How many radicals do you know?

It was very exciting to see the new list of 50 Radicals published by NESTA and the Observer on Sunday as I think that radical thinking can create important social change. The published list is of course brilliant – full of incredibly clever people, original thinkers and a real inspiration to everyone in the sector. Congratulations to everyone that made the list!

I am also very appreciate of the list on a conceptual level as it gives people doing important work a platform that challenge in some part superficial celebrity culture and also served to highlight the growth and importance of this sort of work.  So overall the idea is great, the people listed are great, the projects are great.  What’s also great is that, as Yvonne Roberts has said, it’s a starting point and way to begin a new conversation about this topic.

It occurred to me that not all radical people are strongly in the public eye (perhaps they never will be), nor do all racial efforts have a strong supporting project that can be evaluated in this light … and unfortunately even those in the public eye can often have their most radical efforts unnoticed or forgotten - we have very short memories - particularly in remembering the context that new things started in.  I have often noticed that you have to get to know someone personally to fully appreciate their thinking and work.

This list is of people I know ...living the UK only .... I hope that it will encourage other people to talk about the radical thinkers that they know personally so that can collectively build on the very good platform for this discussion that the Observer and NESTA have kindly started.

My definition of radical

Radical thinking has to challenge the status quo of an organisation, society or common wisdom in some substantial, imaginative or collaborative way. Radical thinking often starts small, and isn’t always recognisable immediately.

A radical person, or group of people, has to be bold enough to challenge the current situation with confidence about of an idea or vision,without any certainty of the outcome. Its generall an intellectually high risk endevour.

And of course collaboration is very radical - if you try it you will know what I mean ....

This isn’t an exhaustive list – so please forgive me if you aren’t mentioned here.  If you aren’t listed, and you think you should be, the most likely thing is that we haven’t seen each other for a while, or I don’t know about your radical actions. Let me know ...

Richard Gerver and Co - for radical imagination at Grangeton.  Richard transformed his Primary School in Long Eaton into a working virtual town – Grangeton – with working businesses, councils,  a mayor, a radio station etc. The curriculum was changed to work in 4 streams culture, enterprise, communications and wellbeing.  

Anthony Seldon, Ian Morris and Co - For radical boldness at Wellington College. When Anthony announced in 2007 that he was introducing happiness classes at Wellington College, it was pretty radical.  

Michael Coughlin and Co - for radical collaboration at Reading Council.  Consistently finding ways to promote a new collaborative conversation with local citizens.  

Carrie Bishop and Dominic Campbell and Co - for radical innovation at FutureGov.  Designing imaginative digital tools in some of the tightest systems spaces in local government e.g. Patchwork .. and for creating remarkably effective collaborative thinking events to tackle difficult problems.

Matthew Taylor and all of the RSA - for radical persistence.  Transforming the RSA into a lively exciting membership institution in the face of natural difficulties inherent in changing organisational culture.

Indy Johar, Alice Fung, Joost Beunderman, Tim Ahrensbach and Co -  for Hub Westminster and The Compendium for the Civic Economy

Cassie Robinson- for Our Intimate Lives

Anab Jain and Co -  for Superflux

Tim Smit and Co  - for The Big Lunch

Deborah Szebeko – for Think Public

Melanie Bryan - for work with women and enterprise 

Louise Macdonald – for Young Scot

Lesley James and Co – for RSA Opening Minds curriculum

Lloyd Davis – for Tuttle Club and for being the first ever Artist in Residence!

Mike Chitty – for Elsie

Heather Ring – for Union Street Orchard

Kristina Glushkova and Karen Martin – for Makerhood

Anthony McCann - for Hedgeschool21

Sarah Drummond and Lauren Currie and Co - for My Police

Jocelyn Cunningham, Sam McLean and Co - RSA Citizen Power Peterborough

Lucie Akerman and Co – for The Motorcycle Showroom

Julian Dobson – for Living with Rats

Stephen Frankel, Harry Wild, Shayne House and Co – For Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network

