DEMOS

Talia Brun Marcen

Full-time research intern, April to August 2008
 
During my time at Demos, I have mostly worked in the Cities Programme. I was extensively involved in the Watershed project to re-think the public realm around Bristol's most exciting media centre. Parallel to that, I have done literature reviews and fieldwork for The public value of play, a project to investigate the different forms of value delivered by staffed playgrounds in cities across the UK. Both of these projects have allowed me to explore questions around the role of civic leadership in social policy. Other projects I have collaborated with doing some preliminary research are: Bradford Housing Lives - Aspirations, Agency and Fairness and From Threat to Opportunity. Re-examining the relationship between violent and non-violent radicalisation. I also assisted the organisation of the event Changing the settings, changing politics, part of the London Festival of Architecture.

Current Activities: Intern at the Centre for Cities 

Academic Information: MSc with distinction in City Design and Social Science (London School of Economics and Political Science), and BA in Economics (Pompeu Fabra University and University of Toulouse)

Skills and Experience: Before starting at Demos I worked at ZZA, a built environment consultancy, and at the Strategic Planning Office of the City of Leon (Nicaragua)

A Word About Demos: It has a creative and open atmosphere, it is simply a great place to learn and work.

Demos Mentor:  Duncan O'Leary

Demos Referee: Joost Beunderman

Contact: t.brunmarcen@googlemail.com

Caeli Christianson

Kacie Desmond

I joined Demos as a part-time Research Intern in June 2008.

I have an MA in Art History from the University of St. Andrews and prior to Demos I worked in a contemporary London art gallery. 

My research interests lie in how art is utilised to further political and social ideologies and how it can be used for educational purposes.  I am also interested in issues revolving around migration, such as racial and cultural identity.  My Masters thesis looked at how twentieth century racial tensions in America were expressed through public sculpture. 

At Demos I have worked primarily on the Royal Shakespeare Company Ensemble Working project, which is focused on observing the cultural transformation of the RSC as it becomes an “ensemble organisation”. 

After Demos I will head to Oxford University to pursue an MSc in Sociology. 

Contact: kacie.desmond@demos.co.uk

Nicola O'Connell

Mona Chalabi

Full-time Media and Communications Intern, May to September 2008

I am currently an undergraduate in International Relations, studying at Sciences Po in Paris next year before returning to the University of Edinburgh to finish my degree.

Prior to working at Demos, I spent a year at the Bank of England settling international gilt and equity transactions with other central banks. I have also worked for an MEP and my local Racial Equality Council to explore the impact of migrant waves on social cohesion.

At Demos I have written operational notes, newsletters, flyers for events and contributions for Think Tank watch. My responsibilities include planning events, taking calls from the press, updating the Demos website, organising mail-outs and acting as a strict librarian for past Demos publications. Media awareness is a crucial part of my role here – to keep apace of all developments which could be of relevance to Demos researchers and to be aware of Demos’ own presence in the media.

The diversity of responsibility as a media and comms intern has also given me opportunities to conduct research for Demos. This has ranged from researching the relationship between Politics and Emotions for an upcoming Demos pamphlet, to exploring contemporary values and beliefs in Britain as part of the DIUS’ Horizon Scanning Project. I have also been able to analyse Conservative ‘green’ policies, look at the effectiveness of current anti-social behaviour policy and even attempted to anticipate the impact of the new Charities Act on Demos. The media and comms internship offers a massive breath of opportunity for gaining extra experiences and skills – from attending Bill debates in Parliament to participating in Demos podcasts.

This summer, Demos has also given me the chance to spend a week at a local newspaper. The experience was a valuable insight into the way in which press releases are turned into articles. 

I have absolutely loved my Demos experience so far.

Contact mona.chalabi@demos.co.uk

Sally Hancock

I joined Demos in May as a part-time Research Intern. 

I have a BA in Politics from Durham University and I am currently studying for an MSc in Social Policy and Planning at the London School of Economics.

My research interests include welfare state regimes and the ideological premises which shape them, experiences of poverty and social exclusion and the dynamics between social class and educational outcomes. My Masters thesis will compare the qualitative experiences of state and public school pupils in the UK who are invited to Oxbridge admissions interviews.

At present, when I am not working at Demos, I spend all spare hours revising for my finals.

Demos mentor: Celia Hannon

sally.hancock@demos.co.uk

Jonathan Birdwell

Research Intern, March to May 2008

I have been involved primarily doing research and analysis concerning the UK and Canada.  On the latter, I researched and wrote the Canadian background paper, which included history, demographics, immigration and counter-terrorism policy frameworks, Muslim social organizations and infrastructure, media portrayal of Muslims and incidences of terror-related threats and arrests.  I also assisted Rachel Briggs in writing a paper on UK radicalisation for the Centre for European Policy Studies.  I am currently doing work on the quantitative analysis side of the project with the aid of social network analysis programs. 

After graduating in 2004 from University, I worked in New York City as a litigation paralegal in an international law firm.  I moved to London in 2006 and began an MSc at the London School of Economics in Philosophy and Public Policy.  My research interests at the LSE included philosophy of economics, environmental policy and moral philosophy.  Before coming to Demos I was an intern with the UK charity, the Environmental Law Foundation. 

