Podcasts about Edinburgh College

In this episode of the A is for Architecture Podcast, architectural historian at the Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh, Dr Alistair Fair discusses his latest book, Building Modern Scotland: A Social and Architectural History of the New Towns, 1947–1997, which he co-authored with Lynn Abrams, Kat Breen, Miles Glendinning, Diane Watters and Valerie Wright, and published with Bloomsbury in February this year.Scotland's new towns—Glenrothes, Cumbernauld, Livingston, Irvine, and East Kilbride—were bold experiments in urban planning, designed to provide modern, thriving communities in the wake of the Second World War. We discuss the why and how of New Townism, and beyond the concrete and masterplans, reflect on what these places meant and how they shaped the daily life of the people who lived in them. In the end, as always, did they work? And what do they suggest about the contemporary and future of urban growth?Alistair & Co's extensive research and storytelling uncovers the vision, politics, and lived experiences behind these remarkable developments. Have a good listen – Alistair is a wonderful communicator – and find out.Alistair is on Instagram, and above at work. The book is linked above. #ArchitecturePodcast #BuildingModernScotland #newtowns #ScottishNewTowns #UrbanPlanning #ArchitectureHistory #ModernistArchitecture #ScottishHistory #PostWarDesign #AlistairFair+Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick

In this roundtable episode, hosted by Victoria Barlow, Nicole Maceira Cumming and Charlie Spragg discuss their research and the upcoming 'Understanding James VI&I 400 Years On' conference. We delve into the importance of how this shrewd monarch presented himself and his royal dominion not only as king of Scotland, but later of England as well. Having co-organised a conference taking place in July to commemorate the 400th anniversary of his death in 1625, our two guests also touch upon what goes into planning such an event.@KingJamesConf on XGuest Bios:Nicole Maceira Cumming is currently a Teaching Fellow in early modern history at the University of Edinburgh and an RA on the A Very Quiet Street project (University of Glasgow/Woodlands Community Development Trust). She recently completed her AHRC-funded PhD thesis, which examined the role of hunting in the Scottish court of James VI, c.1579-1603. Her previous roles have included a 2022 research placement with the National Trust and University of Oxford, exploring the history of ‘Horse Power' within National Trust properties. She has forthcoming publications on ‘Animals, dominion and the natural order in Post-Reformation Scotland' (Scottish Church History, 2023 prize winner) and ‘Reconstructing the menagerie of James VI, c.1579-1603' (Scottish Archives), and is co-organising the ‘Understanding James VI&I 400 Years On' conference which will take place in July 2025 to mark the quatercentenary of his death.@nicolemaceira.bsky.socialCharlie Spragg is a third-year doctoral student in History of Art at the University of Edinburgh, holding a full scholarship from the Edinburgh College of Art. Charlie's principal research interest is the self-fashioning of King James [VI & I of Scotland and England], particularly through visual and material display. She has been working independently as a historical researcher, most recently for Historic Environment Scotland on the new guidebook for Stirling Castle. Charlie will be a contributor in the forthcoming British Art Studies journal special issue, ‘Reframing King James VI and I'. Charlie is also co-organising the 'Understanding James VI&I 400 Years On' conference. @cvspragg on X@cvspragg.bsky.social

How can electric vehicles shape the future of energy and mobility, and what role does infrastructure play in this transition? In this episode, we hear from Bob Murphy, a technical executive at Scottish Power, as he takes us on a journey through the evolution of electric vehicle fleets and charging infrastructure. With over a decade of experience in the EV space, Bob reflects on the early days of electric vehicles, sharing his personal journey and the challenges faced in pioneering EV adoption at Edinburgh College, including the development of their first all-electric fleet.We explore the practicalities and benefits of adopting EVs for both personal and fleet use, including the advantages of charging points, smart metering, and tailored tariffs for home charging. From Bob's hands-on experiences in setting up charging stations across Scotland to how companies are embracing the shift towards greener energy, this episode highlights the critical role of sustainable energy solutions in today's world.We also explore the rise of renewable energy in Scotland and the broader UK, with insights into how Scottish Power is contributing to net-zero goals, providing smarter, greener living options, and adapting to the changing energy landscape. Thanks to our monthly supporters Boggratt Andrew Till ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Meg Wriggles is an emerging filmmaker based in Edinburgh, known for her dynamic contributions to both the film and skateboarding communities. A recent graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, Meg is the founder of Foundry Films, a women-led production company committed to elevating women in technical film roles. She has produced significant works such as the documentary "Your Next Breath," which focuses on an artist's process and NHS staff experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Episode Summary:Michelle, sits down with the inspiring filmmaker Meg Wriggles. In this enlightening episode, Meg shares her experiences navigating the early stages of her film career and discusses her initiatives aimed at supporting women and non-binary individuals in creative industries. From founding a queer skate collective to establishing her own production company, Meg is a trailblazer passionate about community-building and creating impactful art. Her journey serves as a testament to the power of daring to pursue one's passions, no matter the obstacles.During the episode, Meg Wriggles recounts how she achieved her first film commission while still a student at Edinburgh College of Art. She narrates the inspiring backstory of her documentary "Your Next Breath," which merges art with healthcare narratives, exploring themes of dedication and loss during the pandemic. Moreover, Meg discusses her adventure-filled project "White Horses," a surf film shot under challenging conditions. These experiences emphasize the value of seizing opportunities and the importance of diverse representation in the industry. Listeners will gain insights into overcoming imposter syndrome, the dynamics of the freelance world, and the necessity of supporting underrepresented groups in film production.Key Takeaways:Meg Wriggles emphasizes the importance of daring to pursue one's passion despite uncertainties and obstacles.Her film projects "Your Next Breath" and "White Horses" illustrate how creative endeavors can merge art with meaningful social narratives.Meg advocates for stronger representation of women and non-binary people in technical roles within the film industry.Overcoming challenges, from imposter syndrome to inadequate work environments, require resilience and self-awareness.Creating supportive environments and networks is vital for fostering creativity and inclusivity.Notable Quotes:"I commit to things before I know that they're gonna work, so I think I just jump right in.""You just have to ask for it, don't you? You're just not going to get it if you don't ask. Just be bold.""I found uni really hard. I found it really hard to fit in with my peers. I just found that, like, they didn't like me, I think.""There needs to be more women. Because if there was more women on that set, I don't think he would have felt like he could have talked to me like that.""Creativity comes from people feeling free and relaxed."Resources:Foundry Films – Meg's women-led production company based in Edinburgh.Joshua Nolan Foundation – Beneficiary of Meg's fundraising efforts through art auctions and skate events."Your Next Breath" – Meg's documentary about sculptor Kenny Hunter's COVID-19 NHS memorial project.Girls In Film – Platform releasing "White Horses" online.Don't miss listening to the full episode for an in-depth exploration of Meg Wriggles' creative journey and insights into transforming personal experiences into powerful visual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gene and cohost Tim Swartz explore the histories of mediums and spiritualism, including notable events, with Gerald O'Hara. At age 12, he bought a copy of Alan Bullock's “A Study in Tyranny” and was intrigued by the biographical process and discovered that writers have different perspectives on the same topic. This intriguing discovery led to a life-long study of biography, religion, and the reading of history. In 2006 he launched his 1st book, “Dead Men's Embers.” In 2007, the author's 2nd book “Mrs. Miller's Gift” was published to mark the 75th anniversary of the Edinburgh College of Parapsychology. And in 2009, the CD and book” Mrs. Miller's Gift CD” was published. “I Come to the Garden,” 2017 is Gerald's fourth book, and a new edition is in preparation. "Ethel Post Parrish" is Gerald's is the fifth book and his latest work is, "Spiritualism's Scandal: Mediumship in America." You learn more about his lengthy study of this scandal, and its implications, in this episode.

Episode 24 explores the work & trajectory of NYC-based artist, Gwyneth Leech. For almost a full decade, Gwyneth has been fascinated with painting the building and construction of massive skyscrapers in NYC. Find out what prompted this new subject matter and where it led! We talk about Gwyneth's creative path, the places imprinted upon her, choral singing, and the possibility of architecture to address the challenges of the current climate crisis. Gwyneth's artwork has been featured in solo and group shows throughout the United States and Great Britain and is the subject of a multi-award winning documentary, The Monolith. Her paintings are held in private and construction-industry corporate collections in the USA, Great Britain, Italy and Australia, including the New York Historical Society Museum.  She holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a BFA and Postgraduate Diploma from Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland.  Please check out links to her work below including 2 current exhibitions!Gwyneth Leech Website & InstagramThe Monolith, documentaryModern Steel Construction InterviewSkyscraper MuseumGarment District AllianceJohn Marin watercolors discussedPlease Subscribe to the show, leave a review and share this episode on social media or with friends! Check out our website for more information and follow us on @artist_and_place Steam Clock. Theme music by @GraceImago Podcast graphic design by @RobKimmel

Join Beata Wilczek, founder and research director at Unfolding Strategies, a fashion consultancy and edu lab for fashion in web3, and her guests to discover new and brave voices in fashion innovation, design, research, and education. Tune in and learn about Just, Sustainable, and Digital Fashion Futures, straight from the Unfolding Strategies headquarters in Berlin and beyond. In this episode, our guest is Marie Genevieve Cyr. Marie is a fashion designer, artist, and educator. Her most recent research examines the politics of abstract desire, hyper-reality, hyper-consumption, and the online social space - the internet. She is interested in new questions on how do Post-Internet artistic strategies influence fashion design practices. Cyr is an Associate Professor of Fashion Design and the Director of the BFA Fashion Design program at Parsons School of Design. She has an MA in Visual Culture/Fashion Theory from New York University, a BA in Design and Applied Arts from the Edinburgh College of Art and a Certificate in High Impact Leadership from the Institute for Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge, UK. Cyr has spent extensive time in Asia, more specifically China, studying design practices. In addition to Parsons School of Design, Cyr has created and taught experimental design processes workshops for universities such as Donghua University (Shanghai), Royal College of Art (UK), Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI), China Academy of Art (Hangzhou), HEAD (Geneva), and various art organizations. She has been an Artist-in-Residence at the Red Gate Gallery (Beijing, China, 2014), and Palazzo Monti (Brescia, Italy, 2019). http://unfoldingstrategies.com http://beatawilczek.net https://www.mariegenevievecyr.com https://jeudemots.club/ Podcast Host: Beata Wilczek Guest: Marie Genevieve Cyr Music: SKY H1 Podcast Producer: Julia Kąkolewska #UnfoldingStrategies #Unfolding #UnfoldingPodcast #FashionKnowledge #FashionKnowledgePodcast #FashionPodcast #FashionEducation #FashionFutures #SustainableFashion #ResponsibleFashion #EthicalFashion #DigitalFashion #DigitalArt #DigitalDesign #VirtualFashion #CryptoFashion #MetaFashion #DigitalEducation #DigitalLiteracy #DigitalSustainability #Fashion #Podcast #Innovation #Future #Trends #Technology #Web3 #Sustainability #Inclusivity #Diversity #Equity #Metaverse #NFT #Blockchain #Cryptocurrency #AR #VR #XR #AI #3D #3DFashion #3DArt #3DDesign #VirtualReality #VirtualFashion #VirtualHumans #VirtualGoods #BeataWilczek #MarieGenevieveCyr

It's all KOHLA The seven track LP is the highly-anticipated album from this talented artist who has already forged a strong fan base thanks to previous singles One and Only premiered by Wonderland Magazine, Sweetest Love, which was awarded Single of the Week on BBC Radio Scotland, and Bedroom which was hailed as ‘an answer to pop misogyny' by The Herald Newspaper. Kohla is the project of Rachel Alice Johnson, a singer-songwriter and musician with a classical background. An interdisciplinary Scottish artist, she is a singer, songwriter, producer, fine artist, dancer, poet and a graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art. She is also the founder of Popgirlz Scotland, a support group for women in music, and lectures about feminism at international universities. A self-taught producer, working primarily in orchestral programming on Ableton software in her home studio (statistics show that only 2.9% of producers are female). She has recently been selected by Help Musicians to undertake production and mixing training with professional female Ableton trainer Anna Lakatos. Speaking about the new album, Kohla said: “I've always felt incredibly fascinated by the concept of romantic love; how cinematic and luxurious it feels to be adored by another human being. How rare it is. And how devastating it can feel to lose. “I wrote ‘Romance' whilst enduring a summer of filmic heartbreak. In desperate need of an emotional release, I turned to my piano for comfort. I wrote personally and vulnerably, for what felt like the very first time. Within eight weeks, ‘Romance' had written itself. “In hindsight, ‘Romance' feels very much to me like a ‘coming-of-age' album. From a female perspective, I realised I had grown up with a blissful naive idea of romance, whether formed through Disney or education. I felt impassioned to detach from this oppressive ideology, where women require a sub-standard partner to provide safety or validation. It feels emotional to let go of the little girl who wanted to believe in so much. But it's left me with a valuable perspective - the love I found for myself is worth so much more.” As a clarinettist she performed in school orchestras and competed in national competitions, while at home, her father would play Classic FM, subtly exposing her to masterpieces by Beethoven, Mozart and Debussy. Alongside these formative influences, Kohla draws inspiration from legendary 60s artists such as Sam Cooke and Etta James, and her cinematic production nods to the likes of Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey and FKA Twigs. ‘Romance' is co-produced by Kohla's creative partner Dave Lloyd, of the Edinburgh band Stillhound, and her sonic stories are coloured through a blend of digital and analogue, a vivid illustration of her sepia-tinged memories. Written during a summer that Kohla describes as a period of “filmic heartbreak”, ‘Romance' is the sound of emotional release and vulnerability. During the album's creation, she took inspiration from a range of sources, including daily hikes, meditation, painting and reading, the legendary soul and jazz of Etta James, Sam Cooke and Nat King Cole, Jackie Kay's poetry and Sofia Coppola's motion pictures. ‘Romance' marks the culmination of a rich and deeply creative and heartfelt chapter in Kohla's creative journey and musical career, and is an assured and alluring debut album from this exceptional artist. #KOHLA #Music #Popgirlz

