Harrison Galliven

Croydon rapper and poet Jenniah Brown has received Arts Council England funding for Connecting Dots, a programme that transforms complex council policy documents into rap, spoken-word performances and public discussions. Drawing on his former work with Croydon Council’s highways team, Brown argues that the main barrier to civic participation is not a lack of information but the jargon and inaccessibility of policy documents. Sessions in Croydon, Lambeth, Bristol and Exeter will explore issues including devolution, creative health, the creative industries and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with the aim of helping councils engage residents more effectively than poorly attended consultations.