Podcasts about Arts Council England

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pen to Print. Our writing tips this month are from novelist, playwright and actor Elaine Spires.  The author of a dozen novels, Elaine has also written stage plays and television scripts.  She runs the podcast: ‘Going Round The Banjo: The Dagenham Story Podcast'. You can find out more about Elaine Spires and her work by visiting her website at https://www.elainespires.co.uk/ Follow Elaine on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/elainespiresauthor We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to: https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen to Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England. 

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by PenTo Print.For our Write On! Audio And Friends episode this month we are sharing an episode of a new podcast called “Where Writers Go” which is written and presented by actor, film maker and writer Kathryn Georghiou.  The show focuses on place as an influence for writers and each episode visits a different location and discusses the writing influences that can be found there. You can find out more about “Where Writers Go” and subscribe in your favourite podcast app by visiting the show's website here https://www.wherewritersgo.com/ You can follow “Where Writers Go” on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/wherewritersgo/ You can find out more about Kathryn Georghiou and her other work here https://www.kgactress.com/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to: https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England.

Episode 86 Recalling Brigid by Orna Ross Orna Ross reads ‘Recalling Brigid' and discusses the poem with Mark McGuinness. https://media.blubrry.com/amouthfulofair/media.blubrry.com/amouthfulofair/content.blubrry.com/amouthfulofair/86_Recalling_Brigid_by_Orna_Ross.mp3 This poem is from: Poet Town: The Poetry of Hastings & Thereabouts edited by Richard Newham Sullivan Available from: Poet Town is available from: The publisher: Moth Light Press Amazon: UK | US Recalling Brigid by Orna Ross Queen of queens, they called herin the old books, the Irish Mary.Never washed her hands, nor her headin sight of a man, never lookedinto a man's face. She was goodwith the poor, multiplied food,gave ale to lepers. Among birds,call her dove; among trees, a vine.A sun among stars. Such was the sort of womanpreferred as the takeover was made:consecrated cask, throne to His glory,intercessor. Brigid said nothing to any of this,the reverence, or the upbraidings.Her realm is the lacuna,silence her sceptre,her own way of life its own witness. Out of desire, the lure of lustor the dust of great deeds,she was distorted:to consort, mother-virgin,to victim or whore. I am not as womanlya woman as she.So I say: Let us see.Let us say how she is the one. It is she who conceivesand she who does bear.She who knitted us in the womband who will cradle our tomb-fraying. Daily she offers her arms,clothes us in compassion,smiles as we wrigglefor baubles. Yes, it is she who lifts you aloftto whisper through your ears,to kiss your eyes,to touch her coolingcheek to your cheek. Interview transcript Mark: Orna, where did this poem come from? Orna: Hi Mark. Yeah, so it's one of a collection that I'm working on, around Irish women from history and myth. And these are women that I grew up with, as a young person, receiving a sort of a typical Irish education, if you like. Orna: And so some of them are saints, some of them are mythological people. Well, saints are also mythological people! Some of them are historical figures who've been mythologized. And I just wanted to go back in and do my own exploration of each of these women because everybody else had. So I've been gathering these poems over a long time, but it actually started with this one. It started with Brigid. And Brigid is a figure from ancient Irish mythology. And she was Christianized into a Roman Catholic saint. She is the patron saint of Ireland. One of. You've probably heard of the other one. Patrick. You probably haven't heard of this one: Brigid. And, so many things have been projected on her. And it's interesting to read what, what survives of what is written about her because what's written earlier on in time is quite different to what's written later on. And she continues to be an inspiration. Her feast day is the first day of spring in Ireland, which in Ireland is the first day of February. It's much earlier than it is in England. And she's just an interesting, personification of the female virtues as they've been perceived over time. Mark: So you said she was written about differently in earlier times to more recent times, which I think is pertinent to how you're exploring that in the poem. So maybe you could just give us a brief summary of that. Orna: Yes. So I, the poem refers to ‘the takeover'. And by that, I kind of mean the Christian, but hand in hand with Christian goes the patriarchal, takeover of old images of women in general. And Brigid is part of that. So earlier, renditions about her tend to focus on her as a healer, as a wise woman, as a very compassionate person, ‘ale to lepers' is one of the, images in the poem. Whereas later versions tend to emphasize her holiness and her saintliness and, her goodness and I suppose what we would typically think is a good, religious, icon. So it's interesting just to read how that changes and differs as we go. And she also then had her detractors, which is where we get to the ideas, about women generally that are in the poem – the consort, mother, victim, whore, those kinds of ideas. You see them brushing against Brigid over time, but she comes through intact actually, as a woman in her own right. And these don't tend to stick to her as they have stuck to others. Mark: And sometimes when poets use mythological figures like this, there's a kind of a critique of, ‘Well, that's a little bit old fashioned, it's poetry with a capital P'. But reading this and listening to you, it kind of really underlines to me that mythology and religion are really quite present in Ireland. Orna: Oh, gosh, yes! The past is very present in Ireland still, in lots of ways. And. It's interesting. I suppose it's something to do with being a small island on the very edge of, in inverted commas, civilization. Although the Irish like to think they civilized Europe during the dark ages by sending our saints and our scholarship, our images of people like Brigid, the truth is that old ways lingered on a long time, and particularly the part of Ireland where I grew up. So, I grew up in County Wexford down in the small bottom right-hand corner, the very southeast tip of Ireland. Around it, there is a river and a small hill that kind of cuts that area off. And around County Wexford in general, there are larger hills and a big river that cuts Wexford off. So they tended to travel by sea more than road, people from that part of the world. And it was the first part of Ireland to be conquered the Norman conquest and, Old English lingered there right up until, well, there are still words that are used in Wexford that aren't used elsewhere. Carols and songs as well. So other parts of Ireland and, obviously England, had moved on, it but kind of got stuck there. So I'm just kind of pointing up the fact that yes, things stayed, passed on in an oral kind of culture and an oral tradition. And hedge schools and such like, long after such things had faded away in other parts of Europe. Mark: And you say Old English rather than Irish was lingering? Orna: That's right. And, because they had, well, the Normans came to England first Hastings, actually where I live now. One of the reasons I'm here, I think is that I felt a lot of similarities between here and Wexford and I think the Norman invasion in both places, it was part of that. So yeah, a hundred years after the Normans landed in Hastings, they were brought over to Wexford by an Irish chieftain to help him win one of his battles with another Irish chieftain. So English came with the Normans to Ireland. Mark: Right. And this is another amazing thing about Ireland, is the kind of the different layers, like archaeological layers of language. You've got Irish, you've got Old English, you've got Norman French, you've got Latin from the church, you've got Norse from the Vikings and so on. It's incredibly rich. Orna: Yes. More diverse, I think. And again, because of its cut off nature, these things lasted longer, I think, because that's also true of England, but the overlay is stronger and so they don't make their way through. Mark: Right, right. And the ghosts can peep through. So, okay, that's the historical cultural context. What does Brigid mean to you and why did you choose her as the first figure in this sequence? Orna: She chose me, I think. I very much feel this poem, you know, some poems are made and some arrive and this one arrived. I wanted to do something to celebrate her. That was all I knew because it was the first day of spring, which I always loved, that first day of February. You know, when winter is really beginning to bite and you feel, I mean, there is no sign of spring except some crocuses maybe peeking up and, uh, a few spring flowers making a little promise. But usually the weather is awful, but it's the first day of spring and it's, been a really important day for me from that point of view. And then the fact that it does, you know, the fact that Patrick is such a great big deal everywhere and Brigid isn't known at all. So that's kind of where I started and I just knew I'd like to write a poem. And then it was one of those ones that I, if I had set out to write a poem about Brigid, I don't think this is what I would have written. It just arrived. And I found that I was thinking about lots of things and as the first poem of this sequence, I wanted to say some of the things about womanhood in the poem, and I, well, I realised I did, because that's what emerged. So for me, it's very much about that kind of quiet aspect of, so, you know, we've got feminism, which talks very much about women's rights to do whatever it is they want to do in the outer world. But for me, she, in this poem, represents the inner, the quiet virtues, if you like, always there for us. We're not always there for them, but they're always there and active in our lives all the time, and I wanted to celebrate that in the poem. So that's what, you know, I got, the rough draft just came pouring out, and that's what I found myself wanting to bring out. Mark: And the title, ‘Recalling Brigid', you know, I was thinking about that word ‘recalling', because it could mean ‘remembering', but it could also mean ‘calling' or ‘summoning'. Orna: Yes, deliberately chosen for both of those meanings, yes, very well spotted there, poetry reader. Mark: Well, you know, this is a very ancient function of poetry, isn't it? And it's where it kind of shades into charm or spells, to summon, or invoke a spirit or some kind of otherworldly creature or being. Orna: Absolutely. I think you've got the heart of what the poem is trying to do there. It is about calling forth, something, as I say, that's there, that we're all, you know, is there for all of us in our lives, but that we're not always aware of it. And our culture actively stifles it, and makes it seem like it's less important than it is. And so, yes, very much exactly all the words, the beautiful words you've just used there. I was hoping this poem would tap into that. Mark: Very much. And, you know, the beginning, ‘Queen of Queens, they called her'. So presumably this is in the old pre-Christian days, ‘they called her'. So there's that word ‘calling' again, and you give us the kind of the gloss, ‘in the old books, the Irish Mary'. And then you introduce the takeover: ‘such was the sort of woman / preferred as the takeover was made:' And then you get the other version. And then you've got: ‘Brigid said nothing to any of this,' which I think is really wonderful that she keeps – so you've gone from ‘they' in the past, ‘what they called her'. And then Brigid keeping her own counsel about this. She said nothing to any of this, ‘the reverence, or the upbraidings'. And then we get you where you say, ‘I am not as womanly / a woman as she. / So I say: let us see. / Let us say how she is the one. // It is she who conceives, and she who does bear.' Lovely, beautiful repetitions and shifts in there. So you really, you step forward into the poem at that point. Orna: I really wanted to, to place myself in relation to, to her and to all the women in this collection. Which isn't out yet, by the way, it's not finished. So I've got another three to go. No, I really wanted to place myself in relation to the women in the poems. That was an important part of the project for me. And I