![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
||
![]() |
||||
![]() |
||||
Dean
Whitbread
Writer and Artist Age: to be continued Status: live NB: This is an occasionally edited biography. It's still here because Google likes it so much. You can find career information here, and a list of links to work in media, music and education here.
I grew up in Crystal
Palace, South London. Raised as a wolf by delusional beatniks in England, I fled to safety in art school as soon as I could escape. Graduated with a First Class BA Hons. in Fine Art after a year studying at Croydon College followed by three years at Middlesex Polytechnic aka Hornsey College of Art, now Middlesex University,
where I made mixed-media installations, audio works and scratch
videos, experimenting with computers and the new digital video recording and editing
techniques. In 1994
I started Netmare,
one of the very first web design and webmedia production businesses in the UK. Netmare's
excellent design sense and net savvy, combined with a philosophy
of making the Net approachable and understandable to the non-specialist
led to their establishment as one of the UK's most successful new
Internet businesses. As the internet developed in leaps and bounds,
so did we, and in places such as live online events using streaming and interactive media, we pioneered techniques which are still used today. Netmare
continued designing and producing interactive webmedia in a
variety of formats until 1997 - Time and Space (sample CD catalogue),
Vladivar Vodka's Supergrass Live at the Astoria (above) which was a combination
of a live rock gig with a games site, the Health Education Authority
drugs awareness campaign, Amber
Music, McLaren Formula One, the Tribal Gathering music festival. Between 2000 and 2002 I went on a journey of self-discovery across several continents, re-emerging from my quest with the gift of self-knowledge, peace of mind, the secret of comedy, and some really nice private clients. From
2003 to 2007 I wrote, recorded, and produced videos,
live events, music albums, and did more things than are enumerated here. Art, Music and Education In December 1999 I exhibited 2 electronic prints 'Turkey' and 'NSPCC Child' in a mixed exhibition 'Re.Production: the Art of the Edition'. 2000-1 helped out at Middlesex University Fine Art department. It began with requests, but it became a regular gig. I enjoyed passing on useful ideas on new media, and so some of my time has been spent lecturing in higher and several other kinds of education, which you can read about here. In 2005 Funk, a successful partnership with the talented designer and musician Mark Crook produced Imagining St Mary Magdalene's an art festival in London, Islington, with Norwegian artists Motherboard. In 2005-6 Mark and I co-wrote and produced Claire Smith's debut album, and renowned musician Ashley Slater and I co-wrote and poduced John Cleese's world cup football song, Don't Mention The World Cup. Podcasting In
2006 I started podcast production company Talking Voices which I ran from 2006 to 2010. I co-founded the UK Podcasters Association, of which noble body I was chairman until 2009. In 2006 UKPA successfully lobbied WIPO to prevent bad UN-mandated internet media regulation, PRS-MCPS to adapt their podcasting license, and the UK's Radio Academy to add podcasting to their esteemed annual Sony Awards, which I was later invited to judge. In 2008 and 2009 had the great pleasure of working with French / Californian start-up Seesmic, Loic and VinVin. We exposed John Cleese to their video chat technology in an unforgettable magical cultural moment. In 2011, I moved to Norway and started Dean Whitbread Arts, the business concentrating on art, music and internet media. I curated the international digital art exhibition Prix Mobile, lifting the newly popular mobile art form (now dominated by Instagram and similar platforms) into the Fine Art world via the tech world in Paris at Le Web expo 2011. Open to all and judged by an international jury of eminent artists, curators, photographers, videographers, entrepreneurs, academics, internet and media luminaries, winners were awarded cash prizes and finalists featured in a prestigious gallery exhibition. Writing As well as writing blogs since 1994, (thanks to John Loder of Southern Music), I have published two short stories. Ozzie Rozzie, an adult book with themes of violence and growing up, is a story based on my own experience of school aged 13. One Way Journey is a self-biographical introspective about grief, loss and longing in Egypt at Christmas. Since 2022, I write regularly on Substack. Non-Profit & Other
Saintly Behaviour In 1993 I began working with Ditti Brook's Swiss fundraising project 'It's 5 to 12'. In 1995 we produced a series of songs including the CD 'Survival Game' which sold particularly well in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In 1996-7 'Survival Game' sold worldwide, distributed on Coconut by BMG, and eventually went platinum in various territories, raising over CHF150,000 for Africa and helping to provide education and clean water. Which was nice. In 1997 I helped to raise funds for Amnesty International UK by producing the Phoenix Festival live website. Which was hot. In 2008 I conceived and co-presented wih Danny Brittain and various guests Rise and Shine, a live songwriting show which raised money for Busk Aid, a South African charity providing musical education to township children.Creative Collaborators, Past and Present (In no order) - Mark Crook, Andrew Lagowski, Dan Brittain, Mike Turtle, Per Platou, Ulf Knudsen, Amanda Steggell, Ashley Slater, Peredur ap Gwynedd, Dale Davis, Neil Conti, Dan Powell, Geno Washington, Sovra Wilson-Dickson, Vince Clarke, Guy Sigsworth, Kevin Goldsborough, Richard Woods, Andy Carroll, Nick Amour, Maria Davis, Emma Whittle, Mick Martin, Cecily Fay, Claire Smith, Deek Deekster, Stan Koretski, Lance Anderson, John Cleese.
Commercial clients have included: BBC Radio 1, Levi Strauss Europe, McLaren Formula 1, Tiger Aspect, MTV Europe, EMI Records, Supergrass, Sony Music UK, Polygram International, Amnesty International UK, Time+Space, Forster, McCann Erickson, BBH, Amber Music, Health Education Authority, Momentary Fusion Aerial Theatre Company, PB Games, Norm Dis AG Switzerland, the other John Cleese. Memberships Football
Club Information about my current project is available here - History of Podcasting
|
|
"The success of the Radio 1 Interactive Night broadcast on March 26th 1995 was in large part due to the creative team working on it. The website was created by Netmare, and received praise from listeners, surfers and internet professionals. Netmare were responsible for the overall graphic design and in particular two of the most innovative parts of it. One was the sample database which made available more than a hundred music samples from musicians like Yello, Coldcut and 808 State. Visitors to the site could download some or all of the samples and make their own music with them. They could also vote for their favourites. These samples were then used by the producer/mixer team Sure Is Pure who created a track from them, broadcast live on the show. Netmare also designed the virtual album "InteraCD", which contained 10 tracks unreleased in the UK by major artists like the Beastie Boys, Belly and The Orb. It was an innovative experiment, and more than 300 people downloaded the tracks. Netmare impressed me throughout the project with their creativity, hard work, their ability to solve problems and to deliver what they promised. I would highly recommend their work." Nick Ware, Producer, BBC.
Featuring multiple choice and question and answer games, learning and awareness tasks, narrative by Tony Robinson and original music throughout, it comes with a teacher's pack and accompanying teaching materials for key stages 3 & 4 (11-16 years). Launched at the Bethnal Green museum of Childhood, it was presented at the NUT National Conference 2000. Co-Produced:
Paminder Parbha and Dean Whitbread |