On this episode of the pod, my guest is Penny Travlou, a Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Cultural Geography and Theory (Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art/University of Edinburgh). Her research focuses on social justice, the commons, collaborative practices, intangible cultural heritage and ethnography. She has been involved in international research projects funded by the EU and UK Research Councils. For the past eight years, she has been working with independent art organisations in Colombia and most recently in the African continent to understand the commons from a decolonial perspective and to look at commoning practices within artistic forms while understanding the specificities of the commons rooted in various socio-cultural and geographical contexts. As an activist, she has been involved in a number of grassroots and self-organised initiatives on housing and refugees' rights in Greece.Show NotesGreek Elections and the Rise of the Ultra-RightExarcheia and the Student Uprisings of 1974An Olympic Tourism Plan for AthensMass Tourism Consumption in ExarcheiaGovernment Plans to Dismantle Local Social MovementsThe Greek Golden VisaAARG and Community Action Against GentrificationFortress EuropeWhen Will the Bubble Burst?Advice for Tourists; Advice for OrganizingHomeworkPenny Travlou University of Edinburgh WebsiteAARG! AthensPenny's TwitterTranscript[00:00:00] Chris: Good morning, Penny, from Oaxaca. How are you today? [00:00:04] Penny: Very good. Good afternoon from Athens, Chris. [00:00:07] Chris: So perhaps you could share with me and our listeners a little bit more about where you find yourself today in Athens and what life looks like for you there. You mentioned that you had local elections yesterday.[00:00:19] Penny: Yes, I am located in the neighborhood of Exarcheia but towards the borders of it to a hill, Lycabettus Hill. And I am originally from Athens, from Greece, but I've been away for about 20 years, studying and then working in the UK and more specifically in Scotland.So the last eight years, since 2015, I've been coming and going between the two places, which I consider both home. And yes, yesterday we had the elections for the government. So we basically got, again, reelected the conservatives, which are called New Democracy, which is a neoliberal party, but also government also with patriotic, let's say, crescendos and anti-immigration agenda.And at the same time, we have first time, a majority in parliament of the, not even the central, but the right wing, in the Parliament. So it's 40%, this party and another three which are considered basically different forms of ultra- right. And one of them is a new conglomeration, from the previous, maybe, you know, or your audience Golden Dawn, which is a neo- Nazi party, which was basically banned and it's members went to us to prison as members of a gang, basically.But now through, I don't want to go into much detail, managed to get a new party called the Spartans, which obviously you can think what that means, plus two more parties, smaller parties, which are inclined towards very fundamentally religiously and ethnic focus, meaning, you know, anti immigration.And then it's the almost like the complete collapse of the radical left that is represented by Syriza. The Communist Party is always stable. You know, it's the fourth party. So anyway, we, it's a bit of a shock right now. I haven't spoken with comrades. Not that we are supporters of Syriza, but definitely change the picture of what we're doing as social movements and what it means to be part of a social movement right now.So there will be lots of things happening for sure in the next four years with this new not government. The government is not new cause it's the current one, just being reelected, but the new situation in the Parliament. [00:03:02] Chris: Hmm. Wow. Wow. Well, perhaps it's a moment like in so many places, to begin anew, organizing on the grassroots level.You know, there's so many instances around the world and certainly in Southern Europe where we're constantly reminded of the context in which local governments and top-down decision makings simply no longer works.And that we need to organize on a grassroots level. And so I'm really grateful that you've been willing to speak with us today and speak with us to some of these social movements that have arisen in Athens and Greece, in Exarcheia around the notions of immigration as well as tourism.And so to begin, you mentioned that you've been traveling for the last half decade or so back and forth and I'd like to ask you first of all, what have your travels taught you about the world, taught you about how you find yourself in the world?[00:04:02] Penny: Very good question. Thank so much for raising it because I won't say about my personal history, but my father was, actually passed away a couple of years ago, was a captain in the merchant Navy. So for me, the idea of travel is very much within my family. So, the idea of having a parent travel, receiving letters before emails from far away places was always kind of the almost like the imagination of the other places, but also reality.So, when myself become an adult and moved to the UK specifically, to study and then work. This became my own work and my own life reality because I had dramatically to live between two places. So, it was almost this idea of not belonging and belonging. This concept from in both places, but also the specific type of research, because, I haven't mentioned that my day job is an academic. I am currently, equivalent in the United States will be associate professor in geography, but in the school of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. But the type of research I do request me to travel a lot. I'm looking on the idea of collaborative practices in emerging networks of artists, digital artists, specifically activists and trans-local migrants.So what it means actually to connect and to collaborate and to share knowledge and co-produce knowledges. Actually knowledge travels. So everything in my life, in the last two decades is around this, let alone that my own PhD was about tourism. I was looking on tourist images and myths, myths in metaphorically speaking of representations of Athens before the Olympic Games of 2004.So the journey and the travel and tourism is very much part of what I do in my day job, but also on other things I do personally. So what I learned through this is, first of all, maybe it's very common to say that without travel, knowledge doesn't travel.So, how we basically do things and flourish and develop ideas is through the sharing and sharing travels very much. So, movement is totally important. [00:06:37] Chris: I think that, for so many of us who have taken a critical eye and, and looked to the critical eyes around tourism and over tourism in the tourism industry, that there is this sense that things can be different and things must be different.To find a way to look towards, as you said, some sense of collaboration, some sense of interculturality, some sense of working together so that our earthly movements can produce honorable connections and meetings as opposed to just this kind of flippant and flacid kind of turns style travel.And so, I've invited you on the pod, in part, today, to speak about this neighborhood that you're in Exarcheia in Athens, in Greece. And you know, I imagine that many of our listeners have never heard of this, this neighborhood before, but many in Greece and many, many in Athens have, certainly. And I'm wondering if you could offer our listeners a little bit of background in regards to why Exarcheia is such a unique place and why it attracts so much attention politically in terms of social movements and also with tourists.Mm-hmm. [00:07:53] Penny: The history of Exarcheia is quite long in the sense with where it is in the very center of Athens. So if somebody basically get the Google map, you will see that the neighborhood is in walking distance from the Greek parliament. And Syntagma Square, which is another important square with regards to movements.It became very known in later years in the 2010s due to not only riots demonstrations that happened in what we now call the square movement. It started from Spain, to put it this way, and then to Greece, as well, in Athens. So Exarcheia is very central, but also it was since, postwar, it was a bohemic neighborhood.Lots of artists related to the left or at that point to communist party, et cetera, were living here, but also there were theaters, independent theaters, the printing houses. So we have a number still of Publishing houses that they are located in various parts of the Exarcheia neighborhood. So it has put its imprint into the Athenian urban history for quite a number of decades. And when I say Communist party, the communist Party was not legal at the time, when we say postwar. But, we had people inclined towards the left, like intellectuals, et cetera.Then with the dictatorship that happened in 1967-19 74, that's when first time really it gets, it's a real place in the political side of not only of the left, but also generally speaking of the political milieu and situation in Greece and abroad, and became very known due to the uprising, the student uprising against the dictatorship or otherwise, as we call it, junta in 1974, where here in Exarcheia is also the National Technical University of Athens, which is known also as a Polytechnic, where it was basically the uprising against the dictatorship with students basically rioting, but also died. So, it became an iconic part of the student movements since then in Greece. So, since the seventies.People can Google search or YouTube. They will see various documentaries dedicated specifically to that student uprising. And through that, after the dictatorship, one thing which was added in the Constitution and now has changed with this current government is that for a number of decades, it was what we call the asylum.That the police or the army cannot enter the university premises, and that's across Greece. So, students can occupy buildings. They can have, their own strikes, et cetera, without the police and or army entering. However, the Constitution changed a year ago. During the COVID period with the current government, the conservatives were basically they're not only say the police can enter if there is antisocial behavior happens within the university premises, but also that they will basically would like to have a police dedicated to university premises. Anyway, things are changing, but if we go back to Exarcheia and to your question, so since then the seventies, it became the neighborhood hub for the left and particularly for the radical left to congregate, to meet, to have social spaces.And also that a lot of demonstrations start from this neighborhood. And also since late eighties, became also the center of the anarchist and anti authoritarian movement. Since 2015, it was also a hub for those let's say groups, initiatives dedicated to offer solidarity to the newly arrived refugees in Greece and Athens due to the Syrian conflict. Yeah. So there is lots of facts related to why Exarchia has become iconic neighborhood with regards to social movements and definitely since 2015. The year of the election of the radical left as said, Syriza government at the time were attracted also more attention from abroad, from journalists and "solidarians," comrades, from international or transnational, social movements to come to Greece to see what was happening, to take part into the local movements and initiatives.But also it was the deep time of the austerity crisis. So, we have austerity crisis and refugee crisis at the time, ...and tourism! How did that happen?I was at that point here in 2015 is when I started coming in Athens and spending more time. And it was much more obvious that, first of all, before Athens, it was a completely different story with regards to tourism and specifically even before the Olympic games of 2004. People from abroad were coming, spending one or two days, nothing, just to visit the Acropolis and the other historical sites and museums and go to the islands. Was not basically considered as a beautiful city, as an interesting city. Or even as a modern city.So if somebody wants to see, let's say, "Rough Guides" of that period, the way the city was described was, I remember very well, I think it was a rough guide, "a cacophony." That it was extremely ugly. 2004 basically is the first time that there is a definitely dedicated clear plan from the top, from the government and local authorities to think of Athens as a tourist product.And they made some major plans. One is obviously that it's not about tourists, but it relates to tourism. It's the metro and it's the unification of the archeological sites and creating pedestrian zones, which makes it easier for people to walk through the different places. So slowly, we saw tourism getting, numbers like higher and higher.Interestingly, the austerity crisis that you expected there will be a "no" for tourism became actually an attraction for tourism, first, because things were getting cheaper. And the crisis created this, actually, this opportunity in that sense. And secondly, that even the radical left government, Syriza thought that tourism is an industry that can top up the economic issues related or the economic, the financial deficiencies of the country.So it created a series of possibilities for investment from people from abroad to invest in real estate that was matched with the beginnings of the short-let accommodation businesses, Airbnb and equivalent. So all these started slowly creating a fertile land of the right conditions for the tourist economy to flourish further. And to get tourist numbers up in such an extreme that in 2019, we reach full capacity in regards to accommodation. And I don't remember now that in numbers of millions of tourists who visited the country. So there's lots of factors which brought Athens to experience.And of course, Exarcheia, specifically mass touristification, because Exarcheia is in the center of Athens. Very easy to come. Secondly, attractive because it's a vibrant neighborhood, not only because of social movements, because the tourists who come are not all interested in the political scene of the area, but mostly it's about consuming this very vibrant nightlife economy.It's the art economy, which is related with the street art and basically night economy because it has a lot of cafes which have doubled. Nowadays is one of the most populated with Airbnb accommodation. Wow. [00:16:56] Chris: Wow, what a history. It seems, from what I've read, from what I've seen, that Exarcheia was, perhaps summarize it in a single word, a kind of sanctuary for many people over the decades.And and you mentioned the Olympics too, but certainly Barcelona as well had the Olympic Games in the last 30 years, and then you tend to see this similar result or effect or consequence after the Olympic Games in which the cities themselves in some cases are either abandoned in terms of infrastructure.And so all of the billions of dollars that went into them seems to have been only for that month of the Olympic Games or in the case of Athens or, or Barcelona, perhaps, that it's created this unbelievable kind of spiraling out of, of economic growth, if you wanna call it that.But certainly of gentrification, of exile and the increase in cost of living. Mm. And so in that regard, Penny, I'm curious, what have you seen in regards to the growth of tourism in Athens? How has it affected the people, the culture, and the cost of living there?Hmm. What have you seen on that kind of street level? Cause we can talk about it on an economic level, right? Where we're kind of removed from the daily lives of the people, but what do you see in regards to your neighbors, your family, your friends that live in that neighborhood with you?[00:18:18] Penny: Okay. I mean, first of all, I mean there is a lot of things that happen in Exarcheia and now it's clear there is also a strategy to completely dismantle the social movements. It's not like extreme to say that, but it's very clear and that's what the discussions now are focusing. And it's important to say that because in order to do that, one of the ways is to basically disrupt the spaces, disrupt the space that this happens. And Exarcheia is not metaphorically the location that the social movements and initiatives are and happen,but it is the first time that we see a plan, a strategy that if there is a future here, that through not anymore tactics, but strategies from the government and the local authorities, which also are conservative, in one sense.So, to give you an example, Exarcheia neighborhood is identified by its square. The square. When we talk about Exarcheia, we talk about the Exarcheia Square, specifically, when you want to talk about movements. Not the things were happening on the square, but it's identification of the movements.So, the government with the municipality decide that the new metro station in the Exarcheia neighborhood will happen on this square. So, through this, they block completely, they fence the square, so there's no activity in the square. So, this completely changes the landscape.To put it this way, the imaginary of this landscape for the local residents, but also visitors. So, if you check the images, you will see, which is a reality, is a five meter fence. So it's definitely changes. So, I'm saying that cause somebody from the audience say, but "yes, it's for the metro. It's for the benefit of the people."Of course it's for the benefit. But there were also Plan B and Plan C that was submitted by a group of architects and some of them academics from the university here to suggest that they are better locations in the area for the metro for various reasons. "No, the metro will def will happen in the Exarcheia Square."And there is now a number of initiatives that they were dedicated to solidarity to refugees now are moving towards struggles and resistance against the metro. Mm, wow. And how tourism comes in, because you have the blocking of a central square, for a neighborhood, which is its center and then you see slowly, more and more businesses opening, pushing out or closing down all the more traditional local businesses, for opening businesses more related to tourism, like restaurants that they have a particular clientele, you know, of the food they promote, et cetera, which definitely dedicated to this particular clientele, which is basically foreigners.The second thing that happens and has to do, of course, with gentrification. In the high rank of gentrification, we're experiencing aggressive gentrification, fast and changing the look and the everydayness of the neighborhood, is that since the Syriza, they make things much easier for foreign investors through what is called golden visa.Mm-hmm. The golden visa is that in order for a non-European, non-EU national to be in Europe. And you need a specific visa, otherwise you can be only with the tourist visa for three months. In order to obtain a longer term visa of five years, 10 years, is this we call Golden Visa, where you can invest in the local economy, like in London, I don't know, in Paris. Greece has the cheapest Golden Visa, which is until recently up to 250,000 euros. So imagine it's not a lot of money if you want to invest. So, people will start getting this visa by buying property, and obviously they want to make more money by converting these places into Airbnbs.Mm-hmm. They started with individuals like, let's say me that I decide to buy a property in Paris, but now we have international real estate developers, like from China, Israel, Russia, Turkey to say a few and Germany, where they buy whole buildings, right. And they convert them to Airbnbs, not only for tourists, but also for digital nomads. So, for your audience, for example, yesterday I was at an event and I was speaking to a young artist and the discussion moved, I don't know how to, "where do you live?" I said, "I live Exarcheia." He said, "I live in Exarcheia. I asked, "Where?" And he told me, "I live there. But I have big problems, because although I own the place through inheritance, I would like to move out to sell it, because the whole building, apart from my flat and another one has been bought by an international company and now my neighbors are digital nomads, which means I dunno who these people are, because every couple of weeks it changes. It's fully dirty. Huge problem with noise. Lots of parties. It's extremely difficult."So, imagine that this changed. There are stories of this, a lot. The other thing that has happened in Exarcheia is young people, in particular, are being pushed out because the rents, as you understand, if somebody who wants to rent it for Airbnb then thinks in this mindset and something that was until recently, 300 euros. A one bedroom flat. Now it ends up in 500, 600 euros, where still the minimum sa salary is less than 700 Euros. Wow. So people are being pushed out. I have lots of examples of people, and when I say young, not young in the sense of 20s, but also people in their forties that they are being pushed out. They cannot rent anymore, let alone to buy. To buy, it's almost impossible. Yeah. [00:25:04] Chris: Yeah. Almost everyone I talk to, doesn't matter where they live these days and not just for the podcast, but in my personal life, and of course with the people who I interview on the podcast, they say the same thing. This housing crisis, if you wanna call it that, because I don't know if it's an issue of housing, as such, but an issue of regulation, an issue of the lack of regulation around these things. And it's clear that so much of the issues around tourism have to do with hyper mobility and and housing. Yes. Or at least that's what it's become in part. Mm-hmm. And so I'd like to ask you, Penny, I know you're also part of an organization named AARG! (Action Against Regeneration and Gentrification) in Athens. Mm-hmm. And so participating in the resistance against these consequences.So I'd love it if you could explain a little bit about the organization, its principles and what it does to try to combat gentrification and of course the government and police tactics that you mentioned previously. [00:26:12] Penny: Well, now we are in a turning point because obviously what are we going to do? It's like "day zero."But we started in 2019. It's not an organization. It's an activist initiative. So, we don't have any legal status as an activist group, but came out of a then source of free space called Nosotros, which was located, and I explain why I use the past tense. It was located in the very center of Exarcheia, in Exarcheia Square, basically, in a neoclassic building since 2005, if I'm right. And it was really like taking part in all the different events since then with regards to, you know, things were happening in Athens in particular, and the square movement later on during the austerity crisis years.And it is also part of the anti-authoritarian movement. So, in 2019 a number of comrades from Nosotros and other initiatives in Exarcheia Square came together through recognizing that, definitely, since 2015 started slowly seeing a change in the neighborhood. On the one hand, we were seeing higher numbers of comrades coming