do that, you know, lots of different ways. But this poem, the first one is very much about, I suppose, calling out, you know, the ‘recalling' that you were talking about there a few moments ago, calling out the qualities. That we tend to overlook and that are attributed to Brigid as a womanly woman. And so, yeah, that's, that's what I was saying. I'm more of a feminist woman who is regarded by some as less womanly. so there is a, that's an interesting debate for me. That's a very interesting, particularly now at this time, I think, it's very interesting to talk about, you know, what is a feminist and what is feminism. And I personally believe in feminisms, lots of different, you know, it's multiple sort of thing. But these poems are born of a, you know, a feminist poet's sensibility without a doubt. So in this first one, I just wanted to call out, you know, the womanly virtues, if you like. Mark: Yeah. So I get a sense of you kind of starting as a tuning fork for different ideas and voices, calling her different things. And then you shift into, ‘Let us see. / Let us say…' I love the description earlier on where you said it's a celebration because by the end of the poem, it really is. It's all her attributes, isn't it? ‘It is she who conceives / and she who does bear.' And so on. Again, how easy was it for you to let go and, and, and step into that? Because it's kind of a thing that it's a little bit, it's not what we associate with modern poetry, is it? Orna: No, not at all. Not at all. But I had to ages ago, give up on modern poetry. If I wanted to write poetry, I had to drop so much, so much that I learned, you know, English Lit. was my original degree. And, you know, I, I was in love with poetry from a very young age. So, I learned everything I could about everything. And then I had to drop it all because I didn't write, I didn't write any poems between the end of my teens and my early forties when I lost a very dear friend. And then when I went on, shortly afterwards to, develop breast cancer. So those two things together unlocked the poetry gates and poems came again. And the kind of poems that came, very often were not, poems that they're not fashionable in that sense. You know, they're not what poetry tends to be. And from that point, in our time, if you like, some are, some, some do come that way, but an awful lot don't. And, for that reason, I'm just so entirely delighted to be able to self-publish because they speak to readers and say they communicate. And to me, that's what matters. And I don't have to worry about being accepted by a poetry establishment at all. I don't spend any time whatsoever thinking about that. I work at the craft, but I, it's for myself and for the poem and for the reader, but not to please anybody that, you know, would be a gatekeeper of any kind. Mark: Well, some listeners will know this – you are very much known as a champion of opportunity and diversity in publishing for writers and self-publishing, independent publishing, however you call it. But I think what I'd like to focus on here is the fact that, you know, by writing a poem like this, you highlight the conventions that we have in modern poetry. And it's easy to see the conventions of the past, but maybe not so much the ones in the present. And I love the fact that you've just sidestepped that or ignored that and written the poem that came to you. Orna: Yes. Yes, very much did and do. And like I said, I don't spend, I did at one time spend time thinking about this, but I spend absolutely no time now thinking about this at all. Mark: That's so refreshing to hear! [Laughter] Orna: No, it's, it's great. It's certainly a liberation. I think very much about the poem and what the poem needs and wants from me. And I make mistakes. I, you know, I don't do well on some poems. I go back, rewrite, sometimes years later, sometimes after they're published. so yeah. It's not that I don't think about form or structure or, you know, all of the things that poets think about but I only think about the master, you know, is the poem itself or the reader possibly or the communication between the bridge between me and the reader, something like that. But yeah, it's liberating for sure. Mark: And how did that play out in this poem? I mean, how close is this to the original draft that came to you? Orna: It's one of the poems that's closest to the original. It kind of arrived and I didn't want to play with it too much at all. So yeah, it, I just left it be. I let it be what I wanted to be because for me there are echoes in this poem as well of Old Irish poetry and ways of writing. you know, that if you, I don't know if you've ever had the pleasure of reading Old Irish poetry in translation? Mark: Yes. Orna: So, you know, that sense of I'm reading something from a completely different mind. It's, it isn't just that the, you know, the structures are different or whatever. It's like the whole mind and sensibility is something else. And that was one of the things I wanted to slightly have to retain in this poem. You know, I felt that it, it carries some of that forward and I wanted to, to leave it there as an echo. Mark: Yeah. Quite a lot of those Old Irish poems have a kind of a litany, a list of attributes of the poet or their beloved or the divine being that they're evoking. And that comes across very strongly here. Orna: Yeah, definitely. That's sort of a list of, which to the modern ear can sound obvious and, you know, just not poetry really. So yeah, I think that's one of the qualities that it carries. Mark: And I love the kind of the incantatory repetitive thing. Like I was saying about the, ‘So I say: let us see. / Let us say', and then ‘It is she… It is she… she who', you know, it just carries you along. It's got a hypnotic quality to it. Orna: Yes. And the she part, you know, the emphasizing the feminine, I suppose, touch of the divine feminine, but very much the physical feminine, and activities as well. So, you know, women held the role of birth and death very much in Irish culture again, up to really quite recently. I remember that, in my own youth and okay, I am getting on a bit, but, it's still, you know, it was quite late in time where, women did the laying out for burial. They did the keening of the, the wake, all of that. I remember very well. so at the beginning and end of life at the thresholds, if you like, that was a woman's job. And, that was lost, I think in the takeover. But I still think all the emotional labour around those thresholds are still very much held by women, you know, silently and quietly. And yeah, Brigid doesn't shout about it, but in this poem, I want to call it. Mark: Yeah. Recall it. Okay. And then let's go back to Hastings, which we touched on earlier, because this, okay. It's, it's going to be in your collection. It's been published in a wonderful anthology poetry from Hastings called Poet Town. Tell us a bit about that book and how you came to be involved. Orna: Yeah. So I heard about it and, Richard [Newham Sullivan] wonderful, poet and, publisher and general literary person. He now lives in New York, but he grew up in Hastings and lived here for many years. And it was a kind of a homesickness project he told me later, for him just. But he carried the idea in his mind for a very long time. He wanted to, he knew that there was an incredible, poetic history in Hastings, which people were not aware of. So Hastings is very well known. Hastings and St. Leonard's, where I live, both are very well known as arty kind of towns. Visual arts are very, very visible here, and all sorts of marvellous things going on, and music as well, there's brilliant Fat Tuesday music festival every year, but there's also, there's classical music, music in the pubs, music coming out your ears, literally. But very little about the literary life that goes on here, and lots of writers living here. And so Richard wanted to just bring forward the poetry side of that. And so he decided it's a passion project for him. He decided to, he worked with the publisher, a small publisher here, in Hastings for it. It's Moth Light Press. And he set out to gather as many living poets into one collection as he could. And this is where I was interested because as, I'm a historical novelist as well, so history is big for me, and I was really interested in the history, you know, the history and the poets who had lived here. There were quite a few. It's not every day you find yourself in an anthology with Lord Byron and Keats, and, two Rossetti's! So that was a joy, discovering all the poets who, had a connection to Hastings back to, I think he went back to the early 1800s with it. So, yeah, it's been a huge success, and, people are loving the book, and it has really brought poetry, brought pride, I think, to the poetry community in the town, which is lovely. Mark: Yeah, I'm really enjoying it, and I love the fact that it's got the old and the new. Because, of course, that's what I do here on A Mouthful of Air. I always think the ghosts of poetry past are always present in the work of the living. I hadn't realized what a deep and rich poetic history Hastings had. So, yeah, Poet Town, a great anthology. Do check that out while you're waiting for Orna's sequence to come to light. And Orna, thank you so much for sharing such a remarkable poem and distinctive take on the poet's craft. And I think this would be a good point to listen to the poem again, and appreciate your praise and celebration once more. Orna: Thanks so much, Mark, for having me. I really enjoyed it. Thank you. Recalling Brigid by Orna Ross Queen of queens, they called herin the old books, the Irish Mary.Never washed her hands, nor her headin sight of a man, never lookedinto a man's face. She was goodwith the poor, multiplied food,gave ale to lepers. Among birds,call her dove; among trees, a vine.A sun among stars. Such was the sort of womanpreferred as the takeover was made:consecrated cask, throne to His glory,intercessor. Brigid said nothing to any of this,the reverence, or the upbraidings.Her realm is the lacuna,silence her sceptre,her own way of life its own witness. Out of desire, the lure of lustor the dust of great deeds,she was distorted:to consort, mother-virgin,to victim or whore. I am not as womanlya woman as she.So I say: Let us see.Let us say how she is the one. It is she who conceivesand she who does bear.She who knitted us in the womband who will cradle our tomb-fraying. Daily she offers her arms,clothes us in compassion,smiles as we wrigglefor baubles. Yes, it is she who lifts you aloftto whisper through your ears,to kiss your eyes,to touch her coolingcheek to your cheek. Poet Town: The Poetry of Hastings & Thereabouts ‘Recalling Brigid' is from Poet Town: The Poetry of Hasting & Thereabouts, published by Moth Light Press. Available from: Poet Town is available from: The publisher: Moth Light Press Amazon: UK | US Orna Ross Orna Ross is an award-winning poet and novelist. Her poetry, rooted in Irish heritage and mindfulness practice, explores love, loss, creativity, and spiritual renewal through a female lens. As founder-director of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), she champions creative freedom for poets and writers. Her forthcoming collection, And Then Came the Beginning—Poems of Iconic Irish Women, Ancient and Modern—is available for pre-order at OrnaRoss.com/TheBeginning. A Mouthful of Air – the podcast This is a transcript of an episode of A Mouthful of Air – a poetry podcast hosted by Mark McGuinness. New episodes are released every other Tuesday. You can hear every episode of the podcast via Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favourite app. You can have a full transcript of every new episode sent to you via email. The music and soundscapes for the show are created by Javier Weyler. Sound production is by Breaking Waves and visual identity by Irene Hoffman. A Mouthful of Air is produced by The 21st Century Creative, with support from Arts Council England via a National Lottery Project Grant. Listen to the show You can listen and subscribe to A Mouthful of Air on all the main podcast platforms Related Episodes Recalling Brigid by Orna Ross Orna Ross reads and discusses ‘Recalling Brigid’ from Poet Town. From The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Episode 85 From The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Mark McGuinness reads and discusses a passage from ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.Poet Samuel Taylor ColeridgeReading and commentary by Mark McGuinnessFrom... Alchemy by Gregory Leadbetter Episode 84 Alchemy by Gregory Leadbetter Gregory Leadbetter reads ‘Alchemy' and discusses the poem with Mark McGuinness.This poem is from: The Infernal Garden by Gregory LeadbetterAvailable from: The Infernal Garden is available from: The publisher: Nine Arches...

