writing and content.

Over the past decade, I’ve written about music, politics, social media, Tottenham Hotspur and everything in between. Cultural criticism and analysis is my specialism – I offer writing services alongside marketing, so if you are after pitches, looking to commission work, or need some copy/technical writing doing, get in touch!

the UK gov plan for grassroots music

In June 2025, the UK government's Department for Culture (DCMS) published its plan to boost the creative industries – in this piece for Arts Professional, I take a closer look at what the plan might mean for our grassroots music sector and where we should be optimistic or cautious.

Read the full feature here.

How northern cities are shaping culture

Analysis report of how major arts & culture events in Northern cities could affect the UK. With interviews from figures involved in LEEDS 2023 and Bradford 2025 City of Culture...

Analysis report published for insights agency Canvas8 in April 2024 – read here (membership required – contact for extracts).

MIF's Chief exec John McGrath: interview

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Ahead of the 2025 Manchester International Festival (MIF), I interviewed chief exec and artistic director John McGrath for Dance Art Journal, about the ways MIF/Factory International are building audiences for dance in the city.

Head here for the interview write up with John.

Why Leeds is losing venues

After the closure of beloved club Old Red Bus Station, I chatted with the team to understand what venues like Old Red are going through, and why so many in Leeds befall a similar fate.

Written for The State of the Arts in January 2025 – full article here.

the National Poetry centre - interview

Leeds will soon be home to the National Poetry Centre – a major arts project that will platform the art form properly for the first time in this country. In his first press interview since taking on the role of director, Nick Barley explains how the organisation and venue will transform Leeds and poetry in the UK.

Read the articles for The State of the Arts here.

history of Jazz-Funk

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The UK's Jazz-Funk scene was one of the most important moments in our music history – here is it's untold story, featuring DJ icons Greg Wilson, Colin Curtis and Mike Shaft.

Article and podcast published on The State of the Arts, with conversation recorded and shared on Reform Radio, March 2023 – read article here and listen to the radio version of the podcast with music included, on Reform's Mixcloud.

Labour and the arts in the North

Following the 2024 General Election, where the Labour party were overwhelmingly successful, I took a deeper look at Labour's proposed cultural policies, to decipher what they might mean for the sector in the North of England.

Read the analysis here.

Nightlife after lockdown: a panel discussion – podcast

Part of a panel series exploring how the creative industries would recover from lockdown, I hosted a chat with several figures from across the North’s nightlife sector to discuss how the state of the industry…

Featuring DJ Paulette, Harkirit Boparai, Gemma Krysko & Anton Stevens. Listen back here.

We out here 2021 – review

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One of the few festivals that was able to go ahead in the first post-lockdown summer, We Out Here washed away a year and half of anxiety with just four days of perfectly curated live music.

Read the full review here.

class identity issues in modern punk

The punk revival in the late 2010's started arguments between the genre's leading artists about class identity, explored further in this article.

Published on The State of the Arts in November 2019 – read the article here.

using hip-hop as a teaching resource

How can, and why should, educators and tutors use hip-hop when teaching English?

Blog published for the University of Manchester's open library on the study of race, ethnicity and migration in April 2019 – read the online version here.

The State of the Arts

The State of the Arts is a non-profit media company covering arts & culture in the North of England.

I have been part of the team since 2019 – to see our editorial output and stay up to date on culture in the North, check out our site and follow us on socials.

Culture journalist Dan McCarthy and I are reporting on the UK's grassroots music venues – through interviews with owners and visits to the spaces, we're telling the stories behind some of the country's most beloved cultural spaces.

Check out our Substack below.

writing and content.

The State of the Arts

The Ground up