from abroad to be with us in different projects with the refugees, but at the same time, as I said earlier, an attraction by tourism. And gentrification was definitely happening in the neighborhood; at that time, in slow pace. So it was easy for us to recognize it and to see it, and also to have discussions and assemblies to think how we can act against it.What kind of actions can we take, first of all, to make neighbors aware of what was happening in the neighborhood, and secondly, to act against Airbnbs, but not only, because the issue was not just the Airbnbs. So in 2019 we started, we had a series of assemblies. We had events. We invited comrades from abroad to, to share with us their own experiences of similar situation, like for instance, in Detroit, that at that time we thought that it was the extreme situation on what happened with the economic crisis in US and the collapse of the car industry, not only with the impact in Detroit and in Berlin, which again, at the time, still in 2019, we felt that Berlin was experiencing gentrification very far beyond what was happening in Athens and specifically in Exarcheia.So, that's in 2019. We had also actions that we start mapping the neighborhood to understand where Airbnbs were kind of mushrooming, where were the issues, but also in cases, because the other thing that was start becoming an issue was the eviction. At that time was still not as, for example, we were reading 2019 and before in Berlin, for example, or in Spain, like in Barcelona or Madrid...but there were cases, so we experienced the case of a elderly neighbor with her son who is a person with disabilities who were basically forced through eviction from the place they were renting, for almost two decades, by the new owners, who were real estate developer agency from abroad, who bought the whole building basically, and to convert it to Airbnb, basically. So we did this. Let's say this started in January 2019, where we just have elections and it's the first time we get this government, not first time, but it's the first time we have conservatives being elected and start saying dramatically and aggressively neighborhood with basically the eviction almost of all the housing spot for refugees in the area, apart from one, which still is here.All the others were basically evicted violently with the refugees, were taken by police vans to refugee camps. Those who had already got the papers were basically evicted and sent as homeless in the streets, not even in camps. So, we basically moved our actions towards this as well.And then Covid. So during Covid we created a new initiative were called Kropotkin-19, which was a mutual aid, offering assistance to people in need through the collection of food and things that they need, urgently, in the area, in the neighborhood, and the nearby neighborhood and refugee comes outside Athens.So, AARG! Has basically shifted their actions towards what was actually the urgency of the moment. So, and what happened in all this is that we lost the building through the exact example of gentrification, touristification. The owners took it because obviously it's next to the square where it's actually the metro and the think, they say future thinking, that they will sell it with very good money, to the millions, basically.So Nosotros and us as AARG! were basically now currently homeless. We don't have a real location because the building was basically taken back by the owners, and we were evicted right from the building. [00:32:14] Chris: Well, this context that you just provided for me, it kind of deeply roots together, these two notions of tourists and refugees of tourism and exile.In southern Europe, it's fairly common to see graffiti that says "migrants welcome, tourism go home." And in this context of that building, in that relative homelessness, it seems that, in a place that would house refugees, in a place that would house locals even, that this gentrification can produce this kind of exile that turns local people as well as, you know, the people who would be given refuge, given sanctuary also into refugees in their own places.And I'm wondering if there's anything else you'd like to unpack around this notion of the border crises in Greece and Southern Europe. I know that it's still very much in the news around this fishing vessel that collapsed with some seven to 800 people on it, off the coast of Greece.And certainly this is nothing new in that region. And I'm just wondering if there's anything more you'd like to unpack or to offer our listeners in regards to what's happening in Greece in regards to the border crises there. Mm. [00:33:36] Penny: Okay. I mean, the border crisis, is Greece and it's Europe. So when you speak about national policies or border policy, you need also to think of what we call fortress Europe, because this is it. So Greece is in the borders and it's actually policing the borders. And, there's lots of reports even recently that quite a lot of illegal pushbacks are happening from Greece back to Turkey or in the case of this current situation with a boat with more than 500 people.I think it's almost like to the 700. That's the case. So this current government it was for four years, we've seen that it has definitely an anti-immigration policy agenda, definitely backed up by European policies as well.But now being reelected is going to be harder and this is a big worry for, because still we have conflicts nearby. We need to consider environmental crisis that it creates in various parts for sure, like refugees, and we have conflicts.We have Ukraine, et cetera. Although also there is discussion of thinking of refugees in two ways: those that they come from, let's say, Ukraine, which they look like us and those who do not look like us. And this obviously brings questions of racism and discrimination as well.So borders and tourism also. It is really interesting because these two are interlinked. We cannot see them, but they're interlinked. And even we can think in the widest, let's say, metaphor of this, that at the same week, let's say 10 days that we had this major loss of lives in the Greek Sea.At the same time we have the submarine with the millionaires or billionaires, which almost is a kind of a more like upmarket tourism because also we need to think what the submarine represents symbolically to the life we are creating, worldwide.And I'm saying worldwide because I was currently, and I think I talked with you, Chris, about it, in Latin America and specifically in Medellin, which is a city known mostly abroad for not good reasons, basically for the drug trafficking. But one of the things, definitely post pandemic that the city's experiencing is massive gentrification and massive touristification due to economic policies that allow specific type of tourism to flourish through digital nomads having real opportunities there for very cheap lifestyles. Very good technology infrastructure, but other issues that bring mass tourism that in this case is also sex tourism and underage sex tourism, which is really, really problematic. But going back to Athens and Exarcheia in particular, the issue, it's very obvious. We are even now discussing that this thing is a bubble and sooner or later we will see that bursting because tourism is a product. Tourist locations are products and they have a lifespan.And it's particularly when there's no sustainable planning strategy. And an example in Greece, which is recently been heard a lot, is Mykonos Island. The Mykonos Island was known as this like hedonistic economy, up market, et cetera.But right now it is the first year that they've seen losses, economic losses, that it doesn't do well on the number of tourists coming. So, there are these things that we will see. Still, Athens is in its peak and they're expecting big numbers still because we are not even in July. I live now what most of us would say, we don't want to be in Exarcheia for going out because it doesn't anymore looks as a space we knew, for various reasons. But still there is movement. As I said the metro now is the center of the resistance. And also the other thing that I forgot to say that it's actually from the municipality coming in is that they are closing down and closed down basically green areas in the area, like Strefi Hill, and the nearby park for supposedly to regenerate it and to ensure that it's up in the level that it needs to be. But at the same time, they are leasing it into corporate private businesses to run. [00:38:43] Chris: Yeah. Yeah. And just for our listeners, whether this is the intention of local governments or not the closure or at least suspension of these places such as parks or local squares is the refusal to allow people to use public lands or to operate on what are traditionally understood as the commons, right? Mm-hmm. And these are traditionally places that people would use to organize. And so whether this is a part of the government's plans or not this is the consequence, right?And this tends to happen more and more and more as tourism and development reaches its apex in a place. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And Penny, I have a question that was actually written in by a friend of mine who lives there in Athens and his name is Alex who I had the pleasure of meeting last year there.And Alex talks about how everyone in Greece seems to be involved in tourism in some manner or another, that it's according to him "the country's biggest industry and how all of us are bound and tied to it," he said. Mm-hmm. And Alex wonders what alternatives and perhaps worthy alternatives do you think there might be to tourist economies?[00:39:59] Penny: Well, I mean, the issue is not, I mean, tourism is a type of model of tourism as well. I mean and it is also kind of percentages. So if we have more tourists than locals, then there is a question here, what exactly is happening when particular neighborhoods are turned to theme parks?Then again, it's an issue of what exactly offered locals, because okay, it could be good for businesses, but as I said, where is the sustainability in these projects and these models? Because if it's five year plan, then after the five year plan, all these people who are involved in tourism, what are they going to do?The other thing is what kinda tourism we're talking about and what kind services, because if we're all tangled or related with a tourist product, but what we do is servicing, meaning that even very few people will make money because most of us, we will be employees. And saying that is also about labor rights.So this is actually not regulated. There is no real regulation to various levels. Housing, for example, that you touched upon, earlier on in the conversation... In Greece doesn't have a dedicated law. So housing comes in various different parts of law, but it doesn't have a dedicated one.That's another reason why things are very unruly, unregulated. And the other thing is that in Greece, one thing that is unique, in comparison to all the countries, is that after the second World War, there was this idea of small ownership; that the dream is to own a small place, and to give it to your kids, et cetera.So it is very, very complex in that sense. And also as a tenant, it's very difficult to basically to have rights as well. Likewise, when we talk about labor, there's lots of things which are not regulated. So people who work in the tourist industry... it's almost like slavery.Quite a lot of people do not want to work right now in the tourism industry because they know that it's really unregulated and where that ends. So go back to what your friend asked, I'm not an economist and it's not an easy, and it's not, I'm not using it as an easy way to escape from giving a reply, but it's not about how to replace tourism, but it's actually what kind of a tourist model we bringing in because it's the same thing that I brought.So in Greece what exactly are we actually looking as a model to bring things that we saw in other places, didn't work?And they've seen the aftermaths of it. So this is something we need to be very, very serious about. Because at the moment, I think it's a five year plan with no future-thinking further because imagine a scenario that if tourism collapse, and we have all these businesses dedicated to tourism in one single neighborhood. We have urban Airbnb everywhere. What all these privately owned premises going to do? What kind of alternative you they're gonna have? [00:43:27] Chris: Yeah. Yeah. You used the word " replace," to replace tourism and I'm a big fan of etymology of the study of the roots of words and in English, the word replace in its deepest meaning could mean "to place, again." Right. And if we understood the word place as a verb, and not just as a noun, not just as a thing, but as something we do, what would it look like to place again, to consider our place not just as a thing, but as a process, as a process through time.And what would that mean to re-place ourselves. To re-place the time we're in. And it brings me to my next question, which is around solidarity and mm-hmm. I'm wondering in this regard, what kind of advice might you have both for tourists, for individuals, and also for people looking to organize their own communities in solidarity with, for example, the movements, the collectives, the residents of places like Exarcheia. What advice would you have for those people who wish to act and live in solidarity with the collectives that are undertaking these battles in places like Exarcheia?[00:44:51] Penny: Okay. If I remember well, the initiative against the Metro has created an open letter which will be for also address to tourists. So to make them aware, you know, you are here, you are welcome, but be aware that this is happening in this neighborhood, that the neighborhood is not just a product for consumption, but they are us, that we live here and we have been hugely affected by policies against us.It's not a blame to the tourists because we've been tourists and we are tourists ourselves. We go somewhere else. It's a matter to how you are respectful and understanding of what happens in local level and that there are people leaving not only the people who make money out of offering you services, but basically every people who have an everydayness in these areas and they need to be respected as well. And even understand where and what may happen to them. I mean, obviously we hear, and there are people who think, okay, we rather prefer to stay in hotels instead of AIrbnbs because this will basically support further this economy, which is platform capitalism because again, at the end, who makes more money, are the people who own those platforms.So it's about to be conscious and to be open and to see around you. And I'm saying that, and I can give you an example because for me, it definitely summarizes what I want to say. Okay, last summer, I was out with friends in Exarcheia, near Exarcheia Square to have a drink with friends who were visiting. No, no one visiting. One is from here. And in another table comes a seller, a migrant from East Asia to sell something and stop in my table. We discuss something with him and behind him, a couple of tourists with a dog passed by. The dog stops, probably afraid of something and kind of barks and bites the seller, the guy who was actually the vendor.So, the vendor gets really panicked and we say what happened to him? The two people with the dog, say, don't actually listen to him. He's lying. He's trying to get money out of us. And this is a story I mean, of understanding, of two people, you know, coming here not understanding at all and having completely this idea, but at the same time trying to consume what Exarcheia is offering. Is a story that to me can say a lot, actually. Mm, [00:47:23] Chris: yeah. Deep imposition. [00:47:25] Penny: Exactly. Exactly. I mean, as tourists, we need to be more conscious of the places we go. We need to understand and to listen and to hear.It is difficult to do otherwise because I mean, when you go back to solidarity, I mean, this is another thing because we don't expect people who come for couple of days to go to different, let's say, collectives, initiatives and take part.But at the same time, people who come and they want to spend time, in the sense of being part, again, one thing you do is not only you consume experiences, you take the experience and you look something abroad. You share the experience and we need that as well. Hmm. [00:48:16] Chris: Wow. And what would you say to people, for example, in places like Oaxaca, where there's been a tourist economy for the last 10, 20 years, steadily growing, and then after the lockdowns has become a destination like cities in Southern Europe, for digital nomads, for quote unquote expatriates, where now the consequences of the tourist economy are reaching a boiling point a kind of crisis moment, and where people are experiencing a great deal of resentment and backlash against the tourist, but who want to find some kind of way of organizing together in order to lessen or undermine or subvert the tourist economies.What advice would you have for those people maybe looking to places like Exarcheia, places like Southern Europe, where people have begun to organize for many years? What advice would you have for those people, for those collectives? [00:49:21] Penny: Well, the prosperity out of what you can get from this type of economy, it's going to be short term. So those who will make money or those who anyway will make money for those who have small businesses, it's going to be for few years. And particularly with digital nomads, is exactly what the word the term means: nomads. So this year or this couple of years, they will be in Oaxaca, they will be in Medellin.Previously they were in Lisbon. They were in Berlin. There is a product that is movable because their business, the work they do is movable. So for them, is what you offer like a package. And if it is cheap package, they will go there. If it has good weather, they will go there. And easier legislation.So it's a matter of recognizing because at the same time you cannot start pushing and throwing and beating up tourists. You're not gonna change anything. It's basically awareness.I'm not fond local authorities, but I've seen that in cases like Barcelona, the local authorities were more conscious and more aware, and obviously more on the left side. They were trying as well to create policies that has some limitation that at least this thing, it doesn't become beyond what you're able to sustain, basically, to create an equilibrium.But still, even in Barcelona, there are situations as in the neighborhood, which has became totally gentrified and people were pushed out. So they need some kind of legislation to limit the numbers of visitors for Airbnbs or things like that. But in the level of action, it's actually awareness and resistance and to continue.It's not easy because the political situation doesn't help. It has created a fruitful land for this to become even more and more and more. But the idea is not to give up and stop. I know that it's very like maybe generic and very abstract what I'm offering a solutions, because obviously here we're also trying to see what solutions we can have. Maybe you create a critical mass in an international level. Also, you make aware outside of what happens. So, so the tourists before even coming, they're aware of what's exactly happening and also with regards to solidarity between similar causes. Hmm. [00:52:00] Chris: Hmm. Thank you Penny. So we've spoken quite a bit about what's come to pass in Athens, in Greece, in Exarcheia in regards to tourism, gentrification, and the border crisis there in fortress Europe. And my final question for you is do you think there's anything about these movements of people and the way that we've come to understand them about the flight and plight of other people's, not just refugees, but also tourists as well, that can teach us about what it means to be at home in our places?[00:52:40] Penny: Oh, that's a big discussion. Cause it depends. I mean, when you talk about mobile population, like those, for instance, digital nomads, then we talk about something else, which is basically a more cosmopolitan understanding of the world, but also that the world is a product for consumption. So, it is two different layers of understanding also home.And basically when you see advertisements of houses specifically short-lets dedicated to let's say, digital nomads, the advertisements will say something like "home," that what we offer you like home. But when you go to those places and you stay in, what they mean like home, is that you have all the amenities to make your life easy as a digital normal.That you have a fast internet to make your work easy, et cetera, et cetera. So it is a very complex thing and definitely the way we live in, it's between the nomadic that has nothing to do with how we understood the nomadic in previous centuries or histories and to their, place as home, like you have a stable place.So, there are many questions and many questions about borders, that borders are easy to pass if you have the right profile, but then it is a block, and it's actually a "no" for those who leave home because they're forced to. So, it's a very unequal way of thinking of borders, home and place, worldwide.It's not just about Greece or Athens or Exarcheia, but maybe Exarcheia is a good example of giving us both sides who are welcome and who are not welcome. So yes, we say "welcome to refugees" and we see this kind of tagging and stencils and graffiti around because yes, this is what we want. We want them here to welcome them, but at the same time, we say " no to tourism," not because we have individual issues with specific people, but because of what has been the impact of this mobility into local lives.[00:54:59] Chris: Yeah. Yeah. Well, may we come to understand these complexities on a deeper level and in a way that that honors a way of being at home in which, in which all people can be rooted.Mm-hmm. So, I'd like to thank you, Penny, for joining me today, for your time, for your consideration, for your willingness to be able to speak in a language that is not your mother tongue is deeply, deeply appreciated. And finally, how might our listeners be able to read more about your work, about the social movements and collectives in Greece?How might they be able to get in touch? [00:55:41] Penny: Okay. We have on Facebook, on social media, we have AARG!. So if they, look at AARG! Action Against Regeneration & G entrification, but it's AARG! on Facebook and also Kropotkin-19, they will find their information. Now about my work specifically, they will look at my profile like Penny Travlou at the University of Edinburgh. So they will see what I do in Athens and in Latin America. So there is material, some things are in the form of academic text and other things are in videos, et cetera, which are more accessible to a wider audience.[00:56:22] Chris: Well, I'll make sure all those links and social media websites are available to our listeners when the episode launches. And once again, on behalf of our listeners, thank you so much for joining us today. [00:56:34] Penny: Thank you. Thank you very much. Have a good morning. Get full access to ⌘ Chris Christou ⌘ at chrischristou.substack.com/subscribe