As the Government looks to appoint a new Freelance Champion for the creative industries we delve into the findings of the latest State of the Nations report from Creative PEC on Arts, Culture and Heritage workforce.Dr Mark Taylor will unveil the findings and plot the freelancer journey in the creative industries. A panel of guests including Yasmin Khan, Director for Individual Practitioners, Arts Council England, Philippa Childs, Deputy General Secretary, of the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union, Amy Tarr, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Creative UK, and Alexander Jacob, freelance television director, will explore how creative freelancers can be better supported and what the priorities should be for the new government champion. Chaired by Bernard Hay, Head of Policy, Creative PEC. Followed by Q&A and soft drinks reception.The new State of the Nations report, Who stays and who leaves?: Mapping arts, culture and heritage careers, will be released and available to download on the day.The Creative PEC is funded by the AHRC and led by Newcastle University with the RSA.Speakers:Speakers:Yasmin Khan, Director for Individual Practitioners, Arts Council EnglandPhilippa Childs, Head of BectuAmy Tarr, Associate Director, Policy & Research, Creative UKDr Mark Taylor, Research Lead for Arts, Culture and Heritage at Creative PEC, and Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Methods, University of SheffieldAlexander Jacob, Freelance television directorChair:Bernard Hay, Head of Policy, Creative PECDonate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEaBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueembFollow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/Like RSA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYUJoin our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by PenTo Print.Our poem of the month episode for November features a short poem by writer and musician Destiny Hankerson.  The poem is called “Revolution!” and it is performed and recorded by Destiny. You can find out more about Destiny Hankerson by visiting her website here https://destinyhankerson.carrd.co/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to: https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England.