Dan Thompson – For @riotclearup and Artists and Makers

Scilla Elworthy – For Peace Direct

Anne-Marie Culhane – for Grow Sheffield

Ty Goddard and Co  - for The Education Foundation

Karl James and Co – for The Dialogue Project

Anthony Zacharzewski - for Demoncracy Society 

Daniel Snell and Co – for Arrival Education

Tracey Todhunter and Co – For Low Carbon Communities

Henry Playfoot - Stealth Education

Jonathan Rowson and Co – for RSA Social Brain Project

Caspar Lampkin – for work at Aberdeen University

Richard Tyrie – for Good People

Clare White – for her work in Burslem

Amisha Ghadiali – for Think Act Vote

Nick Booth, John Popham and Co  – for Social Media Surgeries 

Dougald Hine - for The University Project

Casper ter Kuile – for UK Youth Climate Coalition

David Gauntlett – for Making is Connecting 

Jonathan Robinson – for The Hub and for helping make The Mountain of Hope happen in Soweto in 2002 

David Barrie and Co – for Middlesbrough Urban Farming and The People’s Supermarket

Paul Smyth, Andy Merritt, Sam Henderson, Kristen Cheng, Laura Billings, Lucinda Gosling, Courtney Erwin, Laura Ellison, Lindsay Noble and Co – for FARM:shop

Ivo Gormley, Mark Herbert and Co – for The Good Gym

Nick Gardner and Co - Project Dirt 

Tracy Currer and Meriel Lenfestey – for Ecomodo

Russell Collins - for Community Lover's Guide to Jewish Community

Roland Harwood and Co – for 100% Open

David Robinson and Co – for Community Links

Keith Kahn-Harris - For Conversations and Dinners

Dan McQuillan, Paul Miller, Anna Maybank and Co - for Social Innovation Camp

Anna Pearson and Co – for Spots of Time

Lambeth Council - for the Co-operative Council

Vinay Gupta – for Hexayurt Project and the 500 of them that popped up at Burning Man last year....

Noel Hatch – for We Do What We See

Simon Berry - for Colalife

Alice Osborne - for The Nan Project

Toby Blume and Co – for Groundswell and Urban Forum

David Wilcox – for creating the practice of Social Reporting

Trudy Thompson – for Bricks and Bread

Eileen Conn – for Community Engagement and the Social Eco-system Dance

Sophie Howarth – for School of Life

Jane Mason and Co – for Virtuous Bread

How many do you know? And what do you think makes for 'radical'?

 (Image from Stichting NAC - Rotterdam)

Comments

[Johnpopham.wordpress.com]

Lovely post, Tessy. and you are spot on with this (not exhaustive) list. Thank you for the mention.

Of course, the glaring omission from the list is YOU!

I've also posted from a Northern perspective here http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/feb/20/northernradicals-incredibleedibletodmorden-rochdalepioneers

[David Wilcox]

Thanks Tessy, what a wonderful idea. I am very much encouraged! If we each gave a short list (not excluding those mentioned) it could be the basis for a terrifically instructive network. I'm sure my radical friend Drew Mackie (games and network mapping) would be glad to helpdraw it up.Build out from that, join with other networks .

[Tracey Todhunter]

I feel completely humbled (really) to be mentioned for my work setting up the Low Carbon Communities Network.Thank you!
You, and the many inspiring people like you should be way up there on the list.
Thank you

[Chris Conder]

Can I add Barry Forde to this list please? He has motivated an enormous community to build their own fibre network for internet access in the rural North West and in doing so has built a network of people. Its called B4RN. Broadband for the rural north.
thanks

[Caspertk]

Thanks Tessy - such a lovely post! YOU need to be on here of course! :)

[Projectdirt]

I'd echo Casper's thoughts above - thank you Tessy, but you missed yourself off!
(and as per David Wilcox's comment - a great list of people here - it would be fantastic to see Drew pull sthg together!)

[TessyBritton]

Thanks everyone for the many comments here and on twitter for this post. It has been such a pleasure having your responses and enthusiasm for these additions and conversations - looking forward to many more!

[Lorna Prescott]

Great post Tessy. I'd like to add my colleague Joanne Weston, who totally gets and promotes collaboration. She has a quiet passion for environmental and social justice, is a really deep thinker and makes her challenges in gentle ways which are appropriate to her role. Also a radical in the making, my colleague Donna Roberts, who is very bravely taking steps to make change, learn and do things differently. I'm sure she wouldn't see herself as a radical, so I hope she'll take this as the compliment it is intended as.