What is nostalgia, and what happens when our memories aren't accompanied by the rose-tinted memories typically associated with the feeling? As Open Book welcomes the new theme of nostalgia for this month's sessions, Claire and Marjorie read short story 'Reverie' by Kimberley White and 'Nigh No Place' by Jen Hadfield. Open Book will be at Edinburgh International Book Festival at various dates throughout August. Come along to one of our free (ticketed) shared reading sessions, where our Lead Readers will be exploring the writings of debut authors visiting the festival. Join us at the café in Edinburgh College of Art from 10-11am on 14, 16, 18, 21, 23 and 25 August. Find out more at edbookfest.co.uk -- Open Book Unbound Episode 56 – 7 August 2023 Hosts: Claire Urquhart and Marjorie Lotfi Producer: Colin Fraser Short Story: 'Reverie' by Kimberley White Poem: 'Nigh No Place' by Jen Hadfield, from 'Nigh No Place' (2008), Bloodaxe Books Find out more about Open Book: www.openbookreading.com

portrait by Emma Dove Amy Winstanley (b. 1983, Dumfries, UK) is based in Glasgow, UK. She is currently having a solo show, Lost Hap, at Margot Samel in New York. She received a BA (Hons) in Sculpture from the Edinburgh College of Art (2005) and an MA from the Sandberg Instituut, Amsterdam (2019). Recent solo exhibitions include: Moral Limb, Stallan-Brand, Glasgow, UK (2021); Grief Bruise, Lunchtime Gallery, Glasgow, UK (2021); Inscapes, AndCollective Gallery, Bridge of Allen, UK (2016); and Interconnections, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries, UK (2015). Recent group exhibitions include: Strangers, Rongwrong, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2022); tangible/intangible, The Haberdashery, Glasgow, UK (2022); Potluck, Gallery 17717, Seoul, South Korea (2021); To All Our Absent Dialogues, Warbling Collective, London, UK (2020); Surge, Patriothall Gallery, Edinburgh, UK (2017); Fugue Lounge, Neverneverland, De Punt, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2018); Surge, Patriothall Gallery, Edinburgh, UK (2017); Every word left unspoken during the exhibition is the title, Neverneverland, De Punt, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2017); Spring Fling at Home, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries, UK (2014); and Members Show, Transmission Gallery, Glasgow, UK (2015). Winstanley was nominated for the Sluijter prize for painting 2019 (Netherlands), and has been the recipient of the Hope Scott Trust award (2014) and the Creative Scotland Visual Arts Award (2010 and 2014). Along with the artist collective ALKMY she has published short stories and images in What Ties Ties, Ties (2020) and What Thoughts Think Thoughts (2021) both through Print Art Research Centre, Seoul, Korea. Winstanley has an upcoming solo exhibition at Cample Line, Thornhill, UK in July 2023. Amy Winstanley, Care Bond Chorus, 2023, Oil on canvas, 22 7/8 x 20 7/8 in | 58 x 53 cm, Courtesy the artist and Margot Samel, NYC, Photo by Gregory Carideo Amy Winstanley, Matter is Never a Settled Matter, 2023, Oil on canvas, 59 x 47 1/4 in | 150 x 120 cm, Courtesy the artist and Margot Samel, NYC. Photo by Gregory Carideo Amy Winstanley, Untitled, 2023, Oil on canvas, 13 x 8 7/8 in | 33 x 22.5 cm, Courtesy the artist and Margot Samel, NYC. Photo by Patrick Jameson

What you'll learn in this episode:   How Melanie discovered that classic pearls could be seen in a new light. Why younger people, especially men, are embracing pearl jewelry in a new way.  How Melanie's collaboration with Tasaki broke barriers for Japanese customers.  The difference between types of pearls, and what it's like to work with them.  How launching her brand right after art school gave Melanie a crash course in the jewelry business.    About Melanie Georgacopoulos   With a background in sculpture, jewellery designer Melanie Georgacopoulos works with materials in new ways to release their potential and stimulate new interpretations. She began her exploration of the pearl during her Master's degree at the RCA in 2007, after which she worked as a freelance designer under Antoine Sandoz for major international brands, before establishing her eponymous label in 2010.   In Melanie's work the paradoxical, intriguing nature of pearls and mother of pearl is at the core of every piece, whilst the aesthetic remains simple, structured and timeless. She continually strives to challenge the existing preconceptions of these organic materials and that of traditional jewellery design itself. It is this unique approach which has given her the opportunity to showcase her pieces regularly at fairs, exhibitions and galleries worldwide.   Melanie became well known internationally for her work with pearls, leading to her collaboration with TASAKI, which began in 2013. Directional line M/G TASAKI was born, marring Melanie's flair to cross design boundaries with the Japanese jewellery company's world renowned craftsmanship. Following the huge success of the seasonal collections Melanie was appointed Head Designer for M/G TASAKI in 2015. She has been a visiting lecturer at Central Saint Martins for the last four years whilst she continues to create her own collections and one-off pieces for special projects.   Additional Resources: Website Instagram Photos available on TheJewelryJourney.com Transcript: Melanie Georgacopoulos has done a few things to pearls that would make an old-school pearl lover gasp. She's cut them, drilled them and combined them in taboo ways, but the result is elegant, modern jewelry for a new generation. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about her collaboration with Japanese pearl brand Tasaki; which types of pearls she loves to work with; and why she didn't appreciate pearls until she saw what was inside. Read the episode transcript here.    Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the first part of a two-part episode. Please make sure you subscribe so you can hear part two as soon as it's released later this week.    Today, we're talking with Melanie Georgacopoulos. Melanie occupies some unusual niches. She's a specialist in designing with pearls, which is very unusual. For those of you who are listening who think that pearls are too old-fashioned or too formal, she has really changed the way pearls are viewed. She lives in Hamburg but has her office in London. She's also the Chief Designer for a collaboration with a Japanese company, Tasaki. We will hear all about her jewelry journey today. Melanie, welcome to the program.   Melanie: Thank you for inviting me, Sharon. I'm delighted to be here.   Sharon: Melanie and I went through a lot of iterations with the time, so I'm glad we did connect. Tell us about your jewelry journey and how you started working with pearls.    Melanie: I have to say I am very lucky, because I've known from quite a young age that I wanted to be creative, and more specifically that I wanted to work in the field of jewelry. I must have been around 12 or 13 years old when I started making things with my hands. I didn't quite know what to do with them, so my brother suggested I use them as jewelry somehow. That gave me a purpose to create objects that related to the body somehow. By the time I finished school, I was 100% focused on the idea that I wanted to involve myself in jewelry.    I grew up in Greece, by the way, so my first step was to study in Athens. I found a private vocational school where I learned about traditional Greek jewelry techniques, handmaking and production. It was more focused on technique rather than design. After those three years, I decided to broaden my horizons, so I went to Edinburgh College of Art and studied sculpture. I went from something quite small to something very large. I did a BA there. After that, I felt that I still needed help to figure out exactly what my voice was.    I was very lucky; I applied for the Royal College of Art and got a place in the jewelry department, which is a master's of two years. I had a fantastic time there. It was during those two years that I discovered pearls. At the time, I was working with a lot of different materials, and I was designing a lot, but I hadn't really found my voice yet. By chance I started working with pearls. My first thought was, “What's inside them? They look intriguing.” I cut one up and saw those broad circles, and I was fascinated; I was surprised; I was intrigued, and I started learning about pearls. I graduated from the RCA, the Royal College of Art, with a collection of deconstructing the pearl necklace.   After graduating, I decided to stay in London. I worked as a jewelry designer for a brand. We designed for other companies. A few years later, I decided to start my own brand because there was still a lot of interest in what I was doing, and I felt there was a niche to be explored. That was 10 years ago already. There was a niche to be explored about contemporary pearl jewelry. There wasn't really anything exciting being done in the field, I felt. This is how my journey started into pearl jewelry.   Sharon: Did you have the emotional support of your family in this?   Melanie: I was very lucky. My parents encouraged me from a young age to find what I was interested in and pursue it. I was very passionate from a young age, and they recognized and encouraged that. They supported me for my studies, which in hindsight I'm also very grateful for because I was completely free to focus on my studies without any financial constraints. They said to me, “We just want you to find what you're really interested in and the rest will follow,” and it has, actually.   Sharon: Did you come from an artistic family? Were they creative? Were they sculptors?   Melanie: In a way. My dad is a lawyer, but he always liked to build things with his hands and work in the garden. He really enjoyed that. My mom is an interior decorator. We always credit her for the artistic name in the family, but I think my dad secretly was also quite artistic, just not for his work. My brother ended up becoming an industrial designer. We were both encouraged to be quite creative. There were no constraints. At the time in Greece, there was a lot of focus on either becoming a doctor or a lawyer. Thankfully they kept us away from that career path.   Sharon: I'm very surprised that English schools would accept somebody who hadn't already gone through their system.    Melanie: I think I was lucky. Going to the Royal College of Art was easier because I had graduated from Edinburgh. In order to get into Edinburgh, I needed to pass an English exam for the language and submit a portfolio which I had worked on. It wasn't just, “O.K., if I show up, I'm going to get a place.” I had to compete for that.    I have to say it was quite a shock culturally to move from Greece to Scotland, but at the same time, it was an excellent training for my English. It was a place where you have to figure things out by yourself. There is no one there to hold your hand, so it made me quite resilient from the beginning. Also, I think it might be the English or British mentality that you have to work hard for what you get. No one is going to be there to hold your hand and provide things to you. You have to find your own way to make things happen, which is what I have continued up until today.   Sharon: When you went from Edinburgh to the Royal College of Art, was it a big change then, or was it just a continuation?   Melanie: It was a big change because I basically had no understanding of the impact it was going to have on me. I was moving to an extremely creative environment, very competitive, but also the people who are chosen to go to the Royal College of Art are extremely talented, extremely focused, extremely passionate. You come in thinking, “Oh, I'm going thrive here. I'm going to be the best,” and you realize that the other 20 people in your class are exactly the same as you, if not better. But it was a very nice context. It wasn't competitive in a bad way; it was actually competitive in a good way.    It was very international. I still have contacts all over the world because I studied there. It was also a change because London is still a very international city in comparison to a place like Edinburgh. In hindsight, I'm so grateful to have come to Edinburgh because I did get a taste of Britain, whereas in London, you get a taste of the world, but not necessarily that much of England.    Sharon: So, you were studying, and you saw a hole in the marketplace? Tell us about that.   Melanie: When you do a master's, you obviously try to do a lot of things at the same time. You're trying to figure out who you are relatively, what is your own point of view in whatever you study, but let's say it's jewelry. I was trying to find my voice because there are all different kinds of jewelry, as you know. There's high jewelry, artistic jewelry, fashion jewelry, and I was trying to figure that out. At the same time, you study a lot of things. You have to write essays. You have to do projects with market research. You have to do specific projects with companies during your studies, like a weeklong project, for example. Part of those projects is to understand not only the context you're thinking of going into in terms of jewelry, but understanding the general context of what is out there. I think it helps you to find your place if you find certain niches or areas that you feel are potentially unexplored.    When I came across pearls, at the beginning, I had absolutely no prior relationship to them the way some cultures do. I didn't really understand the impact of pearls or their cultural significance. I also had no fear because after all these years, I realized people have a lot of connotations about pearls. Wit the more valuable pearls, you are to treat them with respect—I put that in brackets. You're not supposed to cut them, and you're not supposed to do things to them. But because of my sculptural context, I actually saw them as a material, not necessarily as a precious gemstone. That made me free to explore them as a material, but also culturally and design-wise in my subsequent designs. I think that was a very good start for me, to be in this comfort zone of studying where I could be very experimental and put down some solid foundations, which then I was able to grow and expand after my studies as a young professional and as someone who has to make a living out of what they do.   Sharon: When you first looked at the pearls, did you just see, like most people do, strands you put around your neck?    Melanie: Absolutely, yes. The context was really the single pearl strands, the little earrings. There was hardly any pearl jewelry—and by that I include fashion jewelry—on the high streets. Slowly but surely I started seeing fashion jewelry on the catwalks, with brands like Alexander McQueen. Later there was Christopher Kane. Now, for example, there is Simone Rocha, who started putting pearl embellishments on her clothes. All this has the effect that it trickles onto the high streets. Then, the 14, 15, 16, 17-year-olds start wearing plastic pearls, and they slowly understand that it's not that old-fashioned. Then by the time they're 30, they can pay a bit more. They want to wear more expensive jewelry because they can afford it. They start to invest in fine jewelry and keep progressing.   Over the years, I realized I have two sorts of clients. One is the older client who has the classic necklace and earrings, probably the white ones or the darker ones depending on where she's from. She's looking for something different, because I think now is the time that people look for individual jewelry that expresses their style rather than copying something they see in a magazine.   The second type of client is a younger customer who is not particularly interested in pearls but likes the design. They might also happen to have pearls. I think it gives me a nice challenge to try and create pieces that attract both of those clients, because clearly, they look for different things, different scales. Also, they have different budgets.    Sharon: Besides the one in Japan, do you design for companies? Do people come to you and say, “I want my pearls different”? How does it work?   Melanie: I have been in touch with Tasaki since 2012. By that time, I had already started my brand. I was wholesaling in a few stores, and I decided to focus on pearls. When Tasaki approached me, they wanted to take the sliced idea I was known for and turn it into M/G Tasaki Jewelry. They wanted to slowly build an M/G Tasaki brand with me. Unfortunately, my last name, as you know, is very long, so we decided to do M/G Tasaki rather than Melanie Gerogacopoulos, which would be far too long. So, I design exclusively for them.   Then on the side, I have my own brand where I'm able to be creative completely without any boundaries. This is also where I have expanded the last two years on working with mother of pearl, as you may have seen. So, I have clients who approach me because they've seen my work for Tasaki and they want to buy Tasaki pieces, which they can also do through the Tasaki website or in the Tasaki shops. I also have clients who approach me because they want a special piece, a commission, something else I have done for my own brand.   Sharon: When I look at mother of pearl, it looks very fragile or like you have to be very careful with it. Am I wrong with that?   Melanie: You have to be careful, but it's not as fragile as people think. Actually, mother of pearl has been used quite a lot in watches and dials. It's been used in fine watches for a long, long time. We've seen it more and more in fine jewelry in the last few years, but you have to treat it differently than pearl. This is one aspect of it that I find fascinating. It's so close to a pearl. It's the actual oyster that makes the pearl, but you buy it in flat sheets. It's translucent. It's also got the same colors as pearls. You can do different things with it. Even though it's like the first cousin of the pearl, it allows you to do other things that you wouldn't be able to do with pearls. It's a similar material. It's in the same family, yet it's a completely different thing altogether.   Sharon: Do you buy your pearls one by one, or do you say, “Send me a batch and I'll pick the ones I like”?   Melanie: It depends on whether I'm designing a collection. In that case, I have suppliers, for example in Hong Kong, for freshwater pearls. I ask for different sizes and strands that they have in different colors. They send me photos and price lists, and then I decide. I always try to buy more than I need because I think there's no point getting something sent from Hong Kong if it's just for one pearl. So, I'm trying to buy a bit more to have more stock in the office.    Then I have suppliers in London. If I have a special commission, there's a system where they can lend you a few pearls or strands on approval, which means you can borrow them for three weeks, I think, to show them to the client. They can keep them for a few days, and then they return them to you when they've made a decision. It's part of the experience when you work with a private client; they get that extra service so you can customize something for them. You give them the luxury to look at the gemstones, in this case the pearls, before they are mounted on a piece of jewelry. They can look at the pearls against their skin color, for example, and decide before having the finished piece of jewelry in their hands.    So, how I source the materials depends on what I intend to do with them. Because I make collections as well as individual pieces, I have suppliers who can give me access to pearls or other gemstones, depending on what I'm going to be using them for.   Sharon: Did Tasaki approach you because—if you think of Japan, you think of pearls. Well, I do at least.    Melanie: I think we all do, yes. I think it was just extremely good timing. They saw my pieces in the High Street Market in London, which is a big shop and a very conceptual store. They found the products interesting because I was cutting them and joining them and making necklaces, and they were selling very well. They thought, “O.K., someone's doing something interesting. We've never seen this before. It's different than what exists out there, what other competitors are doing.”    I'm sure you've heard of Mikimoto as being a Japanese pearl brand, and they were looking to offer a different perspective on pearl jewelry at the time. So, I was lucky that they saw my pieces when they were searching for new ideas. They suggested we do this joint brand. Every time I think about this, I'm so grateful they placed so much trust in me, a young 30-year-old, Greek/French sculpture jewelry graduate with a young brand, a creative person. A year after we met, we launched the first collection. Luckily it went well, but it could have equally been rejected by the very discerning Japanese customers.   Sharon: You're saying you did the collection a year later. Do they have their own stores, or would they put it in department stores?   Melanie: Yeah, they are a pretty big company, but they're not very well known in the west. They're working on that, but they have a lot of stores in Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan. They're actually quite well-known there, and they were able to place the collection straightaway in their stores and some of the biggest department stores there. Since then, we've made on average one or two collections a year. We launch between 20 to 30 different pieces a year. I've designed over 30 or 40 collections and we're still working together, which is a huge compliment for myself to be designing for a Japanese company for so long.   Sharon: If they're so well-known, is it like if your boyfriend brings you into Tiffany? Your boyfriend brings you to Tasaki?   Melanie: I guess, yeah. I have to say, I really admire that they are Japanese. The stereotype of Japanese people making things extremely well, that's totally true. Being appreciative of tradition and craftsmanship is totally true, but at the same time, they're really wanting and looking for something extremely avant garde. You can see that in the fashion and the fashion companies. I find it very brave of a company to go in that direction in pearl jewelry, because pearls are very culturally significant in Japan. They have a completely different relationship to them than we do. To propose sliced pearls as a first collection, I think that was very daring, and it worked.    Sharon: How did you introduce it? Let's say somebody is 50 and has their pearl necklace they've had for 30 years. You were slicing pearls and doing different things. How did you move them to a younger vibe?   Melanie: I think people always look for something they don't have. There's no point in making another classic pearl necklace if someone already has it, and you're not going to persuade a young person to buy one if they are associated with their grandmother, or the one that stayed in the safe for the last 30, 40 years. I am particularly interested in design more than as a jeweler, more than the value of stones. I feel that my strong point is to create designed pieces which are hopefully innovative and stand through time, but represent the time we're in. They do stand the test of time, and I hope this is what attracts younger people to the jewelry. It's something they haven't seen before, something they feel represents the time we're in now. The way to do that is by introducing good design. This is my hope for the jewelry that I present.   Sharon: We will have photos posted on the website. Please head to TheJewelryJourney.com to check them out.    