My time at Demos has been extremely fruitful:  I have been able further my research skills and knowledge of UK and European policy on a topic of particular importance, while at the same time meeting a number of great people, interns and researchers alike. 

 Demos Mentor:  Peter Harrington

 If you would like to get in touch with me, please email to:  jonathan.birdwell@gmail.com

Alex Tinsley

Katherine Robinson

Alex Hunt

Media and Communications Intern, March to May 2008

MA Politics from The University Of Edinburgh.

During my time at Edinburgh I developed a keen interest in how art and popular culture affects public policy.  I wrote my dissertation on the social and political role and significance of political satire, a concept I felt was ill-defined and poorly represented in academic literature. Since graduating in 2005 i have  been working in central London for one of the UK's largest Independent publishing houses, developing valuable skills in marketing, sales and negotiation.  The Demos internship programme presented the perfect opportunity for me to combine my interests in social policy and popular culture with the experience I have gained from my work experience to date.  The Media and Communications programme offers the chance to participate in a wide variety of activities and to learn important skills demanded for a future career in public affairs.

Demos Mentor: Faizal Farrook

To get in contact with me please email me at
alex.hunt@demos.co.uk

Nicola Hughes

Research Intern, February - April 2008

BA Theology & Religious Studies, University Of Bristol.

My work at Demos has been primarily focused on public services. I have been working on the second phase of the Participative Public Services project, exploring the ways that we might apply self-directed services and personal budgets to a range of public services. As part of the Building Communities for the Future project, I have been researching the Primary Capital Programme, talking to local authorities and schools about the issues they are facing with the programme, and considering how new ways of building schools can enhance community engagement. I have also been helping to develop proposals on public service ethos, exploring public service values in the modern context of mixed economy provision. Working on the Saved for the Nation project has given me valuable insight into the cultural aspects of Demos work, looking at the crisis in the cultural conservation sector.

Since graduating in 2005 I have spent time travelling and working in a number of public sector organisations, including Acas, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and the Department for Work and Pensions. The Demos internship has been a fantastic opportunity to build on the policy and research skills I developed in these roles, and I have really enjoyed the mix of desk research and fieldwork.

Demos Mentor: Celia Hannon

To get in contact with me please email me at:
nicolaclairehughes@hotmail.com

Tom Barker                                

Research Intern, February - May 2008              

BA History, University of Cambridge

Satdeep Grewal

Research and Audio-Visual Intern, November to March 2007

I had an incredibly wide range of experiences in my time as the Demos Audio-Visual intern, and this suited my background in Political Theory and Fine Art very well. When I started at Demos, I kept a very open mind on what exactly it was I wanted to do; this worked to my advantage, because I found myself being challenged in so many new and exciting ways. In line with my role, I got involved with various aspects of the audio-visual, such as editing podcasts and speeches, and editing a video for the major Participative Public Services Conference at the QEII Centre. I was also asked to create a visually interesting power-point presentation that is going to be used as a practical tool and resource, as part of the conclusion to an ongoing Demos research project on user-led service design. I worked as a photographer, managed AV and helped get catering for key events, in addition to doing the day-to-day, refreshingly simple office admin and recruitment jobs. I was also lucky enough to get involved in the more dynamic aspects of research, such as organising focus groups with six local authorities from all over the UK, conducting phone interviews and going out to Nottingham City to do some real hands-on fieldwork. This was accompanied by the usual desk-based background research, which in the end, also proved to be fascinating, particularly when I was asked to write a review on new media and youth culture in Finland - it was here when I was rumbled for being a bona fide Finnophile! Another great opportunity in the internship was when I was appointed to write a report that analysed Demos’s current audio-visual situation, where I made recommendations on how AV at Demos should be taken forward and developed for the future. I really appreciated being given so much responsibility and free reign to think about Demos as an organisation, and to have the privilege of being trusted to put forward new ideas. All in all, I flourished in working in such a free and open working culture, and thrived on being pulled in so many different directions. I surfed right to the periphery of the learning curve, while meeting some interesting and incredibly talented people along the way, staff and interns alike.

Projects I was involved with:

· Participative/User-Led Service Design

· Participative Public Services (the conference)

· Issues paper on the Primary Capital Programme (for the NCSL)

· Children of Europa

Mentor: Charlie Edwards

Referee: Celia Hannon

Portfolio: www.flickr.com/photos/satdeep

Miae Woo

I have worked primarily on the ‘For Your Information’ project, which analyses the implications of increased online data sharing of personal information. The best part of my work at Demos is that I could understand the interaction between government, companies and the members of the public on the launch of new policies through their operations. It gives you an insight into the whole lifecycle of a strategy analysing feedbacks on each stage.

I am interested in making sense of the new issues brought by social change and technological developments. My interests cover contested commodities such as sexual service, organ sales and genetic design of children, and I finished a master’s dissertation at London School of Economics on what, if any, obligations we have to future generations. I will be graduating in December 2007 with a Master of Science degree in political theory. I read international relations at Seoul National University, concentrating on international political economy of technology, and was awarded in my final year a second prize without first prize at OECD Essay Contest on globalisation held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea. The award took me to Paris as well to attend the OECD Forum held in 12-13 May, 2004.

Demos mentor: Alison Harvie

Demos referee: Peter Bradwell

To get in tough or request a CV, please contact on:

miaewoo@gmail.com

James McGibney