Send us a textWelcome to the second episode of season six, in conversation with Professor Tom Shakespeare. Professor Shakespeare's Bio:Tom Shakespeare is a sociologist and bioethicist. He is Professor of Disability Research at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, having worked at several UK universities and WHO. He is a former member of Nuffield Council on Bioethics and Arts Council England. His books include The Sexual Politics of Disability (1996) and Disability Rights and Wrongs (2006) and most recently the novels The Ha-ha (2024) and The Ends (2025).The Nuffield Council on Bioethics report that we discussed is called Non-invasive prenatal testing: ethical issues and can be found via this link: https://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/publication/non-invasive-prenatal-testing-ethical-issues/Podcast information:We have not included any patient identifiable information, and this podcast is intended for professional education rather than patient information (although welcome anyone interested in the field to listen). Please get in touch with feedback or suggestions for future guests or topics: conversationsinfetalmed@gmail.com, or via X, Bluesky or Instagram via @fetalmedcast.Music by Crowander ('Acoustic romance') used under creative commons licence. Podcast created, hosted and edited by Dr Jane Currie.

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pen to Print For this month's Listener Contribution, we are joined by novelist and Write On! Deputy Editor Claire Buss for a look at the world of audio books and how and why writers should create them for their books.  Claire talks us through her process and we hear an excerpt from the audio book of her novel ‘The Rose Thief'. You can find out more about Claire and purchase copies of her books and audio books by visiting her linktree here  https://linktr.ee/ClaireBuss You can order a copy of ‘The Rose Thief' audiobook here https://books2read.com/u/mBNNEN Follow Claire on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/grasshopper2407/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to: https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen to Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England.

Why are so many prisoners being released from prison by mistake? What happens if Arts Council England goes under? And what can the Democrats learn from Mamdani's New York City mayoral election victory?Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Deputy Sports Editor, Andrew Butler, Arts and Media Editor, Vanessa Thorpe, and reporter Jon Ungoed-Thomas as they pitch their top stories of the day.Must Reads:Days of wine and noses: the life of a critic**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Rebecca MooreProducer: Amalie SortlandExecutive Producers: Matt Russell and Poppy BullardTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pent o Print Our November tips are from Write On! Associate Editor Clare Cooper.  Working in magazine publishing for over 46 years, the last 29 of which were spent very happily embedded in the Fiction Department of Woman's Weekly Magazine, Clare is now a regular contributor and competition judge for Pen to Print. For this conversation, Clare was alongside Write On! Editor, Madeleine White. You can find out more about Clare Cooper and her work in this Write On! interview  https://pentoprint.org/write-on-interviews-writer-clare-cooper/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to:  https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen to Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England. 

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pento Print. For our ‘Write On! Audio And Friends' feature for October we are brining you an episode of The Writing Worlds Podcast which features best-selling author Joanne Harris.  Joanne Harris came to widespread popular attention with the publication of her novel ‘Chocolat' which became a highly successful film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.  Joanne's other genre-spanning work includes ‘The Gospel of Loki' and ‘The Strawberry Thief' and ‘Vianne',  sequels to ‘Chocolat'You can find out more about Joanne Harris and her work by visiting her website here https://www.joanne-harris.co.uk/ The Writing Worlds Podcast is a show dedicated to the art of world building in fiction and is presented by award-winning audio drama writer and novelist Emily Inkpen and Write On! Audio producer Chris Gregory.  You can listen to more episodes of Writing Worlds and subscribe to the podcast here https://pod.link/1812994751  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to: https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England.