Originally from Canada, Trevor set out in 1996 with a backpack and a taste for adventure. Three years and four continents later, he found himself in Scotland, fell in love with the country and decided to stay.In 2008 he graduated from Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art with an MA (Hons) in Fine Art and was appointed director of charity Art in Healthcare in Edinburgh.He went on to teach at Leith School of Art while exhibiting in London, Truro and Edinburgh, staging his first solo exhibition in 2010. Since 2012 he has been experimenting with the potential of QR codes in art and combining AR with traditional oil painting.In 2015 he co-founded CreativTek Ltd to provide AR services to artists and left Art in Healthcare and teaching to focus on his own art career. He also “hijacked” images in the Royal Scottish Academy and National Gallery of Scotland to showcase his own work, setting up an app to view his paintings in place of Old Masters.Two years later, he was invited to exhibit AR paintings at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and took his first dive into Bitcoin and crypto trading. Since then, he has “hijacked” Edinburgh's National Portrait Gallery and exhibited crypto-themed work at crypto conferences. In 2021 the open-edition NFT derived from his painting The Bitcoin Angel broke sales record and is now iconic in the NFT world.He also created The Angel's Share NFT to accompany the record-breaking $2.3m sale of a cask of Macallan's whisky and collaborated with rapper Ice Cube.In this conversation, we discuss:- Introduction to Trevor and his work- The intersection of fine art and Q.R code paintings- The importance of motifs and references in Trevor's work- Castle Party at Stirling Castle in 2022 - Castle Party 2023 – what's coming, and what can we expect?- Must needs in the studio- What's next for Trevor as an artist?Trevor JonesWebsite: trevorjonesart.comTwitter: @trevorjonesartInstagram: @trevorjonesart ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This podcast is brought to you by Undeads Metaverse! Get ready for the ultimate gaming experience with Undeads. A post-apocalyptic world with an above-the-ground city for humans and underground lairs for zombies, all powered by blockchain. This unique game is designed to blend top-level mechanics with play-to-earn rewards.Undeads Metaverse has over $5 million already invested and is making waves!The game is Led by Leo Kahn, former PayPal executive and Ash Hodgetts, former CMO of Animoca's Phantom Galaxies.Undeads has secured partnerships with top industry players such as Warner Bros. and Wabi Sabi Sound, with many more to come. Enjoy feature-rich gameplay, a VR experience, and a healthy and efficient game economy verified by Machinations.io.Join the conversation at undeads.com and sign up for the Whitelist now.

We met Bernie Reid whose first UK institutional art show is at Edinburgh Printmakers until 16 March. He uses surprising materials and techniques which may have been acquired as an occasional graffiti artist in Edinburgh - and at Edinburgh College of Art where he studied.

This is a cross-over episode with the Scottish Communities Climate Action Network's (SCCAN) podcast 1000 Better Stories. This episode is hosted by SCCAN Storyweaver, Kaska Hempel, who interviews me about the Shifting the Narrative Project. Shifting the Narrative is a research project I led at the University of Edinburgh from January 2022 until June 2022 engaging with over 50 storytellers who work with stories in relation to nature crises, nature connection, community and social change work, and environmental education. In these six months we collected and synthesised the experiences and wisdom of this group of people to come up with some good practice recommendations for communicators more generally. We found that dialogue is integral to traditional and performance storytelling and that most storytellers working in this area integrate some form of dialogue into their practice. The research also highlighted that the flexibility of stories to interpretation is story's super-power, enabling listeners to meet story wherever they are. Live performances create community at least for the duration of the event, while allowing diversity in interpretation. These key findings challenge mainstream communication around nature crises, which emphasise reaching as many people as possible through broadcast forms of storytelling and ensuring clear messaging. The University team consisted of myself (Alette Willis), Ramsey Affifi and Jule Hildmann in Education and Arno Verhoeven from the Edinburgh College of Art. Our Community Partners: SCCAN https://sccan.scot/ Traditional Arts and Cultures Scotland https://tracscotland.org/ Architecture and Design Scotland. https://www.ads.org.uk/ Our research was funded by the British Academy, which funds research to inform policy. Our research contributed to their Net-Zero Policy Programme More about the research project can be found on my blog: https://restoryingtheearth.com/stories/research-on-storytelling-ethics-and-social-transformation/shifting-the-narrative/ 1000 Better Stories: https://scottishcommunitiesclimateactionnetwork.podbean.com/

This is the second episode celebrating Beyond Human Symposium, which was organised by Rachel Holmes, Rachel Hopkin, Liz K. Miller, Jon Mason and Simon Aeppli. Beyond Human was a techne-funded symposium held at Royal Holloway, University of London on the 26th and 27th May 2022, with keynote speakers the writer and researcher, Gyrus, and the filmmaker and lecturer, Roz Mortimer. This episode features a conversation between Liz and Jon about the themes that the symposium engaged in, around landscape, the paranormal, and connecting with non-human or beyond human forms. More information about Beyond Human: www.facebook.com/BeyondHuman.Symposium lizkmiller.wixsite.com/beyond-human * Liz K. Miller (b. 1983, Hexham) is an artist and researcher whose audio-visual practice spans diagramming, field recording, print and pigment making. She graduated from Edinburgh College of Art (BA), Camberwell College of Art (MA), and was a print fellow at the Royal Academy Schools (2013 to 2016). In 2018 she was awarded an AHRC Techné scholarship to undertake a practice-based PhD at the Royal College of Art. Her research considers how listening to the sounds made by trees can reconnect humans to the forest, and how the combination of audio and visual can be used to enhance that connection. Instagram: @liz_k_miller www.lizkmiller.com www.rca.ac.uk/students/liz-k-miller/ Jon Mason is a professional storyteller with a longstanding focus on the folklore and history of place, and the role of myth in humanity's understanding of life. He has a BA Hons in History with Archaeology from the University of Wales, Bangor, and an MA in Contemporary History from the University of Sussex. He is currently undertaking a Techne-funded PhD at the University of Brighton entitled “Re-storying the city: applying urban perspectives to eco-storytelling.” Twitter: @jonmase Facebook: "Jon Mason Stories and Music" jonthestoryteller.com/ research.brighton.ac.uk/en/persons/jon-mason * Image credit: Rachel Holmes The Technecast:
 technecast.wixsite.com/listen/cfp / contact: technecaster@gmail.com / twitter: technecast The Technecast is funded by the Techne AHRC-DTP, and edited by Julien Clin, Felix Clutson, Edwin Gilson & Polly Hember. Episode introduced and edited by Polly Hember / twitter: pollyhember Royalty free music generously shared by Steve Oxen. FesliyanStudios.com

Episode Summary:In this episode we are interviewing Scottish artist Katie Paterson, on the occasion of the biggest iteration to date of Future Library project in Oslo, and one of her most political works to date, Requiem, which opened in Edinburgh in April. Katie explains: “I've always made artworks that deal with nature and time and climate, but this is the first that isn't afraid to be political and confrontational... It is both celebratory and mythical, and yet it is also the saddest work I've ever made, mourning life lost and expressing a dystopian vision.” Making a quiet and gestural artwork, Katie refers to herself as a whispering activist, calling for awareness of distance with nature. Requiem tells the birth and life of our planet in a single object – an object that uses dust gathered from material dating from pre-solar times to those of the present. Katie's visionary project Future Library is one of the best examples of how artist can contribute to global crisis. “A forest has been planted in Norway, which will supply paper for a special anthology of books to be printed in 100 years time. Between now and then, one writer every year will contribute a text, with the writings held in trust, unread and unpublished, until the year 2114. The manuscripts will be held in a specially designed room in the new public library, Oslo.”“The crisis is not imminent; the crisis is here” George MonbiotThe Speaker:Katie Paterson was born in Glasgow in 1981. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and the Slade School of Art, London, and is widely regarded as one of the leading artists of her generation working at the nexus of art and science. Recent and upcoming projects include solo exhibitions at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh; Turner Contemporary, Margate; NYLO, Reykjavik, and in June 2022 at Galleri F15 in Moss, Norway. Also in June, her 100-year artwork Future Library will celebrate the contributions of the last 3 writers to be commissioned and the opening of the Future Library room in the new Deichman Library in Oslo. A major new outdoor commission Mirage, for Apple's headquarters at Cupertino in California, will be unveiled later this year. Katie Paterson has been represented by Ingleby since 2010.Follow Katie's journey on InstagramHosts: Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 FoundationSign up for ZEITGEIST19's newsletter at https://www.zeitgeist19.comFor sponsorship enquiries, comments, ideas and collaborations, email us at info@zeitgeist19.com Follow us on Instagram and TwitterHelp us to continue our mission and to develop our podcast: Donate

Creator and Independent Producer of numerous award winning movies and long form drama series including: The Man In The High Castle a 40 hour long Amazon series which has become the cornerstone of the streaming network's line-up, winner of two Primetime Emmy's and many other awards. Quartet Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut and Golden Globe nominee, starring Maggie Smith, The Invisible Woman Oscar nominated, starring and directed by Ralph Fiennes, the Emmy Award winning Peter and Wendy starring Stanley Tucci. The Miners winner of the Grierson Award, This Little Life BAFTA nominated and winner of the Dennis Potter, BANFF and RTS awards and Saboteurs the Prix Italia winning series. Stewart studied at the Edinburgh College of Art and Royal College of Art in London and after graduating regularly contributed illustrations for The Times, Sunday Times, Oz, Nova, Time Out, , Spare Rib, Ambit and Management Today amongst many others. He also produced the artwork for the British TV movie The War Game and designs for the Royal Shakespeare Company. His work was featured in the Radical Illustrators magazine published by the Association of Illustrators in which co-editor George Snow singled out Mackinnon as “perhaps the greatest single influence on today's Radical Illustrators.” After being awarded a DAAD scholarship for his film Border Crossing he spent a year in Berlin before returning to the UK where he founded Trade Films which produced films and television such as The Miners' Campaign, Woodbine Place and Grierson Award winner, When the Dog Bites. He was closely involved in devising the Workshop Declaration in partnership with Channel 4. The Workshops worked with their local communities, women's organisations and ethnic minority communities. So began a decade of experiment with progressive and aesthetically avant-garde documentaries and dramas screened on British television, which continued until 1990. Stewart set up the Northern Film and Television Archive in the late 1990s and some years later co-founded the Northern Screen Commission with Sir Peter Carr, and Media Training Centre which provided courses for deaf students which was the first of its kind in the world. In 2005 he founded Headline Pictures with the Head of BBC drama Mark Shivas and after delivering the fourth and final season of Man in the High Castle in 2020 founded Circle Pictures with US based Jere Sulivan with the aim of producing world class drama which explores the pressing issues of our times.

Creator and Independent Producer of numerous award winning movies and long form drama series including: The Man In The High Castle a 40 hour long Amazon series which has become the cornerstone of the streaming network's line-up, winner of two Primetime Emmy's and many other awards. Quartet Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut and Golden Globe nominee, starring Maggie Smith, The Invisible Woman Oscar nominated, starring and directed by Ralph Fiennes, the Emmy Award winning Peter and Wendy starring Stanley Tucci. The Miners winner of the Grierson Award, This Little Life BAFTA nominated and winner of the Dennis Potter, BANFF and RTS awards and Saboteurs the Prix Italia winning series. Stewart studied at the Edinburgh College of Art and Royal College of Art in London and after graduating regularly contributed illustrations for The Times, Sunday Times, Oz, Nova, Time Out, , Spare Rib, Ambit and Management Today amongst many others. He also produced the artwork for the British TV movie The War Game and designs for the Royal Shakespeare Company. His work was featured in the Radical Illustrators magazine published by the Association of Illustrators in which co-editor George Snow singled out Mackinnon as “perhaps the greatest single influence on today's Radical Illustrators.” After being awarded a DAAD scholarship for his film Border Crossing he spent a year in Berlin before returning to the UK where he founded Trade Films which produced films and television such as The Miners' Campaign, Woodbine Place and Grierson Award winner, When the Dog Bites. He was closely involved in devising the Workshop Declaration in partnership with Channel 4. The Workshops worked with their local communities, women's organisations and ethnic minority communities. So began a decade of experiment with progressive and aesthetically avant-garde documentaries and dramas screened on British television, which continued until 1990. Stewart set up the Northern Film and Television Archive in the late 1990s and some years later co-founded the Northern Screen Commission with Sir Peter Carr, and Media Training Centre which provided courses for deaf students which was the first of its kind in the world. In 2005 he founded Headline Pictures with the Head of BBC drama Mark Shivas and after delivering the fourth and final season of Man in the High Castle in 2020 founded Circle Pictures with US based Jere Sulivan with the aim of producing world class drama which explores the pressing issues of our times.

Kerry Heathcote talks to us about her PhD and the innovative Edinburgh College Research & Innovation Forum which she has led. 

In this episode of The ESOL Podcast, ESOL students from Edinburgh College discuss special food from their home countries. We hear from Karima, Anca, Özgür, Aisha, Wilmary, Rasma, Maymona and Lakhi. They talk about traditional and important meals from around the world and share recipes so you can make them yourself.

Begbie chats to guests Scott McDonald and Neil Ross, Psychology and S&C staff at Edinburgh College.Neil is a former gym member and Scott used to teach both Begbie and Sean psychology at school so plenty of blast from the past moments in this one.

Dr Maria Maclennan has been fascinated by jewellery her entire life and now she is the world's first dedicated forensic jeweller. She uses jewellery and personal artefacts found at crime scenes and on the bodies of disaster victims to help solve cases and identify people. Her work takes her around the world to mass fatality sites, where she works with teams of forensic professionals to help bring peace to grieving loved ones. Nalini takes us into her work station in Edinburgh College of Art where most of her research is carried out. Here we explore the project she is currently working on in Greece to identify migrant people who lost their lives trying to cross the border.

