Welcome
“Dave found an enjoyable way of exploring the humanities curriculum
that brought together
Creative Thinking, Teamworking and Reflection.
He supported me in developing an approach
that I would otherwise not have had the confidence to try.”
Claire Wright, Head of Humanities, Longton School
“What do you do then?”
“The master in the art of living makes little distinction`
between his work and his play,
his labour and his leisure,
his mind and his body,
his information and his recreation,
his love and his religion.
He hardly knows which is which.
He simply pursues his vision of excellence
at whatever he does,
leaving others to decide whether he is
working or playing.
To him he’s always doing both.”
James Michener
Pulitzer Prize winning author.
I find that a very difficult question to answer. I make music, playing guitar, keyboards, bass and Apple Macs; I have directed theatre, created videos, podcasts, websites and pieces of graphic art; I’ve been paid to write and research, and I teach. However I hesitate to call myself a musician, a producer, a writer or a teacher. Perhaps I am all of these things, perhaps I am none of them. I sometimes wish I was a virtuoso, a specialist, but I am not; I dip into the toolbox and bring out the tool that is most appropriate to the situation, the one that inspires me, or the one with which I am least bored at the time. Most often I apply all of this to the process of cavebreaking.
What does this look like in practice?
In reality all of this often involves clapping hands, creating body percussion, pointing cameras, humming, programming music and having debates, but importantly none of this is without consideration of context, relevance and thematic integrity. It also involves bringing people together, discovering common ground, exploring possibility, making connection and getting the budget to balance.
I have devised ways by which music can be used as a consultation tool for planning young people’s spaces; I’ve supported teachers in using music making to reinforce delivery of the humanities curriculum, whilst also exploring the processes of reflection, and team working; I’ve developed and delivered HE courses for creative practitioners, and I’ve designed, launched and nurtured social enterprises. I’ve also created programmes that involve all of these.
I currently work in two roles in the South East that both apply the arts to the aims of education, learning and participation. I’m also proud to have been appointed ENYAN Regional Youth Arts Champion.
I’m constantly looking for opportunities to work in partnership with local authorities, schools, youth organisations, colleges, community learning organisations and settings, social enterprises, arts development organisations and other creative practitioners. If you’d like to know more about the ways we could work together, or if you’d simply like to chat, just get in touch.
‘Dave Howard has a striking ability to affect major change, pulling partners strategically and operationally into a more coherent and dynamic way of working and in turn creating exciting and adventurous programmes and projects.’
Liz Muge, Chief Executive, Make Some Noise