Mark Robinson
Executive Director, Arts Council North East
Mark Robinson was born in Preston, Lancashire and now lives in the parish of Preston-on-Tees in Stockton. He is a poet and critic whose books include Half A Mind, Gaps Between Hillsand The Horse Burning Park. Like many writers he has a day job, his is as Executive Director of Arts Council England, North East. He has worked for Northern Arts/Arts Council since 2000. Prior to that he was Director of Cleveland Arts, directed literature festivals, worked as a writer in residence in a prison, taught adult education and did community projects combinsing text and public and digital/visual arts. Before that he had what his family thought was a proper though surprising career as a Head Chef in vegetarian catering. His blog Art Counselling can be found at http://artscounselling.blogspot.com