TREVOR BLACKWOOD
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Trevor Blackwood IS THE FOUNDER AND director of Nomad Creative Consultancy. HE was one of the original director’s of The Watch-Men creative agency in Knightsbridge whose clients included Levis, Sony Music, Island Records, Caterpillar Boots and the seminal lifestyle magazines - the Face and I-D.
He published music reviews for The Wire Magazine and his Sunday Times Magazine feature: The Influence of Hip-Hop Style on Mainstream Leisurewear was syndicated internationally. He was an image consultant for numerous recording artists including Desree, Dodge City, Silent Eclipse, Roachford, Brian Eno & jazz musician Ronny Jordan - consultancy included marketing campaigns, TV appearances, album covers and music videos. Trevor devised a short Style Feature on James Brown for the BBC 2 youth programme Dance Energy.
In 1999 Trevor decided to leave the media industry to find more fulfilment in his life and re-connect to his cultural heritage. He worked for a NGO and travelled extensively across West Africa and North Africa on a journey of self-discovery. Influenced by these life-changing experiences, Trevor began to challenge conventional perceptions about his identity and history, developing a more holistic approach to his work that advocated - Art for Social Change
Returning to London, Trevor was a guest speaker on the panel to discuss the influence of politics & religion on Tupac's work at the British Film Institute, as part of the Tupac Shakur Reinterpreted season. He began to advise the Osho Gallery, previously known as the Heritage of Afrikan Descendants Museum, and in 2008 began consulting Creative Elements as an associate director. Project collaborations included: Who Do You Think You Are? Legacy of Empire; Cabinet War Rooms Museum Concept that recognised the contribution of the Dominions & Colonies in WWII; Global Focus Programme and developing an Identity Curriculum for Southwark Schools. Past intercultural dialogue projects have included Embedding Carnival into the Curriculum which featured on Teachers TV News and at the Resilient Communities Conference at Tate Modern as an outstanding example of promoting community cohesion. The Hero Inside Programmes: creative learning, well-being and identity were conceived in 2010 and received national acclaim by being invited to contribute to the National Strategies, DFES conference in London.
Trevor’s long-term collaboration with Crying in the Wilderness Productions as Associate Creative Director has resulted in the development of innovative ways to promote and exemplify the creative director’s philosophy - 'Theatre of the Soul' and his new writing. A series of multi-media presentations and ebooks documented Empowering Young Voices I & II for the STEP Festivals (2008-10). Nomad produced a documentary film and an ibook to capture the director's creative process to bring the ‘Invisible Man’ to the International Decibel Festival in Manchester. A series of films document the Research & Development (R&D) projects at the Bush Theatre and Arcola Theatre in London. CITWP's website was designed to showcase the company's multidisciplinary approach to theatre-making and creative learning.
Trevor curated Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation’s Toy Box to Treasure Chest: The Art of Collecting exhibition at the Ghaf Gallery as part of the UNESCO’s International Museum Day initiative that focused on the universal theme of - Museums (memories + creativity) = social change.
In 2014, The Hero Inside Programme: Abu Dhabi, commissioned by Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, was a two-month creative learning programme delivered in collaboration with leading media company twofour54 and Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation. The programme culminated in a public exhibition at the Brownbook's The Space during the Abu Dhabi Festival.
More recently, Trevor has consulted Creative Elements on the following international projects: Arts Education Research and Publication for Art Jameel International and Diversifying Bait Al Zubair's Creative Future in the Sultanate of Oman.