How Might We

Antonia is Chief Executive Officer at the Centre for London. She joined in September 2023, from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies. Prior to joining the team, Antonia worked in numerous charities, think tanks and campaigning organisations promoting new economic thinking. She has expertise across progressive local economic development, deepening democracy and sustainable economics. Antonia holds a Master’s degree with distinction in Politics and Communications, and a BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She is Chair of the board of Rethinking Economics.

Our conversation delves into the state of democracy in London, highlighting the need for improvement and the central issues that contribute to its shortcomings. The discussion also touches on the potential for change and the vision for a more inclusive and empowered London. It touches on the barriers to accessing arts and culture for marginalised communities and the potential for devolution and better use of public assets to support the cultural economy.

Follow ⁠Antonia on X⁠

Find out more about ⁠Centre for London⁠

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Reflection on Centre for London Event

02:32 Approach to Interviewing Political Leaders and Issue of Partisanship

09:27 State of Democracy in London and Challenges

12:24 Vision for Devolution and Upgraded Governance in London

29:40 Countering the Anti-London Bias: Communicating Contributions and Needs

33:11 Improving Living Standards Across the UK

34:24 The Impact of Austerity Measures

37:35 The Role of Arts and Culture in London's Success

39:14 Supporting the Creative Industries

40:57 Addressing Barriers to Accessing Arts and Culture

44:42 Devolution and Public Assets for the Cultural Economy

50:41 A Personal Anecdote: Meeting Brian Eno

Siobhan Mears is a Business Strategist and Mentor specialising in Operations and CEO Mindset. Having honed her skills in global corporations, Siobhan understands the inner workings of successful businesses and the mindset of effective CEOs.

She is passionate about helping female founders create more impact, save time and money without compromising a thriving business and their quality of life.

Siobhan founded The Mears Collective in 2018 whilst on maternity leave building a team of experts on tech, systems and processes to support her clients in gaining back more valuable time and growing their businesses with greater ease.

🔹 Find out more about the Mears Collective

🔹 Follow Siobhan on Linkedin

🔹 Follow The Mears Collective on Instagram

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Problem Statement

06:14 Challenges of Balancing Growth and Personal Well-being

35:33 The Importance of Representation and Funding for Female Founders

53:18 The Power of Silence and Deep Work

Summary

Fashion is dead, long live digital fashion! In this conversation, Karinna Grant discusses various aspects of the digital fashion industry.

➡️ the challenges and opportunities for new companies entering the space

➡️ the potential impact of virtual try-on and the role of privacy in the digital fashion space.

➡️ the psychological aspects of pushing boundaries, and the potential for shared ownership and funding models to support emerging designers.

🔹 Connect with Karinna Grant on her website

🔹 Connect with Karinna Grant on Linkedin

Emmanuel Lawal, known as the self-proclaimed 'Heartbreak Poet,' stands as the founder and CEO of the forward-thinking technology brand committed to revolutionising the online publishing industry, titled intotheopen. By day, he serves as a board member for the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), while by night, he assumes the role of an entrepreneur. With creativity ingrained in every aspect of his being, Emmanuel is the proud owner of STORYBOOK, a creative enterprise and blogging platform dedicated to sharing captivating stories from his unique perspective.

At the youthful age of 21, Emmanuel finds himself at the dawn of his journey. Nevertheless, armed with a clear vision and unwavering determination, he propels forward on the path of capturing his dreams with unbridled enthusiasm.

🔹 Find out more about the ELEVATE Youth Board here

🔹 Follow Emmanuel on Instagram here

🔹 Read StoryBook here

Jacob Heitland is a passionate urbanist, strategist and systems changer seeking to bring forward an equitable and thriving future of living for people and planet. He is currently the Director of Climate Action at Newham Council focusing on building a Just Transition to address the interconnected crises related to the climate emergency and has previous roles working on major regeneration projects, sustainability and urban health in the U.K., Australia and U.S.

