A former Croydon Council worker is using rap and spoken word poetry to explain council policy to young people. Jenniah Brown, 32, from Croydon, has secured Arts Council England funding for his programme, Connecting Dots.
The initiative aims to transform policy documents into performances and discussions, covering areas such as devolution, health in all policies, creative health, the Creative Industries Sector Plan, and levelling up and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Brown, who previously worked in the council's highways team, stated that while policy documents are publicly available, many people do not understand them. Cultural Research Exchanges, bringing residents and local artists together, will be held in Croydon, Lambeth, Bristol, and Exeter.
The first Croydon session took place on Friday in Park Lane, featuring performances and a panel including representatives from King's College and the Department for Work and Pensions. Brown hopes councils will consider this approach as an alternative to poorly attended consultations.