Daniel Allington is a social scientist who uses a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to study the production and consumption of culture. In his best-known work, he looked at how ordinary readers and viewers interpret and evaluate books and films through conversation in informal reading groups and internet discussion sites. His most recent project, a collaboration with ethnomusicologist Byron Dueck and computer scientist and musician Anna Jordanous, uses a combination of interviewing, observation, and large-scale online data collection to investigate London’s electronic music scene. Details of the project can be found at www.valuingelectronicmusic.org. Daniel works at the Open University, where he lectures in applied linguistics and English language studies.

Dan Simpson is a spoken word poet and performer. He was Canterbury Laureate 2013-14, Poet in Residence at Waterloo Station and his poetry has featured on the BBC and London Underground. He has performed at major festivals, events and venues around the UK, including: Glastonbury Festival, BBC Edinburgh Fringe Slam, and The National Theatre. Dan creates pioneering work with crowdsourced and outdoor poetry, for organisations such at the Royal Academy of Arts, European Commission and Beaney Art Museum and Library. His first collection, Applied Mathematics, is published by Burning Eye Books.

Twitter: @dansimpsonpoet.

Over the years he’s worked for a large number of arts organisations both in the UK and internationally. He’s run his own businesses, worked for a terrific digital agency and even been a lawyer (a proper, qualified one).

Chris often speaks at events and writes articles about the effect of ‘digital’ (in its many guises) on the commercial and promotional aspects of art, culture and creativity.