“Being read to as a small child and reading yourself when you're older can help you be healthier as an adult and even live longer.” – Franziska Liebig, Arts Council EnglandIn this exciting episode, Krish dives into Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz, a fast-paced spy adventure filled with gadgets, danger and daring missions. When fourteen-year-old Alex discovers his uncle's death was not an accident, he is thrown into a world of secret agents, powerful billionaires and high stakes missions that test his courage at every turn.Krish also talks with Franziska Liebig from Arts Council England, the organisation dedicated to ensuring everyone can experience the magic of books and creativity. Fran shares how reading can change lives by improving wellbeing, sparking imagination and helping every child find their own story. Together, they explore the power of books to inspire empathy, confidence and lifelong curiosity.Key topics covered in this episode:Alex Rider: Stormbreaker, thrilling read for young spies and adventurersHow reading builds creativity, imagination and wellbeingWhy every kind of reading counts, from comics to novelsThe importance of seeing yourself represented in storiesExciting reading initiatives ahead of the National Year of Reading 2026Follow Arts Council EnglandInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aceagrams/ Website: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk Follow Author Anthony HorowitzWebsite: https://www.anthonyhorowitz.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnthonyHorowitzAuthor Follow KrishInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/krishthepodcasterFollow The Fourth BookmarkInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefourthbookmark

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by PenTo Print.For our ‘Poem Of The Month' episode for October we are brining you two poems.  We'll start with ‘Sunset Dining At Nature's Table' by Gloria Maloney which is read by Write On! Editor Madeleine White and won 2nd place in the Barn Owl Trust Poetry Competition 2025 You can read Gloria's poem in Volume 8 Wildlife Words Anthology, available from the online bookshop: www.barnowltrust.org.uk Our second poem is by Afsana Elanko, a regular contributor to Write on and a member of the Write ON! team.  Her poem is called "The Revolution Of Play – An Epic Ode To Identity, Imagination And Inner Spirit" . It is written and performed by Afsana. Thank you to Gloria Maloney and Afsana Elanka for sharing their poems with us in this episode of Write On Audio. You can find out more about Gloria Maloney and her work here https://pentoprint.org/write-on-interviews-writer-gloria-maloney/And read more about Afsana Elanko here https://pentoprint.org/tag/dr-afsana-elanko/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to: https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England. 

Joz Norris is an acclaimed comedy writer and performer. He makes unusual shows for the Edinburgh Fringe including the smash hit Joz Norris Is Dead. Long Live Mr Fruit Salad. (winner of the Comedians' Choice Award for Best Show, nominee for the Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality, the Chortle Award for Best Music & Variety Act, and longlisted for the Edinburgh Comedy Award) and Blink (one of the Evening Standard's Top 20 comedy shows of 2022, and sponsored by Arts Council England), both of which transferred to multiple runs at Soho Theatre. In 2020 he adapted You Build The Thing You Think You Are, which would have been a new live show, into a feature film streamed online which was acclaimed as one of the comedy highlights of the year by both the Guardian and the Telegraph. His original sitcom for BBC Radio 4, The Dream Factory, co-written with Miranda Holms, was a radio pick of the week in the Observer, the Times, the Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, and was featured on Radio 4's Comedy of the Week podcast, and his Radio 4 comedy special A Small Talk On Small Talk was a Guardian Audio Pick of the Week. He was also the co-host and co-creator of BBC Radio 4's Useless Millennials with Roxy Dunn, and has guest starred in Radio 4's The Many Wrongs Of Lord Christian Brighty; The Now Show and The Train At Platform 4.Joz Norris is our guest in episode 535 of My Time Capsule and chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things he'd like to put in a time capsule; four he'd like to preserve and one he'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Tickets for Joz's tour are available here - https://www.joznorris.co.uk/you-wait-time-passes-uk-tour .Follow Joz Norris on Instagram & Twitter/X: @JozNorris .Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast, get all episodes ad-free and a bonus episode every Wednesday of "My Time Capsule The Debrief', please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pen To Print.Our listener contribution this month is from Costanza Casati winner of the Best Published Novel in the Wilbur & Niso Smith Adventure Writing Prize for her novel ‘Babylonia'. Costanza was in conversation with Charlotte Maddox of the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation.Find out more about Costanza Casati and order a copy of ‘Babylonia' by visiting her author page on Penguin's website here https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/288834/costanza-casatiFollow Costanza on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/costanzacasati And find out more about The Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation via their website https://www.wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to:  https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England.

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by PenTo Print.For our first podcast of October we have writing advice from poets and Write On! team members Eithne Cullen and Mary Walsh.  These tips are about writing retreats and were recorded at Valance House. Find out more about Valence House and plan a visit via their website here https://valencehousecollections.co.uk/ You can find out more about Eithne Cullen by following her on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/eithnecullen57/ and read more about Mary and her work here https://pentoprint.org/writer-of-the-month-mary-walsh/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to: https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England.

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pen To Print.Our September interview is with social commentator, activist and campaigner Patrick Vernon OBE.  Born in Wolverhampton to a Jamaican family.  Writing for 'The Guardian', 'The Voice', and 'Black History Month Magazine', Patrick is also a film maker and he directed and produced "A Charmed Life" a documentary about the Caribbean contribution in the UK during the second world war.  In 2020 Patrick published a book called “100 Great Black Britons” which was the culmination of a campaign prompted by the almost complete absence of black people from a list of the 100 greatest Britons published by the BBC.  For this conversation, Patrick was alongside interviewer Ellie M Blake and Write On! Editor Madeleine White. Find out more about Patrick Vernon and his work by visiting his website here https://patrickvernon.org.uk/ We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to: https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England. 

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by PenTo Print. In this week's episode we're featuring the Barking Carnival, an annual event featuring music, food, costumes  and entertainment from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenhgam.  The 2025 Carnival took place on 25th July.  In this short review of The Carnival we hear voices from organisers, attendees and partners of the Carnival.  The first voice you'll hear is that of councillor Irma Freeborn. To find out more about Barking Carnival please visit https://pentoprint.org/barking-dagenham-carnival-2025/ And to find out more about the work of Barking and Dagenham Council please visit their website here: https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to: https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England. 

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pen To Print. Our September Listener Contribution is from poet and regular contributor to Write On!, Mary Walsh.  In this selection of poems celebrating her Irish ancestry, Mary reads from “Threads of Home", her new poetry collection published by Constellations Literary Consultancy and offers a glimpse into the next Write On! theme, (R)Evolution linking a reflection on her past into who she is today. Find out more about Mary and her work here  https://pentoprint.org/writer-of-the-month-mary-walsh/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to:  https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England.

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pen To Print. Our writing tips this month come from Libraro and its CEO and founder Arsim Shillova. Libraro is a community-driven platform aiming to democratise the literary world by empowering writers to share their stories securely, readers to influence what gets published, and industry professionals to discover tomorrow's bestsellers.  For this conversation, Libraro's founder Arsim Shillova was alongside Holly King and Write On! Editor Madeleine White. You can find out more about Libraro and Arsim Shillova by visiting their website  https://app.libraro.com/feedWe're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to:  https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England. 

