The Democracy School inspires, develops and works with both individuals and groups (large and small) looking to bring about fundamental and lasting change peacefully. The Democracy School situates itself at the intersection of politics and culture to inspire, develop and work with individuals, initiatives/movements and organisations looking to bring about fundamental and lasting change peacefully.
Between 2003 and 2013 we were active almost exclusively in England. During these formative years we focused on helping local politicians and public sector executives develop the political leadership capacity needed to address highly complex and often politically sensitive challenges effectively. Our corporate clients during this time included Cornwall Council, Crawley Borough Council, Essex County Council, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Suffolk Coastal District Council, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Waveney District Council. From 2013 onwards the School began supplementing its public sector consultancy work with internally generated projects and over the next five years launched a number of ambitious international initiatives, including its European Leadership Initiative (democracyschool.com/eulead), WePolter (wepolter.org) and the ICR Development Process (refugeecommittee.org). Whilst these initiatives allowed us to reach and support activists we would not otherwise have reached, it also signalled a fundamental change in our positioning and identity. If until 2013 we were essentially a client-driven public sector political research consultancy with a focus on leadership development, thereafter we rapidly developed into a non-governmental capacity builder, focused primarily on helping political activists, public intellectuals and artists develop their political/transformative practice. Complementing this work, we continue to offer a limited range of corporate services to select non-profit and public sector clients with an emphasis on political consultancy and leadership development, alongside public dialogue process design and facilitation. More information about the School, our philosophy and work is available online via the School website at www.democracyschool.com.
