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Hello, my name is Dan, thanks for visiting. I’ve created this page as a place to summarise my work across what is now a few different roles and organisations, and in particular to host information on my independent consultancy & writing, as I’ve started to do more of both.

Over the last decade I have worked with campaigns, coalitions, foundations and political parties in the UK and globally to develop strategies for broadening the appeal of alternative social and economic propositions, including seven years leading digital mobilisation agency Small Axe, and my current roles as CEO at non-profit research body the Future Narratives Lab, and Associate Director at strategic communications consultancy Cohere Partners (more details below). 

As you will see, the common themes across my work and interests are strategic communications, cultural psychology, narrative and identity – and how all of these can be applied practically to the challenge of improving politics and society.

Before all this, I grew up in in Mid Wales, and spent 10 years in Sheffield before moving down to London to study at the Institute of Social Psychology at LSE. If you’d like to discuss any of the above or a potential collaboration, you can get in touch through the form at the bottom of this page.

Current roles

Director – Cohere Partners

Strategic communications & influence consultancy, focussed on taking ambitious economic ideas into the mainstream.

We work with clients such as Mozilla Foundation, Global Alliance for Banking on Values, and the Architectural Heritage Fund, to build awareness and influence for their ideas to change the economy.

In particular we specialise in messaging & narrative development, and and public relations: coherepartners.com

CEO – Future Narratives Lab

Research NGO that seeks to analyse and understand deep cultural models that shape how we approach our major social challenges.

Recent and current projects look at land reform in the UK, debates over the future of education, and how our concept of money acts as a barrier to the growth of ethical finance alternatives.

We also hold regular events looking at topics of interest, such as Big Tech and Far Right mythology. More information on our website: futurenarrativeslab.org

Strategy & Messaging Consultant

I occasionally work with organisations on a one-off and retained basis, developing effective strategies and messaging to increase their political & public influence, for example:

Lead Messaging Consultant on a civil society coalition campaign run by the Finance Innovation Lab to address proposals in the government’s Financial Services & Markets bill

Ongoing support in strategy, positioning and organisational development for democratic economy infrastructure body Stir to Action

Writing

The ‘polarisation’ distraction

Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley

Why polarisation, as a concept rooted in flawed Cold War psychology, is not the best way to understand the recent increase in hostility and division. How it  obscures the real root causes (and solutions) – and what could be a better approach. [Warning: A long read – 6,500 words!]

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The Problem with Storytelling

Stir Magazine

It’s a common refrain that to achieve a better world we just need to ‘tell better stories’. But the apparent simplicity of this request conceals problematic assumptions, and a dangerous simplification of our real challenges. 

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How effective a slogan is ‘Build Back Better’?

Medium

In July 2020 I wrote this article about why ‘Build Back Better’ was not going to make an effective slogan for social movements to push for genuine substantive change coming out of the pandemic. I’d call it prescient if I wasn’t so humble.

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Other recent roles & projects

Contact me