PIRC Team

Shan

shan stephens

Staff: Operations


I’m PIRC’s Operations Lead. That means I’m responsible for our People and Programming work, as well as coordinating our external consultancy projects and network of Associates.

I’m passionate about developing effective and caring ways of working in flat-structured organisations. I love geeking out on our capacity and work-planning systems, and supporting healthy accountability in alignment with our values. Deepening our team’s anti-oppression culture and experimenting with new ways of developing our co-leadership practices bring joy to my work.

I’ve been facilitating, training, and organising in all corners of Scotland and Europe two decades. I’m a long-time climate justice organiser, builder of autonomous community spaces, feeder of the masses, and supporter of my local tenants’ union. I’m a Board member at Tripod Training and I was a founding member of The Class Work Project.

In my spare time you’ll find me reading, travelling by train, cooking for pals, supporting independent art and music, lifting heavy things, organising extravagant parties, and cycling. I dream of one day starting a community housing project.

#beyondthebinary #squatday #queereverything #directactiongetsthegoods #where’stheparty? #communityorganising #healthyboundaries #veganjunkfood #fromallytoaccomplice #saunatime

Recent posts by shan:

Challenging Divisive Narratives Confronting Far-Right Extremism in the UK 1 Building narratives that unite us

The recent wave of far-right extremism in the UK—manifesting as violent riots targeting mosques, places of refuge, Muslims, and people of colour—has been deeply troubling to watch. But for many, ourselves included, the events are unsurprising. These racist attacks resulted from years of divisive narratives pushed by the media and politicians, and repeated excessively throughout UK society.