities we can change what is possible…”
Burns’ 18th-century egalitarian principles are still reflective of the very real barriers facing young people trying to enter creative industries today.
The juxtaposition is striking. Burns argued nearly three centuries ago that “rank is but the guinea’s stamp,” reducing status to a superficial marker. In 2026, that sentiment challenges us to examine whether opportunity is as open and mobile as it should be.
That makes the work of Brixton Finishing School more important than ever. We invite you to join us at Burns Night and help open doors for those who may never have imagined a future in our industry, so they can realise their potential. Inspiring the next generation is not just the right thing to do, it is essential to the future of the creative industries.
Event details:
- Date: Thursday 22 January 2026
- Venue: The Drum Labs, London
- Format: Ticketed Scottish feast, toasts, prayer, networking
- Beneficiary: 100% of sponsorship funds to Brixton Finishing School
- Hosts/Sponsors: The Drum & INVNT
INVNT looks forward to another memorable night blending heritage, creativity and goodwill.
For more information, visit: https://burnsnight.thedrum.com/live/en/page/home