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pen To Print. The second of our episodes featuring award winning writing from the recent Pen to Print awards features winners from the three main categories at the awards. We start with the winning poem which is ‘When The Streetlights Blinked to Life' by Gillian Davies and it's read by our presenter, Tiffany Clare .The next pieces is an excerpt from the winning short story which is called ‘Mouse' by Lianne Warr.  it is read by Emily Inkpen .Our final award winner is from the Audio Play Competition.  This is a short excerpt from ‘The Angry House' by Thomas Wrightson featuring the voices of Chris Gregory and Emily Inkpen. You'll be able to hear the fully produced audio play of ‘The Angry House' on this podcast later this year. Music and soundscapes in all the recordings are by our producer Chris Gregory. Congratulations to all of our winners.  If you'd like to find out more about the Pen To Print competitions and perhaps enter in 2026 please visit our website: https://pentoprint.org/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to:  https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England.

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pen To Print. This week's podcast is the first of two episodes featuring award-winning writing from the recent Pen to Print Awards. Next week, we'll hear winning pieces from the main Pen to Print Awards but, this week, we have winning pieces from a new competition: 'Adventurous Voices', sponsored by the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation and Odizzi. The competition is for adults and young writers and split into age categories. Writers were given a soundscape from the Amazon rainforest supplied by Oddizzi, a multi-award-winning geography resource designed to ignite curiosity and inspire young minds.The first piece you can hear is the winner in the primary age group: ‘Elara And The Enchanted Rainforest' is by Daisy Higgins. It is read by Emily Inkpen.The winner in the secondary age group is ‘Who Am I?' by Musfira Sharif. The reader is Chris Gregory.The winner in the adult age group is ‘Off The Beaten Path' by Patrick Blosse. It is read by Chris Gregory.You can find out more about the award sponsors The Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation here:   https://www.wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org And find out more about Oddizzi here: https://www.oddizzi.com/  We're always delighted to read your contributions, so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to:  https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England.

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pen To Print. This month's Listener Contribution is from Barking based poet and artist Danny Baxter.  The author of the collection “Twelve Poems” and a poet whose work has been featured frequently on this podcast, Danny is also part of the Barking Revival Project which he discusses in this episode. You can find out more about Danny Baxter by following him on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/dan_lbbd/ You can read Danny Baxter's showcase from May 2025 herehttps://pentoprint.org/showcase-building-up-changes-invisible-misery-regneration-spills-revival-rooted/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to: https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England. 

rWotD Episode 3018: Durham University Oriental Museum Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Friday, 8 August 2025, is Durham University Oriental Museum.The Oriental Museum, formerly the Gulbenkian Museum of Oriental Art and Archaeology, is a museum of the University of Durham in England. The museum has a collection of more than 23,500 Chinese, Egyptian, Korean, Indian, Japanese and other far east and Asian artefacts. The museum was founded due to the need to house an increasing collection of Oriental artefacts used by the School of Oriental Studies, that were previously housed around the university. The museum's Chinese and Egyptian collections were 'designated' by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), now the Arts Council England as being of "national and international importance".This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:09 UTC on Friday, 8 August 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Durham University Oriental Museum on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kendra.

Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio, the podcast for writers everywhere brought to you by Pen To Print. Our writing tips this month are from award winning novelist Sue Moorcroft.  The author of a number of acclaimed books including 2016's ‘The Christmas Promise' and 2021's ‘A Home In The Sun', Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times Bestselling Author and a former vice-chair and current President of The Romantic Novelists' Association.   For these writing tips Sue was alongside poet Alex Murdock and Write On! Editor Madeleine White.You can find out more about Sue Moorcroft and order copies of her books by visiting her website https://www.suemoorcroft.com/ You can find out more about Alex Murdock, also known as The Mad Po3t by following him on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/themadpo3t/  We're always delighted to read your contributions so if you'd like to see your words in Write On! or hear them on this podcast please get in touch. Please submit to:  https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/submit-to-write-on/ Thank you for listening to Write On! Audio.  This edition has been presented by Tiffany Clare and produced by Chris Gregory.  Write On! Audio is an Alternative Stories production for Pen To Print. This podcast is produced using public funding from Arts Council England.