This week we sit down with Prof. Richard Williams of the Edinburgh College of Art to discuss his recently published book Reyner Banham Revisited

Amy and Karlie spoke to Georgina aka https://www.instagram.com/chop_stick_n_poke/ about her parents, working as a tattoo artist, then they started veering off into korean and Chinese TV dramas, Speaking Chinglish and Asian uncles lubing Georgie up. Georgina Leung is a British Chinese tattoo artist and illustrator. Spending her formative years in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Georgina later went on to study Illustration at the Edinburgh College of Art, and is now based in London. Follow besean and slide into our DMs and keep the conversation going! https://www.instagram.com/besea.n/ https://twitter.com/besea_n Support the podcast by buying besean a coffee, 100% of the donations now go towards besean! http://bit.ly/Kofibesean Sign petitions: STAND WITH MYANMAR AND TAKE ACTION https://linktr.ee/meemalee ESEA HERITAGE MONTH: Sign the petition to support the launch of East & South East Asian Heritage Month in the UK https://www.change.org/ESEAHeritageMonth We've reached 30,000 signatures! Sign the petition for media outlets to stop depicting ESEA people in Coronavirus related media: https://www.change.org/p/bbc-stop-depicting-east-asians-in-coronavirus-related-media

Welcome to a dive into the Sharing things archive and a selection of 5 episodes that explore transformation, self-discovery and change. Where are you now and where do you want to be? In our first episode of this collection we revisit the conversation between Doug Johnstone and Nikki Moran who discuss paradiddles and flams, the pitfalls of perfectionism, and weird left turns. This episode is hosted by Richenda Rae, who joined us in the summer of 2020. After her summer with us she returned to her final year of medical school. Doug is a Scottish crime writer, musician and journalist based in Edinburgh. He spent four years designing radar and missile guidance systems for planes and helicopters, before deciding to pursue his ambition of becoming a writer. After taking a diploma in journalism, he now writes and reviews for a number of newspapers and magazines, primarily covering music and literature.  His twelfth novel, 'The Big Chill', was published by Orenda Books in August 2020. His previous novel, 'A Dark Matter', was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year.  Nikki is Senior Lecturer in Music at Edinburgh College of Art. She joined the University of Edinburgh in 2007 after receiving her Master's degree from Cambridge and her PhD from the Open University. During her undergrad, Nikki studied classical viola and North Indian sitar performance. Much of Nikki's research focusses on the cognition of music performance, stemming from her fascination between musical performance and social interaction. She is the presenting lecturer and co-author of the free online course ‘Fundamentals of Music Theory'.   Each episode of Sharing things is a conversation between two members of our university community. It could be a student, a member of staff or a graduate, the only thing they have in common at the beginning is Edinburgh. We start with an object. A special, treasured or significant item that we have asked each guest to bring to the conversation. What happens next is sometimes funny, sometimes moving and always unexpected. Find out more at www.ed.ac.uk/sharing-things-podcast  This episode of Sharing things was recorded during the Covid thing. Images designed by Chris Behr. They are part of his Nice Things icon set. 

In today's show I'm joined by James Albon. James is an award winning  British illustrator and author of graphic novels. He studied illustration at Edinburgh College of Art and went on to a postgraduate scholarship at the Royal Drawing School in London. He was awarded the Gwen May award from the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers in 2012 and was a finalist in the Observer/Cape/Comica Graphic Short Story Prize in 2017 for his comic Madame et Me.James' illustration clients include The Folio Society, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal. He has just brought out his latest graphic novel, The Delicacy.'The Delicacy' by James Albon available to buy at your local bookstore, Waterstones or Amazon.Link to Yuko Shimizu discussed in conversation website is  https://yukoart.com/ James's links:https://www.jamesalbon.com/https://www.instagram.com/jamesalbon.illustration/Want to be a guest? Contact:  bob@undercurrentstories.com

#AntiRacismInAction: Scotland with Dr Nighet Riaz, EDI Policy Officer, University of Glasgow, Jim Metcalfe, Chief Executive, College Development Network and Audrey Cumberford MBE FRSE, Principal and CEO, Edinburgh College.Episode 8 of 9 BFELG Livestreams #AntiRacismInAction – Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain, aired today, November 22.Focusing on Scotland, today's episode is the fifth within the Livestream series to explore place-based, system leadership of #AntiRacismInAction. It is also the penultimate episode in this Livestream series. 4% of Scotland's population is classified as non-white ethnic minority – Asian, African, Caribbean or Black, Mixed or Other. The Race Equality Framework for Scotland states that the Scottish Government is determined to show leadership in not only advancing race equality, tackling racism and addressing the barriers that prevent people from minority ethnic communities from realising their potential but also to use its influence to ensure that this is embraced across Scotland. The Introduction to the Framework document paints the all too familiar picture that ‘ 50 years on from the introduction of the Race Relations Action 1965 (the first legislation to address racial inequality in the UK) significant inequalities remain in many areas of life for minority ethnic people. Too many minority ethnic individuals and groups face poorer outcomes than average; including lower employment rates, a higher risk of poverty, under-representation in public life and with racism being a lived and daily experience for too many people. While Scotland has a strong legal framework and innovative public services, too often these services are not treating everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve. No one in Scotland should experience disadvantage due to structural racism or discrimination on the grounds of nationality, ethnicity or national origin. All must be able to achieve equal outcomes in every area of social, economic, civic and political life.'The document sets out how the Government aims to progress this ambition over a 15 year period from 2016 to 2030 through six themed Visions. The first of these is the overarching ambition for race equality in Scotland to be achieved by 2030. The other themes cover outcomes related to community cohesion and safety; participation and representation, education and lifelong learning, employability, employment and income and health and home.As anchor institutions in their communities, Scotland's colleges and universities have the potential to make a strong contribution to the country's overarching ambition for race equality by 2030.In her welcome and introduction to the Episode, Dr Nighet Riaz, EDI Policy Officer, University of Glasgow outlined what #AntiRacismInAction means to her: building relationships, making space for our voices to be listened to by the decision makers and our institutions; recognising that there is a collective drive from activists and educators to pursue change, not only by highlighting the gap but also showing feasible attainable strategies and actions that are needed for that change to happen.And today's Episode, brought together two highly influential leaders in the Scottish educational landscape who are personally and professionally committed to #AntiRacismInAction – Jim Metcalfe and Audrey Cumberford OBE FRSE. Jim Metcalfe is the Chief Executive of the College Development Network (CDN), the national agency in Scotland that supports skills and sector development across colleges and vocational learning. CDN's mission is to support the college and skills system in enhancing success for students, their wider communities, and regional economies by supporting the learning workforce to develop excellent digital skills; promoting leadership development; developing collaborative research and enquiry programmes; and leading and growing the college Climate Emergency Expert Group.During the livestream discussion, Jim affirmed CDN's commitment to raising awareness of the issue of racism on college campuses, and working to create the conditions for confident conversations around this. He highlighted CDN's contribution earlier this year to the creation of a suite of resources to help tackle racism on college and university campuses. A steering group of experts from colleges and universities in Scotland oversaw the development of the resources, which drew on the expertise and lived experience of a diverse range of staff and students working and studying across Scotland's colleges and universities. The resources include a race literacy glossary, utilisation guides, diagnostic tools, templates, blogs and webinars discussing race, racism and whiteness.CDN is currently involved in two working groups as part of the same project which looks at tackling the under-representation of ethnic diversity in the college and university workplace and the development of an anti-racist curriculum.Jim also discussed CDN's collaboration with BFELG in the areas of…..Audrey Cumberford is the Principal and CEO of Edinburgh College. The College has four main campuses across the city and Lothians, 30,000 students and around 1400 staff. Around 3.4% of Edinburgh College's staff have declared being from a *Black background; this figure has more than doubled since 2017, when it sat at 1.5% of staff, but is still not fully representative of the local population (8.2%). The College is ambitious for itself, its students, communities and region, and its role in addressing racial inequality and building on its wider equalities plans. This ambition is palpable. In 2021, Edinburgh was one of the first Scottish colleges to publish its ethnicity pay gap figures. Analysis of the data showed an ethnicity pay gap of 11.3% – 1% above the Scottish average of 10.3%.On leadership and culture, Audrey spoke about how Anti-racism must permeate through the whole college and how as Principal she ensures and creates the right and best environment for impactful change. She highlighted the creation of the College's Anti-Racist Unity Group, a staff network open to everyone who wants to be part of the conversation around anti-racism, conversations being a key part in changing mindsets and changing culture. She acknowledged that this is a small step with much more to do and believes in collective responsibility, and challenge, to embed meaningful and impactful change throughout the College The College is also developing plans to survey staff on the topic of racially and religiously motivated harassment and discrimination to confront the reality of racism on campus and create a benchmark. In addition, the College is one of 44 Scottish colleges and universities that have signed up to the ‘Tackling racism on campus' project's declaration to stand united against racism. Managers across the College have recently taken a 4-part ‘Let's Talk About Race' training course through the Scottish Association of Minority Ethnic Educators (SAMEE). However, Audrey acknowledged that in many ways the College is at the beginning of a journey, with exciting opportunities ahead whilst recognising a number of challenges. BFELG is absolutely delighted that Edinburgh College, the largest college in Scotland, has become a BFELG Affiliated Organisation. Responding to Robin Landman's warm welcome, Audrey said that the College sees affiliation with the BFELG as a very real opportunity to evaluate the journey so far, support us through that journey and to help us ‘step up' our efforts by developing a planned, strategic approach. The College has strong foundations on which to build; the commitment and will to make a difference; and is confident that the BFELG 10-point Toolkit provides the framework, the scaffolding around which to build a clear and deliverable strategic ambition and priorities to tackle race inequalities. As the first Scottish College to partner with the BFELG, Audrey added that the College is also committed to playing it part to promote a team Scotland approach across the college sector. Being Scotland's Capital College and the largest in Scotland, comes with a significant responsibility in serving the people and communities in the region. The College delivers over 10% of the activity of the whole college sector in Scotland and so its reach is significant and represents a very real opportunity to effect change, changing mindsets and practices – not only within the organisation but with wider stakeholders.Speaking about the wider sector and wider landscape both Jim and Audrey shared their thoughts on how Edinburgh College and CDN can help support a sector wide commitment to Anti-racism. The also outlined the characteristics of the Scottish landscape that make it easier to achieve collective responsibility and approach.Watch the Livestream to hear Jim Metcalfe and Audrey Cumberford talk about their individual dream scenarios for Anti-racism.The Episode was co-produced by BFELG and FE News, co-anchored by Gavin O'Meara (CEO and Head of Digital, FE News), and Robin Landman OBE, BFELG Director.Tune in on Monday 29 November at 9.30am for Episode 9, the season finale of Making the Most of an Ethnically Diverse Britain: #AntiRacismInAction.*'Black' is used as an inclusive definition to refer to people from ethnically diverse backgrounds who share a lived experience of the effects of racism.

In our second episode, guests Kevin Harman and Aisha Holloway talk about emotion, identity and an unexpected detective agency. Kevin is a contemporary artist working across Scotland. Born in Wester Hailes, Kevin was the first generation of his family to pursue education graduating from Edinburgh College of Art with a BA in Sculpture, followed by an MFA in Sculpture. Kevin's work spans across mediums including paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs and drawings. It is often based on elements of performance and an engagement with found materials and environments. Driven towards creating a better society, Kevin is passionate about community and holding those in power accountable. Aisha is a Registered Nurse, Professor of Nursing Studies at the University of Edinburgh, and Co-Director of the Edinburgh Global Nursing Initiative. Aisha is an advocate for nursing and bringing wider recognition to the societal role that it plays and her programme of research aims to reduce the risks and harms of alcohol in society, influencing and shaping alcohol policy. A self-proclaimed extrovert, Aisha is passionate about fighting inequalities and has an affinity for the underdog.  As usual we start with an object, but in season five we celebrate hidden corners and unexpected connections. Subscribe now for University of Edinburgh community exploration and really good chat.You can find more information on the Sharing things website. Graphic images designed by Chris Behr. They are part of his Nice Things icon set.

Jaxx Waygood is a visual artist and his artistic and sculptural blacksmithing exhibition is on at the Art & Craft Collective 93 Causewayside in Edinburgh. He is a recent Edinburgh College of Art graduate on the MA programme but has a lot of different past experiences which we talk to him about here - including working on the Lord of the Rings TV series --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Today on a special segment of #ScotsInUS Podcast, we are joined in conversation by Tamara Zimet, Deputy Programme Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Tamara shares some of the history of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, considered the largest literary festival in the world. She goes on to address the 2020 virtual festival, their new home at Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh, and some of the special programming they have on this year. https://youtu.be/P21jKwC6F7I

The twenty-sixth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast sees us talking with Dr Glaire Anderson about her incredible work at the intersections of the digital, history, art and architecture. Dr Anderson is Senior Lecturer in Islamic Art, History of Art at the Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh and just an all around really really interesting person. Some of Dr. Anderson's projects, which we discuss a bit in the podcast, are below. all of which are worth looking into in greater depth than we could gather in the 30 minutes we chatted. Digital Lab for Islamic Visual CultureThe Digital Munya ProjectHistory and Games Lab at the University of Edinburgh and on FacebookPlease do give them a look (and purchase the upcoming game called Viking in the Sun (preview image below but do check out the Facebook page to learn more). Thanks so much Dr Anderson! If you are interested in speaking with us, please do reach out to michael.s.gallagher@ed.ac.uk. Otherwise stay tuned as we explore some of the themes that recent events have surfaced and accelerated in all this digital migration. Here is hoping this podcast finds you well. 

MEET SAHAR FREEMANTLESahar Freemantle is an award-winning milliner based in London. The purpose of her brand Sahar Millinery is to spread beauty and inspire creativity.  Sahar and her team are inspired by the empowerment that a good hat can bring about in the wearer – the right hat can make us stand tall, glow with confidence and give off the vibe ‘Yes, I know I look good.' ‘Our hats are seductive and fun, elusive and inviting. They prompt confidence in the wearer and smiles from spectators' Sahar is a QEST* scholar and has a BaHons in Performance Costume from Edinburgh College of Art. She uses traditional millinery methods in her handmade hats, which have great shapes, compliments the wearer, and are comfortable to wear. ‘A good practice of traditional millinery is our springboard from which we dive with electrified tenacity into an arena of playfulness; exploring a vast ocean of ideas, creating new techniques, making happy accidents, getting messy, experimenting with materials, basking in failures, dancing with new designs, and flowing in freedom and fun' When excellent craftsmanship merges with playful curiosity, what emerges is a fresh embodiment of British eccentricity. Sahar's studio is a wonderland of curiosities in the heart of her favourite city – London. Here we find mounted skulls, butterfly wings, and framed accidents, which she calls ‘glorious failures' -amongst a plethora of hats and headpieces ready to be tried on. A visit to the millinery studio is a treat for anyone and has often been described as ‘like being a sweet shop, you want to try everything, and never want to leave.' With care and attention Sahar picks out hats for her customers to try, and when they hit upon the right hat, the wearer is transformed. They see their reflection and instantly stand taller, beaming with confidence and knowing they exude elegant sophistication. The transformation is within, the catalyst is the hat. Making a bespoke commission is a creative collaboration with the client; ‘we hear your stories, get to know you, and bring out the wonderful gems that are hidden – both metaphorically and literally. Your hat embodies you.' Sahar Millinery also runs hat-making workshops and a highly stylized hat-focused life drawing event called The Milliners Drawing Room. Both of these ventures aim to bring out creativity from participants, so – like her bespoke commissions – Sahar's audience are not just passive spectators or wearers, but intrinsically involved in the creation process. Sahar Millinery's sub-brand UglyLovely is a celebration of finding beauty in the unconventional. Materials span from found rusted keys to insects and real butterflies, branches, birdwings, and antique cutlery. UglyLovely is about really looking – getting beyond our initial reaction and digging deeper. The goal is to see the spectator's reaction go from ‘eww' to ‘wow' in a matter of seconds. Sahar's work has been exhibited at the V&A, as well as internationally in Japan, Portugal, Mali, Berlin, France. She has been featured in The Guardian, The Independent and Evening Standards list of best Ascot Hats, on Screen in Downton Abbey, and on celebrities such as Ellie Goulding, Paloma Faith, Katy Perry, Celeste, Charli Howard, Georgina Campbell, Victoria Baker-Harber, and Immodesty Blaize. Sahar creates immersive journeys through her work. She takes everyone with her, and everyone is left winning – from the spectator to the wearer, the drawer, to the dancer. The journeys are of beauty and inspiration, excitement and upliftment. We delight in the unexpected and become part of the creation. *QEST = Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust CONTACT:https://www.saharmillinery.co.uk/ (https://www.saharmillinery.co.uk/) http://www.advanceyourart.com/captivate-podcast/sahar-freemantle/sahar@saharmillinery.co.uk%C2%A0 (sahar@saharmillinery.co.uk ) http://www.uglylovely.co.uk/ (http://www.uglylovely.co.uk/)...

