Dan Thompson is an award-winning social artist, writer, and speaker living in Margate. His work is about ordinary people, everyday life, and overlooked places, and the stories that connect them. He is interested in the creation of social capital, in activating abandoned or underused spaces, and in DIY approaches to art, culture and social action. His work often touches on themes of migration in the UK.
Dan says of his work:
“I like finding exceptional stories in unremarkable locations. I like to change the accepted narrative, and help people to see the place they live through a new lens.
I often start work by asking people to help me explore a place, and use archives, literature, and local collections to get a deeper understanding.
Exploration, walking, and leading guided walks form part of my practice. These combine fact, history, and storytelling. I have always lived by the sea, and much of my work is influenced by coastal life.
These are things that give people power and purpose – and again, help them to connect to the place they live.”
