Before I left the world of government spin doctoring and ran away to be a writer, I worked on policy to involve people in the decisions affecting their lives; residents collaborating with Community Police to reduce local crime, young people working with Councils to improve services, or patients working with health managers to tailor health provision.

As we rolled out initiatives and started to capture case studies, we noticed something interesting happening. When people were involved in the decisions, the results were better and more sustainable. Decisions made by the whole community were more likely to be respected; new facilities weren’t vandalised if people felt ownership of them. There were unexpected side effects too. People felt more confident to tackle other problems. Some voted for the first time, or even stood for local election.

I thought I’d left all that behind, but one day last February I joined the It’s Our Theatre team for a trial day at the Gateway Academy in Thurrock. I had heard about the successful pilot in Norfolk, but wanted to see the approach for myself. Throughout the day, as I watched young people engaging with experienced hip hop artists, something felt familiar. By the evening I knew what it was.

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