Crowdsourced and collaborative culture: ODAC’s journey to be part of its local Euston communities
Presentation | 14:45 – 15:25 | Seminar Room 1
Main Themes
Innovation | Sustainability
The Session
Old Diorama Arts Centre (ODAC) has a long and radical history as a creation and community centre, but in recent years had become disconnected from its local Euston communities. Re-opening in 2021 – its 40th anniversary – ODAC undertook a transformative journey to revitalise its programme and purpose.
In this session, ODAC shares the open-minded strategies of crowdsourcing and collaboration that went into repositioning the organisation as part of the local Regent’s Park ward communities, and recap some of the successes and lessons of organisational change and programme development.
The Speaker
MARIAM HASSAN, Local Programmes Manager, Old Diorama Arts Centre
Mariam is a community engagement specialist and founder of Remix Dance, currently working as Local Programmes Manager at Old Diorama Arts Centre (ODAC), where she leads the centre’s participatory programmes.
Remix Dance (now an ODAC project) is a children’s community dance project for children from the Regents Park Estate and neighbouring areas, which uses dance as a tool for supporting personal development and social cohesion.
Born and raised in Camden, Mariam has worked in four different youth and community centres on the Regent’s Park Estate over the past 15 years, including Samuel Lithgow Youth Club, Bengali Workers Association and Regent’s Park Time Bank. Her projects have provided opportunities for families to integrate into the community through arts, dance, community events and educational programmes.
DANIEL PITT, Creative Director and Chief Executive, Old Diorama Arts Centre
Daniel has worked in programming, producing and executive roles across contemporary performing arts, specialising in revitalising programmes, organisational change and audience development.
He joined Old Diorama Arts Centre as Creative Director and Chief Executive in 2021 from Chisenhale Dance Space in Bow. His previous roles include co-directing outdoor arts project In Your Way, co-curating 2018’s Roundhouse CircusFest, and four years as producer at Cambridge Junction arts centre. He started his career at Crying Out Loud, thanks to the DCMS Jerwood Creative Bursary scheme, where he helped turn Piccadilly Circus into a surprise circus as part of the London 2012 Festival.
The Organisation