In our fifth episode of season 4, guests Elias Vasiloudes Nikolaides and Tomiwa Folorunso talk about internet culture, giving others a platform and Michael Rosen memes. Elias is a 3rd year Music student at the Edinburgh College of Art and is also the school's Undergraduate Representative. When he's not studying, Elias enjoys playing the saxophone and making beats on his computer.  Tomiwa is a writer, academic and creative currently living in Brussels. She studied History at the University, graduating in 2017 and is now studying for her masters in Cultural Studies at KU Leuven.  Season 4 is all about student voices. Each episode features a student in conversation with a member of the wider community. Sharing experiences and finding unexpected common ground. Subscribe now for University of Edinburgh community exploration and really good chat.You can find more information on the Sharing things website.

In this episode of The Artist Business Plan we sit down with Dame Julia Peyton-Jones, famous British curator and gallery director. She leads an awesome discussion on mentorship and the necessity of fundraising for the arts. With cheeky tips like, you meet successful, interesting people through fundraising, and what a perfect way to find a mentor! Get yourself into those circles. Listen for more cheeky tips! “If you’re persistent you’ll find the answer to your question." - Dame Julia Peyton-Jones Guest: Julia Peyton Jones is a British curator and gallery director, currently Senior Global Director at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in London, Paris and Salzburg. She was formerly Director of the Serpentine Galleries in London. Obtaining an MA from the Painting School of the Royal College of Art, she worked as a practising artist and lectured in Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art. Appointed Dame Commander of The Order of The British Empire in 2016, she serves on the boards including The Courtauld Institute of Art and is an advisor to the Naomi Milgrom Foundation. She is MA in honoris causa of the University for the Creative Arts; Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Art; Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Zoological Society. https://ropac.net/ (https://ropac.net/) For more information on applying to Superfine Art Fair as well as recordings of this and all of our past podcasts, just visit http://www.superfine.world/ (www.superfine.world ) IG: https://www.instagram.com/superfineartfair/?hl=en (@superfineartfair) IG: https://www.instagram.com/julia.peytonjones/?hl=en (@julia.peytonjones) If you want to submit a listener question you can email it to kelsey@superfine.world for a chance of it being answered by Alex, James, and our guest! Hosted and Executive Produced by James Miille and Alexander Mitow Executive Producer/Producer : Kelsey Susino Written by: Kelsey Susino, Alexander Mitow, and James Miille Audio Edited by: Esteban del Pino

Episode 32 of The Artists Contemporary Podcast with @mark__connolly is now live! Mark is a London based painter and set designer who studied at Edinburgh College of Art and The Royal Drawing School. Mark creates large scale paintings that are all a part of a world and his creative language. Mark's favourite Friday night activity is to go to the National Gallery and to really connect with the work. While at the Royal Drawing School he worked on a project where he spent many weeks just creating one drawing in the National Gallery. Mark also talks about the importance of taking a weekend and time as an artist to get fresh eyes and separation from your work. In 2020 Mark collaborated with @alice__mac on a painting installation at @wellsprojects. The artists embraced the history of Wells Projects in Clapham of being a night club. They used their painting language snd set design background to create dancing figures. This created and interactive experience for the which is something that you don't expect to see in a painting exhibition. Follow @mark__connolly to keep up to date with all his latest work and collaborations with @alice__mac.

Kate Macintosh is an architect renowned for her ground-breaking social housing projects and latter-day campaigning and activism. She studied architecture at Edinburgh College of Art (now Heriot-Watt University), graduating in 1961. After time working in Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, and then with Denys Lasdun on the National Theatre project in London, she worked for the Architects Department of the London Borough of Southwark (1965-68) where at the age of 28 she won the internal competition to design what became Dawsons Heights, described by The Observer in 2015 as ‘one of the most remarkable housing developments in the country'. In 1968 she moved to Lambeth Architects Department, designing sheltered housing for the elderly at 269 Leigham Court Road, since renamed Macintosh Court and listed at Grade 2 in 2015. Leaving Lambeth in 1972, she went on to work at Arup Associates, Ahrends Burton and Koralek, East Sussex County Architects and Hampshire County Architects before setting up Finch Macintosh Architects in 1995 with her life partner George Finch. Together they designed the Weston Adventure Playground, Southampton for a playground charity, which won a RIBA Award 2005. Today, Macintosh is heavily involved in campaigning for social housing and its vital role in creating humane and liveable cities.

Trygve Luktvasslimo's show at Oslo Kunstforening, 'Mulighetsperleportalen': https://www.oslokunstforening.no/trygve-luktvasslimo-1 Trygve Luktvasslimo (b. 1978) lives and works at Valberg in Lofoten. He has a bachelor's and master's degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Malmö (2006), Sweden, with an exchange year to Edinburgh College of Art. Between 2007 and 2016, Luktvasslimo was based in Berlin and Lisbon where he produced a number of performances, films and the book 'Primitive Rhyme'.His work has been shown in galleries, museums and festivals, among others: Inversia (Murmansk), Tromsø International Film Festival, Kunstnernes Hus Cinema, 2020, Mudstone / A Published Event, 2019; LIAF, Lofoten International Art Festival, 2019; Luringen, Stavanger / Haugesund, 2018; Stamsund Theater Festival, 2018; KUIR Bogota, 2017; Nordnorsk Kunstnersenter, 2016; De Appel Arts Centre, 2015; Den Frie Centre for Contemporary Arts, Copenhagen 2016, Copenhagen 2016; The Festival Exhibition, 2015; Tromsø International Film Festival, 2015 (At Kurant); Contemporary Art Center Vilnius, 2014; W17 / Kunstnernes Hus, 2014; Petter Dass Museum, 2014; Ze Dos Bois, Lisbon, 2014/2013; Sami Center for Contemporary Art / Luleå Konsthall, 2013; Loose Holes - Portuguese Festival of queer Performance, 2013; Tromsø Art Association, 2012; Nikolaj Kunsthal, Copenhagen 2011; HAU 1 Berlin, 2009; Pavilion Unicredit, Bucharest, 2009; Signal Gallery, 2008 & 2004, Malmö; Henie Onstad Art Center, 2004.

It’s Tuesday the 9th of February. Welcome to this edition of Porty News. It seems that the Spaces for People scheme is now causing issues in Duddingston - in particular, the plans for Duddingston Road. The team running the project met up with the 4 local councillors and agreed to organise a residents’ meeting to discuss the concerns some residents have. Some of these include the idea that the scheme doesn’t really make sense here as it’s not part of a bigger network and cyclists don’t use the road much; that local residents can’t park in front of their house anymore, in particular blue badge holders especially as their driveways are too narrow to get in or out of their car from a wheelchair; that there’s more speeding on the road; and a number of other issues. The meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams tomorrow evening at 7pm. Those affected should have received an email which included the relevant meeting link. Mid and East Lothian Chamber is based right next to the campus of Edinburgh College on Milton Road. It’s been drawing members attention to something called the Scottish Marine & Outdoor Tourism Restart Fund (catchy title) which was set up to support the marine, boating and outdoor adventure sectors, all of which have been significantly affected by the pandemic and are faced with seasonal re-commissioning and re-start costs ahead of the coming season. The fund is worth £2.5 million and was developed with Wild Scotland and Sail Scotland. It’s being delivered by VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. The only problem is that I have only just heard about this and applications are only open until 5pm tonight – so I would hope that those involved in the sector will already have heard about it! There’s a link in the transcript as usual. (Pic: ©PSKC) https://bit.ly/2LvNUAB Some of you may have noticed in Cllr Maureen Child’s latest update a reference to ‘20 minute neighbourhoods’. She points out that the concept is behind the development of space planning for the future of cities like Edinburgh – and that we have the makings of this in Portobello already. So what are ‘20 minute neighbourhoods’? Well, according to the document she refers us to (again the full version can be found by following the link in the transcript) the aim is “to actively work towards all places becoming more connected and people living more locally in order to support everybody’s choices to enable wellbeing for our people and our planet.” https://bit.ly/2Nb1t9a Finally, I have seen a lot of comment online about the number of people in Portobello, myself included, who have received their appointments for the Co-Vid jag… at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston. We’ve heard of people who don’t drive being sent there – and those with serious mobility issues – and OK, Handicabs, as we heard on Thursday, are offering a free service to get people there. But we remain puzzled at why others, those over 70 it seems, are getting their injections nearby at the drive-through at Queen Margaret University. I’m just shy of 70 – so why do folk like me have to make a 25 mile round trip instead of going locally – which would have be how it would work in a ‘20 minute neighbourhood’, wouldn’t it?! Anyway, rant over. More tomorrow.

In this episode, guests Doug Johnstone and Nikki Moran discuss paradiddles and flams, the pitfalls of perfectionism, weird left turns and more.Doug is a Scottish crime writer, musician and journalist based in Edinburgh. He spent four years designing radar and missile guidance systems for planes and helicopters, before deciding to pursue his ambition of becoming a writer. After taking a diploma in journalism, he now writes and reviews for a number of newspapers and magazines, primarily covering music and literature. His twelfth novel, 'The Big Chill', was published by Orenda Books in August 2020. His previous novel, 'A Dark Matter', was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. Nikki is Senior Lecturer in Music at Edinburgh College of Art. She joined the University of Edinburgh in 2007 after receiving her Master’s degree from Cambridge and her PhD from the Open University. During her undergrad, Nikki studied classical viola and North Indian sitar performance. Much of Nikki's research focusses on the cognition of music performance, stemming from her fascination between musical performance and social interaction. She is the presenting lecturer and co-author of the free online course ‘Fundamentals of Music Theory’. Each episode of Sharing things is a conversation between two members of our university community. It could be a student, a member of staff or a graduate, the only thing they have in common at the beginning is Edinburgh. We start with an object. A special, treasured or significant item that we have asked each guest to bring to the conversation. What happens next is sometimes funny, sometimes moving and always unexpected. Find out more at www.ed.ac.uk/sharing-things-podcast

Helen Beard is an English ceramicist and illustrator. Helen trained at Edinburgh College of Art and later apprenticed to Edmund de Waal. She has led her own ceramic studio since 2004. In 2019, Helen launched her pottery range Helen Beard Dailyware which is now made in Stoke-on-Trent. Helen continues to make unique one-off pieces for exhibitions, commissions and collaborations.

Talk Art Special Episode!!!! Russell and Robert meet three incredible emerging artists Charlotte McDonald, Aflie Kungu and Rose Electra Harris!!! We are very excited to continue our partnership with Bombay Sapphire, celebrating their new #RipeForDiscovery Artist Series.Russell recently worked alongside Bombay Sapphire as co-curator to choose three fantastic emerging artists to create unique limited edition artworks for new #BombayBramble gin bottle labels! Listen to learn all about the artworks of three incredible artists! Follow the artists on Instagram now to see more of their work and inspirations: @CharlotteMcdonaldArt, @Alfie.Kungu and @RoseElectraHarris!Charlotte McDonald an artist with a degree in Drawing and Painting from Edinburgh College of Art. She’s inspired by landscape, nature and the effects that the landscape has on today’s environment, Charlotte creates both abstract artworks in the form of prints and paintings. She explores and responds to the relationship between texture, colour and shape mostly based on abstract form but also sometimes observational.Alfie Kungu is an artist whose works are bright and playful, his childhood figurative characters realised with classical painting technique. Familiar cultural motifs are set against contrasting textures and fearless colours, coming together as a vivid expression of Kungu’s headspace. Kungu grew up in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire and went on to study art in Leeds, followed by UWE Bristol graduating in 2016 with First Class BA (Hons) Fine Art. He has exhibited his work at ICA, Cob and HVQ8 Gallery Berlin. Rose Electra Harris is an artist working predominantly as a printmaker, mostly in etching and screen-printing. She completed her BA Hons in Printmaking at Brighton University in 2015. She now works between her studio at home, Slaughterhaus Print Studio in Stockwell and Print Club London in Hackney. In her work she explores the interior, creating dreamlike, surreal and vibrant interpretations of domestic spaces around her. The room is an oasis and the items within it are what bring it to life. Rose imagines the dialogue that exists between space and furnishings or objects – chandeliers, lemon squeezers, chairs or a freestanding bath, for instance. She uses decorative motifs, intricate patterns and a vivid palette, to make the everyday important!The 'Ripe For Discovery' Artist Series bottles are available now! Head in store at Selfridges and online @theOfficialSelfridges to view, purchase and personalise these exclusive #BombayBramble bottles from these three truly incredible young artists!!! Plus, visit @BombaySapphireUK to see more from Behind the Scenes of this exciting project. https://www.bombaysapphire.com/products/bombay-bramble/For images of all artworks discussed in this episode visit

The interview this week is Jeremy’s chat with Jane Marcantonio, Costume Supervisor for Strictly Come Dancing.  Jane has worked on Strictly for 10 years and her and her team help to create all the looks for the performers every week on the show.She studied Design & Applied Arts specialising in Fashion, at Edinburgh College of Art and graduated with a BA Hons after graduating Jane started working on films and worked her way to be Supervisor working  on projects including The Jacket, Mansfield Park, Rush, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen and Rush.  As well as working on films Jane is also a milliner and has her own business designing luxury fascinators and headpiecesShe started working on Strictly in 2010 working as Supervisor for designer Vicky Gill.Jane discusses her career in the industry, how she manages to maintain her family life while working on a live TV show and discusses her approach to trainees and how valuable they are to her team.www.marcantonio.biz

In today’s episode Misha chats with writer/director Alia Ghafar and Producer Laura McBride. They discuss everything form filming in Glasgow City Centre at night to Guacaroni. ABOUT ALIA GHAFAR Alia Ghafar is a Writer/Director from Glasgow, whose stories centre on the lives of young people in contemporary Scotland. She graduated from the Film & TV programme at Edinburgh College of Art. Her graduation film, SALT & SAUCE, premiered at BFI London Film Festival 2017. The film went on to screen at over 20 festivals in the UK and internationally, including Edinburgh International Film Festival, London Short Film Festival and Underwire Festival. SALT & SAUCE won the Scottish Short Film Award at Glasgow Short Film Festival 2018 and was nominated for Best British Short at the London Film Critics’ Circle Awards 2019. In 2019, SALT & SAUCE was broadcast on BBC Scotland and streamed on BBC iPlayer, as part of their series NEXT BIG THING, which profiles emerging Scottish filmmakers. It has recently been selected by THE SKINNY magazine as one of their ‘Best Scottish Shorts of the Decade’. In 2020 Alia completed SCUZZ, her next short as a Writer/Director, which was developed and commissioned by BFI and Screen Scotland via Scottish Film Talent Network. The film is currently being submitted to festivals. Alia is a selected Writer/Director for the BFI NETWORK x BAFTA CREW 2020 professional development scheme. She is currently developing her first feature. ABOUT LAURA MCBRIDE Laura is an Edinburgh based producer and founder of Lothian Films, a production company which champions women Writer/Directors and diverse voices. Recently completed SCUZZ - written and directed by Alia Ghafar and commissioned by Scottish Film Talent Network as part of the BFI Network, is beginning it’s festival run having been programmed for Edinburgh International Film Festival prior to it’s postponement. Laura and Alia are currently developing a feature project together. Other projects on Lothian Films’ slate include In Her Corner - a adaptation of the play by Mikey Burnett about a teenage girl changing her life by joining her local boxing gym, directed by Emma Ramsay, co-produced with Reece Cargan of Bombito Productions and currently raising funds as part of the Crowdfunder Creative Scotland Initiative, Groom - written and directed by Leyla Josephine which is in development with Short Circuit as part of BFI Network, It’s Over - a dance film by Sam Burkett with a crew and cast entirely made of those from the Queer community or who identify as women and privately financed Need - written and directed by Catriona MacInnes. Laura has over 7 years’ experience working within the Scottish Film and TV sector across development, production, exhibition and education. Laura has worked in-house at Synchronicity Films as team assistant to Claire Mundell and has production department credits on The Cry (BBC One), Only You (The Bureau/BFI) and Get Duked! (Sigma/Amazon). ALIA GHAFAR http://www.aliaghafar.co.uk/ LOTHIAN FILMS www.lothianfilms.co.uk SCUZZ FB @scuzzfilm IG @scuzzfilm IN HER CORNER https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/in-her-corner FB @InHerCornerFilm IG @InHerCorner_Film GROOM https://www.leylajosephine.co.uk IG @leylajosephine IT’S OVER https://www.samburkettdance.com/ NEED http://www.catrionamacinnes.com EDINBURGH YOUTH THEATRE MASTCLASS EVENT MASTERCLASS TICKETS Edinburgh Youth Theatre Join our Zoom Coffee Morning every Friday at 11am GMT, email persistentandnasty@gmail.com - WeAudition offer: For 25% off your monthly subscription quote: NASTY25 - Backstage Offers: Get a free 12 months Actor Subscription: join.backstage.com/persistentnasty-uk-12m-free/ Or if you've got a project to cast, you can Post Castings for free: Apply promo code PERSISTENTANDNASTY at the checkout Twitter: @PersistentNasty Instagram: @PersistentandNasty Facebook: /PersistentandNasty

