After turning a building due for demolition into a creative community space in the centre of Coventry, Alan Denyer had an epiphany. People aren’t actually all that boring. He’s a changed man. And a delightful guy! It was a joy to spend an hour chatting about the importance of accessible spaces for creativity and art in any community.

In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, you will hear my conversation with Alan, which we recorded in the Long Gallery of the LTB Showrooms in Coventry. And I share my new single, Still Time. The song was written and recorded as part of the Rapid Response exhibition at the end of October 2023.

Alan’s approach to the LTB Showrooms resonates with my creative spirit.

In our conversation we talk about:

• The creative things you can do with physical spaces
• How passion sustains people, and the human desire to contribute to community projects when the opportunity arises
• The small differences between a chaotic and organised creative space
• How the LTB Showrooms have transformed Alan as a person (and how he sees it doing the same to others)…and why he no longer believes people are boring
• People will often create, volunteer, and contribute even when there is no financial reward for doing so
• And a bunch more…