In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Simon Callery (@Simon.Callery) Simon Callery is known for his innovative approach to painting, which bridges the gap between two-dimensional surfaces and three-dimensional space. Born in London in 1960, Callery studied at Campion School and later at Cardiff College of Art. His work challenges traditional definitions of painting by incorporating sculptural elements—his canvases are often cut, pierced, folded, and stained with intense, earthy pigments. These works possess a physicality that invites viewers to engage not only visually but also spatially.Callery's artistic process is deeply connected to the landscape and archaeology, particularly the British countryside. Collaborations with archaeologists have influenced his method of working directly on site, allowing his paintings to absorb the environment both physically and conceptually. His paintings are often large in scale, with surfaces that appear worn, layered, and tactile—echoing the processes of erosion and excavation.By rejecting the illusionistic space of traditional painting, Callery creates works that are both objects and experiences. He has exhibited widely across the UK and Europe, with works held in public collections such as the Tate and Arts Council England. To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.ukEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Spring in 't Veld, the CEO and creative director of Mama Bazooka, is interviewed by Sarah Dodd (Co-Founder, Escape Room Industry Conference), one of the world's most renowned escape enthusiasts. In this interview, Eric will share his insights on escape room design, the journey of creating The Dome, and much more.Founded in 2013 by Eric Spring in 't Veld (CEO and Creative Director), Mama Bazooka pioneered real-life escape experiences in the Netherlands. Their 2018 creation, THE DOME, has garnered international acclaim, achieving a top ranking on Terpeca's prestigious list. This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 years after first recorded, we're rereleasing this episode of our first dance flavoured mini series - Ballet for the 21st Century. We've chosen to revisit the last ep in that series, Boys Dance Too, because having just discussed the film Billy Elliot we thought it was worth digging into some themes that came up in more depth.This episode has been shortened from its original length...--------------------Why is the bullying of boys who want to take ballet so persistent? Emma Lister seeks to answer this question and why their love of dance is often defended with the usual football comparison/"real men lift women" trope. In the final episode of of our mini-series, Ballet for the Twenty-first Century, we'll open up topics such as: body image, casting, role models, gendered ballet technique, The Billy Elliot Effect and homophobia.Special guests: Denzil Bailey, Richard Bermange, James Forbat, Matthew Paluch and Mark Samaras.REFERENCES:M. Paluch. (2019). There's an elephant in the room and it's gay.... Dancing Times. October 2019, p29-31. www.dancing-times.co.ukThis mini-series  has been made possible by a grant  using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Gijs Geers, founder of DarkPark, is a pioneering force in the escape room industry. In an inspiring presentation, he unveils the secret ingredient behind DarkPark's unforgettable experiences, revealing for the first time how an invisible layer leaves a lasting impact on players.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Take a deep dive with Jeroen van Hasselt (Co-Founder, Entered), into the trials and triumphs of producing a unique, 200-minute-long game experience such as Demise of the Gricers, that pushes the boundaries of conventional escape game design. Explore the intricacies of world-building, next-level player equipment, narrative & system design, player engagement and training your actors to deliver upon a seamless, organic real-life immersive experience.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Lukas Rancher (Crime Runners), Dan Wiseman (The Detective Society), Bob & Nikki Kimber (Hysteria Escape Rooms), and Andrew Preble (Escape My Room) as they explore the advantages of episodic storytelling and how each approaches it differently. The panel will discuss why they choose this format, how it fosters player engagement, and the unique challenges it presents from both creative and business perspectives. Gain valuable insights and advice for crafting your own episodic stories in immersive experiences.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Creative Director Ivan Carić and performer Emily Carding as they share the challenges and lessons from running a 24-hour interactive experience set in the eerie world of horror and weird fiction. Discover how they blended immersive theatre, deconstructed storytelling, puzzles, and hospitality within the atmospheric setting of a 17th-century historic house to create a truly unforgettable experience.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adrian Hon (Game Designer and Author) is a prolific maker, writer and fan within the Immersive Entertainment space who has spent the past two years attending, assessing and discussing dozens of experiences around the world. He will be sharing key trends that are resonating well with audiences within the sector, common pitfalls and traps that he has identified across immersive strands and areas of learning and opportunities that could be adopted to offer more relevant, resonant and sustainable experiences for a spectrum of emerging to seasoned immersive experience goers. The talk also draws upon his recent interviews with founders and leaders of the biggest immersive experience organisations in the world.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jenny McNeil takes a deep dive into how to use food as a tool for conveying narrative and engaging the imagination. From understanding the key emotions that food and communal eating extract, to discussing how truly immersive food content can sit within larger scale experiences. Finally, we'll cover how food can be monetised within a customer or branded experience.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sami Hamid from Glitch Studios pulls back the curtain and reveals how wearable XR headsets can be implemented into live staged theatre performances, bringing virtual characters and set pieces to life alongside real actors. This talk touches upon the technical implementation of AR, how it works with your AV setup, how real actors can act alongside virtual actors, and how to achieve all this without blowing up your budget.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Barnes (Director, Entourage), Mairi Nolan (Puzzle Game Designer), Tom Lionetti-Maguire (Founder of Little Lion Entertainment), Farouk Dean (Co-Founder of NEXUS and Cellar Door) and Mark Sarfo Kantanka (Co-Founder of NEXUS and Cellar Door) in an open Q&A session, for our panelists and the audience to wrestle with the problems associated with developing your creative idea into a sustainable business. In this open discussion we're led by the audience and attempt to answer questions, offer advice and guidance and share our experiences developing live immersive work.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Michael Badelt from INTYA Creative as he explores turning mistakes into a success: How a small immersive scare attraction went from "Okay“ to "Oh Wow!!“Hear about the sometimes surprising learnings made through the iterations and how those were incorporated back into the show to create an experience that was not just entertaining but had a hidden meaning that was engaging audiences even after the show was over. We will also look at some of the basics behind the emotional concept of fear, its applications and why creating a rather sneaky rollercoaster across the full emotional spectrum might actually be scarier than just going "Boo!"This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Brind discusses concepts of Agency and Alibi in the creation of Larp and their connections to creating meaningful experiences for participants. In this talk he explores 'Agency' - the ability of an active participant in a story to make decisions that change the story in meaningful ways (and what that means for dramaturgy), 'Alibi' '- the idea that the participant experience can be designed in such a way that they can act or behave in ways that they would not normally act and 'Bleed' - the transfer of experience from participant to character or from character to participant.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen May has a penchant for reimagining the lives of historical figures and his new novel, ‘Green Ink’, is a case in point. May evocatively explores what could have happened on firebrand politician Victor Grayson’s last day. The former socialist MP suspiciously disappeared one night in September 1920. May joins Georgina Godwin to share insights on writing, creativity and his role at Arts Council England.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this talk, Megan Clifton (Head of Narrative, Boomtown Fair) will discuss her learnings in her three years holding the storyline, the challenges of managing a truly collaborative fictional world, and how the ground-up model of interactive storytelling continues to find its feet.Boomtown is the largest interactive theatre in the world, aiming to create an accessible, playable space where the audience can imagine new versions of themselves, new futures for themselves, try new realities on for size and become what they've always dreamed of becoming. Starting in 2009, Boomtown has kept a narrative throughline throughout, becoming deeper, more intricate and more multifaceted year-on-year. This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Ollie Jones (Co-Founder of SWAMP) and James Seager (Creative Director of Les Enfants Terribles) to learn more about their journey from entertainment providers to established brand collaborators as they share how they made a meaningful transition, what they wish they had known in the early days and the benefits, opportunities and challenges of the brand engagement and immersive entertainment worlds coming together.Both Les Enfants Terribles & SWAMP have a long legacy of delivering award-winning, innovative Immersive Entertainment experiences, leading to their signature styles and expertise being sought out by brands for experiential campaigns. This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this session, Jessie Fu (Senior Manager of Strategy and Partnerships) highlights what Fever have learned about how new technologies are empowering immersive experience creators. Jessi shares topline data on key components and considerations that have driven a show's successes from conception to execution, and discusses how integrating commercial and technical strategies can reduce risk. Jessie also unpacks how the strategic use of data and demand generation can better meet audience expectations and improve commercial performance. Additionally, she provides insights into how some of their experiences have scaled globally. This session was designed to equip creative leaders with the tools to blend artistic vision with business acumen, using technology as the connecting force.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Les Seddon-Brown (CEO and producer of Rematch) takes us through the makings of this unique show and how they were able to engage a higher-than-average attendance by first time Immersive goers of all ages and members of the global majority and dive into how the show resonated with a broad and diverse cast, crew, audiences and communities alike.Rematch remagine the greatest stories in sport as live immersive events. Part immersive theatre, part festival, Rematch allows audiences to time-travel back to experience these stories as if they were there. Over 78 shows, Rumble in the Jungle Rematch gave fans in London the opportunity to travel back to Zaire 1974 to witness the Greatest boxing fight in history between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this session, Laura Wilkinson and Ben Fredericks talk about the development process for incorporating accessibility in their immersive show "Choosing Children" from the outset of the creative process, the lessons learned, and where accessibility in immersive can go from here.Choosing Children was a dramatic and interactive live spectacle for an intimate audience, which aimed to be fully accessible and inclusive. Audiences could request British Sign Language, Audio Description, and/or Captioning in every performance through an integrated Access System.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Davina Vencatasamy talks to Dr Chamari Wedamulla. Chamari is an independent researcher specialising in music education, with expertise in integrating music therapy approaches to enhance student mental health and well-being. Previously affiliated with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham City University,  Chamari contributed to the Fair & Inclusive Music Midlands (FIMM) project commissioned by Arts Council England, exploring the perceptions of the Midlands music education landscape and current learning barriers faced by young people, while coordinating with a range of key stakeholders and organisations within the field. Chamari's  PhD in Music Education and Music Therapy (Kingston University, London) focused on employing music therapy techniques in education to support adolescents' mental health. She was a steering group member of EDI MS, which is a cross-organisational network which aims to promote, support and share good practice in relation to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Music Higher Education in the UK. Chamari has co-authored reports for Arts Council England and contributed to publications such as The Routledge Companion to Women and Musical Leadership (2024).