🔹 Connect with Jacob on Linkedin here

🔹 Read Newham Council's Just Transition plan here

Dujon's career can be characterised as ambitious, aspirational, and determined. He is approaching 10 years with Hackney Council, having worked his way up from a senior employment advisor to the Assistant Director of Employment, Skills & Adult Learning (ESAL).

One of four children born and raised in Tottenham, North London, by hard working migrant parents from the Caribbean - an industrious and ambitious community - Dujon was aware from a young age that hard work is not rewarded in equal measure. 

Having first hand experience of his dad's community work with youth centres and grass roots football, as well as social housing management through his Mum's work, Dujon was guided early on towards serving the public. 

Drawing from his own experience of deprivation and marginalisation, where professional career guidance was non existent, and role models were limited to local sports stars and entertainers, and through studying Sociology and Social Anthropology,

Dujon sharpened his understanding of societal inequality and solidified a will to change it. Dujon says his aim has always been to support everyone in realising their potential, but especially to raise up the aspirations of the disenfranchised. And that's exactly what he's doing at Hackney Council, striving to create opportunities for residents to thrive in a growing economy, whilst working to affect policies and structures in a way that will raise the long term aspirations of the whole community.

Dujon is passionate about developing an infrastructure in Hackney and London, which disrupts societal norms and breaks down the structures that perpetuate unequal access to secure livelihoods. Dujon and the ESAL teams create thousands of opportunities for residents to access learning, training and jobs through ambitious partnerships with businesses and a variety of support programmes accessible by practically anyone from Hackney. The ambitions of this service delivery is to reveal pathways to access an array of different careers, which are often hidden from view. Making sure everyone can imagine themselves in the job they are perfect for, even if society has told them they are not.

🔹 Connect with Dujon Harvey on Linkedin here

Yugoslavia-born Ana Kerin (1986) studied fine art and sculpture at the Academy for Fine Art and Design in Slovenia and the National College of Art and Design in Dublin.

A rising star on the circuit, the academic award-winning Kerin has exhibited in group shows and represented Slovenia in European biennales for young, contemporary artists. Working across mediums, from charcoal to canvas and clay, Kerin has developed an expressive artistic signature. Her undulating silhouettes and free-form shapes are present across her works, from her large-scale paintings and sculptures to her pottery. Each artwork questions the relationship between form, fluidity and function.

The notion of connection informs much of Kerin’s work. She is interested in the traces that linger, like a thumbprint in clay; a brushstroke on paper. Each soulful expression is a reflection of an existence. It leaves an imprint on a person; on a soul; on the world.

Kana London was born fortuitously as a result of her training in sculpture & her background in fine art, eventually becoming a fully developed project in London in 2012. 

Sculpting and an affinity for working with clay led her to wanting to apply the principles of my art work - the tactile, hand built aesthetics, the traces of my fingerprints and hands on the surface -  into functional ceramics. 

Ana Kerin's approach to work is experimental and playful, as she never follow a procedure, and invent new recipes daily. Ana works with a unique mixture of clays and mixes her own glazes, often turning her back on traditional ceramic practice. Hand building, rather than turning on the wheel, further emphasizes the individuality of each piece. 

🔹 Shop KANA LONDON here

Charlie Squire is an artist and writer living in Berlin. Charlie is the author of the best-selling Substack blog evil female and has written for publications including The Progressive, DAZED Magazine, Jacobin, and more.

Charlie is also the author of Slouching: A Field Guide to Art and (Un)Belonging in Europe, a project which was the culmination of a six-month fellowship with the Creative Impact Research Centre Europe. When not writing, Charlie can be found doing crossword puzzles and drinking dirty martinis with extra olives.

🔹 Read Charlie Squire's Substack here

🔹 Order  Slouching: A Field Guide to Art and (Un)Belonging in Europe here

🔹 Follow Charlie on Twitter here

🔹 Follow Charlie on Instagram ⁠here⁠