Talking leads to Thinking leads to Making. Conversations are the starting point, whether over a cup of tea, debating at a conference or using social media like Twitter. Plans, maps, explorations and lists encourage new ways of thinking about problems and help to find simple, homemade solutions. There comes a point when it’s easier to make these happen than keep talking; I like being agile, exploring DIY culture, taking small actions and organising without organisations
Winner Coast Awards 2011 ‘Unsung Coastal Hero’
Mayor of London - Team London Award 2011
Listed in Twitter’s 2011 Year In Review for #riotcleanup
Named in GQ ‘100 Most Influential Men In Britain’ for #riotcleanup
On the From Desk Till Dawn ‘Cool List 2011′
Independent Voices 2011, Runner-up
Dan in Brixton Village, photo by The Caravan Gallery
TALKING///
Radio 1’s ‘The Story of Trends’ (2012), State of the Arts Conference, Salford (2012), Sussex Police Leader’s Conference - keynote speaker (2011), Southampton Solent University - Social Enterprise Week - keynote speaker (2011), V Inspired - Team V residential workshop (2011), Engage International Conference, Margate - keynote speaker (2011), Space For Connection, Buurt Flirt, Rotterdam (2011), Greenbelt Festival, Cheltenham (2011), Leeds Platespinners (2011), Harrow Museum (2011), University of the Arts Alumni at the ICA, London (2010); RIBA’s Guerilla Tactics (2009); Chain Reaction (2009); Gloo in Portsmouth (2010); AIR Time events in London, Brighton and Belfast (2009-11); E17 Art Trail (2009); Central St Martins Graduate Week (2009) and launch of Spacemakers and their Brixton Village project (2009). In June 2010, Belfast to speak alongside Northern Ireland Assembly minister Sammy Wilson MP at the launch of the city centre’s first empty shops project, organised by architecture centre PLACE and Arts & Business.
/// Many media appearances including BBC News, Sky News, CNN, ABC, The Independent, The Guardian, Sunday Times, Evening Standard, The Stylist, Yell Ministry of Found campaign. Featured in ‘Tweets of the Year 2011′ for ITV2 and in BBC Radio 4 iPM ‘Alternative New Year Honours 2011′.
WRITING///
Writing for The Guardian CIF, a-n Magazine, Mailout, New Start, Folksy.
Author of Empty Shops 2.0 (Empty Spaces Australia), Empty Shops Workbook (Development Trusts Association’s Meanwhile Project), Empty Shops Toolkit (MLA for Living Places), Coventry City Council Void Space Strategy.
Writer for local media and magazines including Worthing Herald, Shoreham Herald, The Argus. Editor artistsandmakers.com since 2003. Wrote introduction to The Caravan Gallery’s ‘Is Britain Great? 3′.
MAKING///
Recent projects include: #riotcleanup in London, Workshop 24 project with the South Kilburn community, Workshop 1a in Shoreham by Sea, Seven Days in Seven Dials for Culture Quarter Programme, Chaos Library pop-up
/// Founder of Worthing’s open houses and Horsham’s open studios, artistic director of the Made In Worthing Festival, and nationally the Empty Shops Network.
/// Making a fanzine a month throughout 2011.