Joe Strickland (Digital Producer, DaDaFest), Laura Wilkinson (Producer, Ben Fredericks [Collaborations]), Thomas Florence (Artistic Director, But Why? Theatre) and Ben Fredericks (Writer and Director, Ben Fredericks [Collaborations]) discuss how the immersive sector can avoid disabling those audiences in the all too familiar ways they have been disabled by other forms of art and entertainment. This panel was a discussion between immersive creators about the broader topic of accessibility and how to make sure that creators and producers, can incorporate accessibility into events and experiences in a creative and effective way.This talk was recorded at the Immersive Experience Network Summit in October 2024 and is supported by Arts Council England and our industry partners Illusion Design & Construct, Mance Communications, White Light, Deterministic, Immersif, d&b audiotechnik, Scene2, Little Lion Entertainment, Entourage, and Vista Insurance.Discover more content from IEN: https://immersiveexperience.network/articles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susan Barker is the author of four books. Her third novel, The Incarnations, was a New York Times Editors' Choice and Notable Book, a Kirkus Reviews' Top Ten Book of the Year, and was shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize for Fiction. On this episode of Little Atoms she talks to Neil Denny about her latest novel Old Soul. An excerpt from Old Soul won a Northern Writers' Award for Fiction in 2020, as well as funding from Arts Council England and The Society of Authors. Susan currently lives in Manchester, where she is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can the arts help us to encounter others? In December 2024, we were part of a fantastic live discussion at the RSA (Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) discussing how the arts can unlock unheard voices. This podcast brings you some highlights from the event with some extra insights and updates from our Dash Arts Artistic Director Josephine Burton. Hosted by Tom Stratton (Chief of Staff at RSA), our Artistic Director and Chief Executive Josephine Burton was joined on stage by Alan Finlayson (Professor of Political & Social Theory, University of East Anglia), Alecky Blythe (Playwright), and Dawid Konotey-Ahulu (co-founder of Redington, Mallowstreet, and 10,000 Interns). Sue Agyakwa whom we met in a speech-making workshop in Newham earlier in 2024, also, kindly, shared her speech live. Josephine and Alan shared what they've learnt from their 18 month long speech making workshop programme across the country that will culminate in Dash Arts' 'state of the nation' theatre production, Our Public House, in 2026. Our Public House is funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England, The Thistle Trust, Three Monkies Trust, and individual giving.You can watch the full event by visiting the RSA's website or their YouTube Channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alright, this week…It's the OBS year in review! From Beyoncé showing off her Italian Baroque chops to Arts Council England continuing to be the enemy of opera, to friend of the show Anthony Roth Costanzo being tapped as Opera Philadelphia's new GD, to other friend of the show Benjamin Bernheim getting the ultimate OBS bump, 2024 certainly was…something. The team breaks it down for you… GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

The RSA and the Creative PEC and Arts Council England are delighted to launch our work into the concept of Creative Corridors: Connecting Clusters to Unleash Prosperity that sets out the emerging evidence base and suggests initial steps for local leaders.This is the live stream of the event launching a policy framework for action, setting out the underlying case for creative corridors, exploring the opportunities and barriers for growth and laying out the practical actions stemming from this to realise place-based prosperity. You will hear from the CEOs from Arts Council England, Creative PEC and the RSA, along with a fantastic panel including Shanaz Gulzar, Tom Adeyoola & Tracy Brabin. There will be a presentation of the report content followed by a wide-ranging panel discussion on Creative Corridors key themes. READ THE REPORT NOW: https://www.thersa.org/reports/creati... #CreativeCorridorsBecome an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3XPiI1k Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Enjoy our special episode which captures and reflects on a discussion on new approaches to sculpture outdoors which took place at the inaugural London Sculpture Week symposium at London Metropolitan University on 25th September 2024. The discussion features contributions from the following speakers:Jo Baxendale, Visual Arts Project Manager Fourth Plinth, Greater London Authority Sarah Carrington, Deputy Director, The Line Dr Libby Heaney, Artist, Frieze Sculpture Stella Ioannou, Artistic Director, Sculpture in the City and Founding Director, LacunaKatie Schwab, Artist, The Line Vanessa da Silva, Artist, Sculpture in the City Dr Jacek Ludwig Scarso, Moderator and Deputy Director, CREATUREFatoş Üstek, Independent writer and curator, Frieze Sculpture  The LSW symposium was developed by The Line in collaboration with CREATURE at London Metropolitan University and supported by Arts Council England and Bloomberg Connects, the official digital partner for London Sculpture Week.This episode is sponsored by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app. The app gives access to over 550 free guides of museum, galleries, sculpture parks, gardens, and other art spaces around the world. Bloomberg Connects is the official digital guide for London Sculpture Week and presents free content for Frieze Sculpture, The Line, Sculpture in the City and the Fourth Plinth. Download the app to discover more.Please support our independent podcast by donating £5 hereRead Shade Art Review Shade Art Review 20% discount codeShade Podcast InstagramShade Podcast WebsiteShade Podcast is Executive produced and hosted by Lou MensahMusic King Henry IV for Shade Podcast by Brian JacksonEdit & Mix by Tess DavidsonSymposium recording by Innerar. Help support the work that goes into creating Shade Podcast. https://plus.acast.com/s/shadepodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.