Peter Bryant
director
Peter joined Shared Future in 2009, and leads on the design and organisation of our deliberative processes. He specialises in citizens’ assemblies and juries, bringing 35 years’ experience in the fields of participation and community development.
Peter uses a range of innovatory participatory approaches in his work, including participatory video, appreciative inquiry, Open Space listening events and using theatre to achieve social aims. He has also supported local authorities to introduce the use of Participatory Budgeting.
Peter has facilitated numerous climate change deliberative processes on behalf of Shared Future, including Lancaster City Council, Kendal Town Council, the Leeds Climate Commission, Warwick District Council, and for the North of Tyne Combined Authority. He has also facilitated citizens’ assemblies for Shared Future on diverse topics ranging from alcohol, fracking and mental health. During the Covid pandemic he also led our work on online deliberation, and produced our guide to Climate Assemblies and Juries on behalf of the Place-based Climate Action Network
Peter has been commissioned to work for an eclectic range of clients, including local authorities, the UK government’s former Department for International Development (DfID), Oxfam, Sure Start, the Scottish Youth Parliament, Global Justice Now, Campaign Boot Camp, Healthy Living Centres and the Royal Opera House. For six years he was also head of community engagement for Our Life, an award-winning social enterprise based in Manchester.
Outside of Shared Future, Peter worked on the design and organisation of a citizens’ panel in Jersey which brought together survivors and members of the wider public to consider how Jersey should best remember past failures in the care system.
Before his time at Shared Future, Peter worked for two local authorities, a University college, a charity in England, NGOs in South Africa and Belize, and as an Associate Lecturer with the Open University’s Development Management Masters programme.