Please contact Daniel Swift MBE - daniel@concreteyouth.co.uk or call 03003020198.
Concrete Youth is delighted to announce that its Chief Executive and Artistic Director, Daniel Swift, has been awarded an MBE in The King’s Birthday Honours List for services to the arts and people with disabilities.
At just 28 years old, Daniel becomes one of the youngest leaders in the UK’s arts sector to be recognised for his contribution. The honour reflects his tireless work in championing sensory theatre and creating high-quality, inclusive cultural opportunities for audiences labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
Concrete Youth is a multi-award-winning, UK-based charity dedicated to increasing cultural provision for audiences labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Audience-led and rooted in research, the organisation operates across two core departments: a touring programme that delivers sensory theatre productions to theatres and arts centres, and an education department delivering award-winning, sensory learning and engagement experiences.
Under Daniel’s leadership, Concrete Youth has achieved a string of national and international milestones. From delivering professional touring sensory theatre productions and launching Sensory Cinders, the first-ever West End production for audiences labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities in 2024, to pioneering research projects and developing award-winning, internationally-reaching education programmes, the company has played a significant role in advancing what’s possible in the arts for audiences labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Concrete Youth has reached over 10,500 audience members in just six years.
Speaking about receiving the honour, Daniel said:
“I’m incredibly humbled to receive this honour. I want to thank my colleagues at Concrete Youth – our trustees, casts, creatives, technical crews, education practitioners, partners, and every team member past, present and future. This recognition belongs to all of them.
I also want to thank our audiences for their ongoing support. You are the reason that we do what we do. I will continue to champion you and work alongside you to push for a more inclusive arts sector, together with our exceptional team.
I stand on the shoulders of the extraordinary sensory artists and companies who have come before me and who continue to shape this sector. I’m endlessly grateful for all they’ve taught me—and I’ll do everything I can to honour their legacy by giving back to the community that has given me so much.
Most importantly, I’m delighted that this honour marks a moment of visibility for sensory theatre created for and with audiences labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities—an audience that has long been underrepresented in the arts. I will use this honour as a platform, taking every opportunity it brings to continue supporting this community, championing their right to cultural participation, and pushing for greater inclusion, representation, and visibility—not just in theatres, but across society.”
Concrete Youth's Chair, Rajwant Kaur Singh said:
"We are overjoyed to see Daniel’s extraordinary work recognised at this level. His vision, care, and commitment to inclusion have transformed not only Concrete Youth, but the wider arts landscape for people labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities. This honour is a reflection of the impact he’s made, not just as a leader, but as a relentless advocate for joy, dignity, and access in the arts. On behalf of the board, we are immensely proud and excited for all that’s yet to come."
As Daniel and the team celebrate this special recognition, Concrete Youth continues its groundbreaking work on Blueprint – a multi-phase research project that is reimagining how sensory theatre is developed, adapted, and delivered for and with audiences labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
