We love things that are

epic….
….but our ideal lives are as
much to do with social
relationships as objects …
We love platforms of social
interaction…
 And what increasingly
matters are our connections,
woven networks and how
civility is ‘mediated’
What we see out of the
window is important…
We prefer this…
…to this…
 But in an age of distrust of
institutions, ‘analysis
paralysis’, PR masquerading
as community relations and
decreased bank lending,
how can we…
I am a former…
One of the essences of media
narrative is to create epics…
But making that larger than life
narrative demands clarity,
humanity, entertainment,
talent management,
choreography and sequencing
I have been creating design
projects since 1991…
 Today I do:
• Project design and delivery
• Stakeholder management
• Urban renewal/development consultancy
• Communications design
 This means I
• design a process
• find ways in which people can act collectively
• aggregate, network and integrate small
projects in to larger initiatives
• put together project teams
• raise project funding
• contract/commission creatives, project
managers, cost consultants etc.
• deliver the project, programme or business
 Principals
• We’re delivering a service
• Uncovering and leveraging maximum
value from existing assets
• Mobilising people, not taking soundings
• Delivering actual new experiences
 Projects
• Design Council: 21st • Fluid: High Street 2012
Century Swingtag (Tender phase)
• British Council: Creative • Transform South Yorkshire:
Cities Moscow Zero Carbon
• igloo Regeneration:
BBC Drama Village, • BioRegional Quintain: One
Cardiff Planet Middlesbrough
• Channel 4/Camden: • Middlesbrough Council:
People’s Supermarket Dott07 Urban Farming
• Igloo Regeneration: • Wakefield Council/Channel
Digital Butetown 4: The Castleford Project
 The process started by
creating a project office from a
derelict, vacant retail unit….
 Local people were invited to
nominate the ‘top ten’ places
that they wanted to see
improve in the town to set the
brief for a design ideas
competition…
Local people chose the ideas
and designers they wanted to
see happen in their town…
 The capital programme was
supported by a dispersed,
informal set of micro cultural,
educational, social and
economic projects…
Lol Coxhill in a skip
Concept Simon Thackray. Produced by The Shed. Photo: Tony Bartholomew
We facilitate commissions of
new work by international
artists from Europe and Latin
America…
Lol Coxhill in a skip
Concept Simon Thackray. Produced by The Shed. Photo: Tony Bartholomew
Lol Coxhill in a skip
Concept Simon Thackray. Produced by The Shed. Photo: Tony Bartholomew
 2003-08: a town revitalization
programme valued at £14.5m was
implemented, with finance sourced
from over 20 different sources,
supported by a partnership of over
11 public agencies, three new
community groups formed and
investment of £250m+ leveraged
 Outcomes
• Active participation of 1000 new ‘urban
farmers’ - 8000 attended Town Meal
• 14 new school allotment sites
• LA strategy to introduce pocket allotments
• 3 new food coops in town
• Social enterprise restaurant for 13-19yr olds
being set up to support careers in catering
• Annual ‘Middlesbrough Meal’
• LA has secured £4.1m from DH funding for
forward programme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=1d8NzAJRxm0
This is our project slogan…
 Outcomes
• A mutual, local third space that “you can call
your own”
• Taxpayers and communities frame and
determine local social infrastructure and
destination marketing
• 500 members on opening; 4500 within three
years
• Third year surplus of £167,000 on t/o £1.79m
• Street-level open innovation
Connected urban systems
Connected real estate
 David Barrie
David Barrie & Associates
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Barrie
Blog: http://davidbarrie.typepad.com
Mail: david@davidbarrie.net