Mark Robinson

Mark Robinson is the founder and Director of Thinking Practice, a consultancy dedicated to increasing the impact and resilience of the arts and cultural sector through the creative use of analysis, planning, facilitation and coaching. He was previously Executive Director of Arts Council England, North East, where he worked for 10 years. He was heavily involved in the cultural growth in the North East, and named as one of the North East’s Most Influential People. Amongst his national roles for Arts Council England, he chaired Art Co Limited, the trading company which oversaw the phenomenal growth of Own Art and Take It Away, innovative ways of developing arts engagement and economy. Prior to that, Mark worked in community and adult education, literature and arts development, most notably as Director of Cleveland Arts. He has published academic research in community and literature development, arts and health and arts and regional identity. His first career was 6 years as a Head Chef in vegetarian restaurants. He is also a widely published and award-winning poet, editor and critic, with several collections published, and widely anthologised. New poems will appear in bi-lingual English/Bulgarian versions in 2010, part of an ongoing collaboration with leading Bulgarian poets. He founded and edited Scratch poetry magazine and press for 9 years. He is the chair of the Swallows Foundation UK and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts. Born in Preston, Lancashire, he now lives in the parish of Preston-on-Tees near Stockton.