'Dragon' offers street artist advice - and a job

A street artist from Peterborough has secured business mentorship and a high-profile commercial commission following an appearance on the BBC television show Dragons' Den, despite leaving the broadcast without his requested financial investment.

Nathan Murdoch, 38, founder of the business Street Arts Hire, appeared on the BBC One program seeking £60,000 in exchange for a 10 percent equity stake in his company. Murdoch told the panel of investors that the capital would fund a full-time administrative role to coordinate commissions for himself and other artists, noting that his team currently turns away roughly 40 percent of incoming work requests due to capacity constraints.

While all five entrepreneurs on the panel declined to provide the £60,000 cash injection, they unanimously praised the quality of Murdoch's work and concluded that strategic business advice would be more beneficial to his long-term financial growth than diluting his company ownership.

Entrepreneur Steven Bartlett was particularly impressed by Murdoch's portfolio and a large dragon painting the artist created specifically for the episode in just four hours. Bartlett offered to provide Murdoch with an hour of one-to-one business consultation to develop a structured growth strategy. Furthermore, Bartlett hired Murdoch to paint the interior walls of his new corporate headquarters in London, offering to pay five times the artist's standard daily rate of roughly £600.

During the episode, which aired on August 27, Bartlett praised Murdoch's talent, stating that seeing the artwork made him feel like a muggle contemplating what a human being could achieve.

Former footballer and panelist Gary Neville also lauded the work, calling the art stunning and describing Murdoch as a genius. Neville highlighted the contrast between Murdoch's annual income of £30,000 and the high commercial value of his work, adding that the four-hour dragon painting alone was worth thousands of pounds and offering a quip that he would pay £5,000 for it.

Murdoch is widely recognized in his home city of Peterborough for several high-profile public murals. His 2019 tribute to the late Prodigy frontman Keith Flint helped establish his public profile, and he later gained attention for a portrait of England football player Jude Bellingham during the World Cup. In February, Murdoch hosted Diesel Streets, an exhibition commemorating more than 20 years of graffiti and street art culture in Peterborough.

Murdoch initially entered the studio asking what he had to lose by presenting his business to the panel. Following the pitch, he expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that although he did not get the investment, the advice he received was what he needed to hear and that the pitch was a great experience overall.