The Braw and The Brave is a podcast about people and their passions. Episode 101 is in conversation with illustrator Sophy Louise Smith. With an emphasis on creating work with purpose and meaning at it's core, for Sophy inspiration originates in interesting stories, with mythology, fairytales and strong female figures often a focus. Currently studying at Edinburgh College of Art, in early 2020 Sophy started up at Etsy shop selling her prints and over the COVID lockdown has gained a huge social media following, commissioning new works and making connections to further her career as an illustrator. Sophy's proactive approach to seeking opportunities is born out of her passion to create and collaborate. Focussed on her artwork being more than just pretty pictures, with dedication to her research, her practise and developing a business, Sophy's positivity, humility and authenticity radiates through her art and I'm delighted to welcome her in to the #brawbrave Clan. Enjoy! Etsy https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SophyLouise Socials https://instagram.com/sophylouise_illustration?igshid=1dw6yg37zh7e https://www.facebook.com/sophylouiseillustration/ If you've enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee via Ko-Fi to help support the production of future episodes. Thank you so much, Lisa #brawbrave https://ko-fi.com/thebrawandthebrave Follow The Braw and The Brave https://www.instagram.com/thebrawandthebravepodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/TheBrawandTheBrave https://twitter.com/BrawBrave Email: thebrawandthebrave@yahoo.com See https://soundcloud.com/ for privacy and terms of use.

Today, we have the fifth of the ACADEMY of Natural Sciences +COVIDCalls discussions, and my guests are Julian Siggers president of the Penn Museum and Scott Cooper the ceo of the Academy of Natural Sciences.Scott Cooper, PhD, is the president and CEO of the Academy of Natural Sciences. An international museum professional and heritage preservation scholar, Cooper has spent more than two decades protecting, transforming and promoting cultural sites and institutions around the world. Cooper studied engineering at the University of Manchester and architectural conservation at Edinburgh College of Art. He was awarded a UNESCO scholarship to study stone conservation in Venice and later returned to Edinburgh to complete his doctoral research on Scottish history. Cooper joined the Academy after four years as vice president of collections, knowledge and engagement at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, Canada. There he devised and implemented innovative learning, visitor experience, exhibitions, research and collections strategies, which together helped transform the institution into Canada’s most popular museum.Julian Siggers joined the Penn Museum as Williams Director in 2012. He came to Philadelphia from the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada, where he was vice president of programs, education, and content communication. He has also served as director of the Institute for Contemporary Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum and as head of narrative and broadcast development at the United Kingdom’s National Museum of Science and Industry in London.Dr. Siggers was an archaeology columnist and on-air television host for seven years with the Discovery Channel, Canada. He taught prehistoric archaeology at the University of Toronto, where he earned his Ph.D. with a specialization in Near Eastern prehistoric archaeology. In September 2020, Dr. Siggers will end his tenure at the Penn Museum when he will become President and CEO of the Field Museum in Chicago. 

Planeta Spaniard reformula su espacio de directo matinal, condensando los contenidos, música y voces que traía hasta ahora, sin renunciar a las secciones semanales que ofrecen los colaboradores de la radio, en una hora. En este capítulo, Ángel Serrano Zurita conecta en la sección 'La hora del café' con una spaniard muy especial. Vanessa Molina, una española nacida en Medellín (Colombia) que, aunque dice recordar perfectamente muchas cosas de su infancia en la tierra paisa, el grueso de sus memorias está alojado en la ciudad de Valencia, donde vivió desde los 10 años. Sin embargo, ha sido en Edimburgo (Escocia) donde ha tenido la oportunidad de independizarse y vivir su vida intensamente, además de formarse en la universidad en el campo de la Enfermería, tras unos años en el Edinburgh College, institución en la que descubrió su gran pasión: el cuidado de los demás. Precisamente, ha sido en medio de sus prácticas universitarias en una residencia de ancianos donde ha podido vivir en primera persona la cara más amarga y drámatica de su profesión. Y es que no todo el mundo realiza sus primeras labores profesionales en medio de una crisis pandémica, como ha sido la que aún atravesamos por el COVID-19. Vanessa relata lo difícil que ha sido sobrellevar las pérdidas de algunos de los residentes con los que trabajaba y que, unos días antes de morir, "estaban tan bien, caminando, pidiendo comida, felices". También en el capítulo Planeta Spaniard conecta una semana más con los fogones de Marco Antonio Blanquer, jefe de cocina del Kempinski Mall of the Emirates de Dubai y chef ejecutivo del restaurante Salero Tapas & Bodega alojado en el mismo hotel. El cocinero te muestra en menos de 3 minutos cómo preparar unas gambas al ajillo un tanto distintas a "las que preparan en el sur y el centro de España, donde utilizan más aceite". Necesitas estos ingredientes: - 2-3 dientes de ajo. - 13-14 gambas peladas. - Guindilla roja. - Aceite de oliva virgen extra. - Pimentón de la vera. - Sal y pimienta negra o blanca. Conectamos cada lunes con su cocina. Sigue a Marco Blanquer en Instagram. Síguenos en nuestra web Síguenos en Facebook Síguenos en Instagram Suscríbete a nuestro canal de IVOOX Suscríbete a nuestro canal de Youtube --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/planetaspaniard/support

The common terminologies used by soundscape ecologists to describe different types of sound are (broadly speaking) animal sounds, human sounds and elemental earth sounds. Liz K. Miller presents her key findings from her thesis to show how these categories fail to capture the soundscape of trees, asking where the sounds made by trees fit into this lexicon and study of sound. Trees are an essential part of the ecosystem but, as yet, have no place in our classification system. Liz presents beautiful soundscapes and field recordings from Blackheath Forest in the Surrey hills and Clocaenog Forest in North Wales, leaving us with the rustling of leaves and creaking of bark alongside birdsong and soaring aeroplanes overhead. Presenting a new category for these familiar yet often overlooked sounds, Liz asks what can we learn from listening to trees. *** Liz K Miller (b. 1983, Hexham) is a London-based audio-visual artist and researcher. She graduated from Edinburgh College of Art (BA), Camberwell College of Art (MA), and was a print fellow at the Royal Academy Schools (2013 to 2016). In 2018 she was awarded an AHRC TECHNE scholarship to undertake a practice-based PhD at the Royal College of Art in the School of Arts and Humanities.

Last week, we heard how Edinburgh Youth Theatre is managing to keep going online through the lockdown. The company often works with the Film Academy Edinburgh which is also based locally. The academy usually uses the television studios of Edinburgh College at Milton Road; but, like everything else, it’s currently closed. However, the teachers and students (around 60 of them) get together at weekly sessions through Zoom. These are held on a Wednesday and Friday and are split into different age groups. When Porty Podcast Producer David Calder joined them, he found out that the 9-12 years are very creative.https://www.filmacademyedinburgh.com/

Welp, Jen's birthday trip to Europe got canceled thanks to the pandemic. So this week Clark takes Jen on a virtual tour of haunted AF Europe. There's a lot of history over there, which of course means there are tons of hauntings to discuss. Clark selected some top-notch spots from his time in Edinburgh and Prague to discuss on this weeks episode, including: Edinburgh 1. Edinburgh Underground Vaults - we talk occult interior design and the horrible fire above ground that melted the people in the vaults below. 2. University of Edinburgh College of Medicine - this world-famous college needed cadavers for education and paid a pretty pound for each pound (of flesh) which led to MURDER. Prague 1. Prague Astronomical Clock - Installed in 1401, it is one of the most beautifully crafted clocks ever. 2. Cloak of Conscience - Created by Anna Chromý, a woman's face is said to appear on the statue's blank face. 3. Celetná - A headless templar has been witnessed pacing in this alley. As always, you can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcast or Spotify and is hosted by Clark Canez and Jen Curcio.

In episode 103 UNP founder and curator Grant Scott is in his shed reflecting on subscription models, the expectation of photography by non-photographers, and the importance of light. Plus this week photographer Hellen van Meene takes on the challenge of supplying Grant with an audio file no longer than 5 minutes in length in which she answer's the question ‘What Does Photography Mean to You?' Hellen van Meene was born in the Netherlands in 1972. Her mother gave her a camera at age 15 and she began taking photographs at age 16 of her friends, which developed into her continuing focus on adolescent girls in old houses in her hometown of Alkmaar as part of her professional practice. Van Meene studied Fine Art at Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and spent a brief period in 1995 at the Edinburgh College of Art. Five years out of art school, she was shortlisted for the Citibank Photography Prize (2001) and signed with New York's Matthew Marks gallery. As her work gained recognition, she expanded her subject matter and spent time working in England, Russia, Latvia, the United States and Japan. Van Meene's work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, The Photographer's Gallery, London, and The Art Institute of Chicago. Her work is held in the collections of major museums worldwide including the Guggenheim Museum, New York, the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Art Institute of Chicago, MoCA Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Five monographs of her work have been published; Hellen van Meene: The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits (2015); Hellen van Meene: Japan Series (2002); Hellen van Meene: Portraits (2004); Hellen van Meene: New Work (2006); and Hellen van Meene: tout va disparaître (2009). She lives and works in Heiloo in the Netherlands and is represented by galleries in London, New York and Tokyo. http://hellenvanmeene.com You can also access and subscribe to these podcasts at SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/unofphoto on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-photographic-life/id1380344701 on Player FM https://player.fm/series/a-photographic-lifeand Podbean www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/i6uqx-6d9ad/A-Photographic-Life-Podcast Grant Scott is the founder/curator of United Nations of Photography, a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, a working photographer, and the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Focal Press 2014) and The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Focal Press 2015). His book New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography was published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2019. The documentary film, Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay can now be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd47549knOU&t=3915s. © Grant Scott 2020

This episode features the directors of 'Shaun The Sheep:Farmageddon', Will Becher & Richard Phelan! Since graduating from the Edinburgh College of Art, Will has worked as an animator and lead creative on many projects including Wallace and Gromit, Creature Comforts, ParaNorman and EarlyMan. Prior to directing STS:Farmageddon, Richard was the Head of Story on STS:The Farmer’s Llamas, Senior Story Artist on Shaun 1 and Early Man, and Writer on Shaun series 4 & 5.

Demelza Kooij is an artist, filmmaker, and lecturer. Her work is presented at film festivals, museums, art exhibitions, and conferences. Her latest film 'Wolves From Above' won the Jury Prize at the 57th Ann Arbor Film Festival. She has previously taught at Edinburgh College of Art and worked at the Scottish Documentary Institute. I talked to Demelza about a few of her films, including her latest work Wolves from Above. We discussed her approach to presenting the work as a single channel installation at Alchemy Film and Arts, projected on the ceiling and viewed from the ground. You can find images, links and more on our website at www.intothemothlight.com

The Museum at FIT presented Exhibiting Fashion, its twenty-first academic symposium on Friday, March 8, 2019. This symposium explored the history of fashion curating, the different ways fashion is displayed in museum settings, and how national and regional identities influence fashion exhibitions. The symposium was organized in conjunction with Exhibitionism: 50 Years of The Museum at FIT, which commemorated the rich history of the museum, the site of more than 200 exhibitions since the 1970s. Dr. Christopher Breward was appointed director of collection and research at the National Galleries of Scotland in 2017. He was previously the principal of Edinburgh College of Art. Watch the full video with captions on YouTube. The Museum at FIT (MFIT) is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion in New York City. https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

Our guest this week is Deborah Saunt, co-founder of the architecture practice DSDHA. Deborah was born in Australia but moved as a child to the UK via a brief stint in Kenya.  It was in Scotland that she first studied architecture at Edinburgh College of Art. She later studied via a scholarship at the University … Continue reading "Deborah Saunt – Episode 33"

Professional photographer, tutor and Edinburgh College of Art graduate Cora, is fresh from working with Steve McQueen in London. She returned home to take us along her Photography Trax, showing off some of her favourite places to grab a snap - and important photo hangouts in the city. Start: Waterloo Place, EH1 / Map: https://tinyurl.com/photographyeditrax

Marie-Geneviève Cyr is an assistant professor in the BFA Fashion Design program at Parsons School of Design in New York. She has an MA in Visual Culture/Fashion Theory from New York University, a BA in Design and Applied Arts from the Edinburgh College of Art and a degree in Fashion Design from the College Marie-Victorin.  Her work has been exhibited internationally. She was also a participant in the hit show Project Runway Canada and worked for celebrated designers including Zac Posen and Denis Gagnon.   She has also worked on an installation series about hyper-consumption using discarded billboards.   This is her website: https://www.mariegenevievecyr.com  

Gregor sits down with Helena Good, Design Lecturer at Edinburgh College where she helps run the award-winning mentoring scheme. Helena is also the Founding Partner of Daydream Believers which brings creative professionals together with secondary school pupils to help them develop essential skills such as creativity, critical thinking and problem solving. We discuss Helena's journey, what inspired the Daydream Believers programme and the importance of mentoring for young creatives. Find out more about Daydream Believers at: https://daydreambelievers.co.uk This episode is brought to you by Dinghy - insurance for freelancers by freelancers. Get your quote in seconds at: https://getdinghy.com/mitm

Kate Mothes is an independent curator and founder of Young Space, an extremely successful online exhibition space that also partners with galleries. In this episode, we cover tons of helpful info for artists looking to apply to juried shows from how to contact curators, what to share, and studio visits. Kate talks about why she started Young Space and what she looks for when curating an exhibition. Kate is extremely generous with her knowledge and is such a supporter of artists! You will have a great time hearing from her!   She received a Masters in Art History, Theory, and Display from Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh, and her Bachelors in Art History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to yngspc online exhibitions, selected recent exhibitions include Wolves by the Road at Assembly House, Leeds, England; I Could Go On Forever at PADA Studios, Lisbon, Portugal; Run Straight Through at Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, California; and Crocodile Tears during Greenpoint Open Studios in Brooklyn, New York.   Instagram TV-Kate's Top 5 Social Media Tips For Artists Young Space Young Space Instagram Wolves by the Road, Assembly House, Leeds Crocodile Tears- Green Point Open Studios     Young Space Mission: To promote, support and collaborate with emerging contemporary artists, encourage transparency, and to engage artists, students and the community in meaningful dialogue through unique content and projects.   Check out Young Spaces upcoming Exhibition Night Garden Oct 12-November 10 the yngspc autumn 2019 online exhibition. URL announced soon!

Geometry and the projection of light have always been key components of Debora Coombs’ artwork. In 2013 she began exploring mathematical projections as a way to understand shifts between dimensions of space. Working from Penrose tiling (a two-dimensional shadowof a five-dimensional lattice), 3D sculptures in glass and paper were built using her classic design skills to explore various aspects of mathematics. A number of high-profile residencies have allowed Coombs to explore these new concepts. In the spring of 2016, she did a month-long collaborative residency with computer scientist Duane Bailey, and in October, a 2-week residency at Assets for Artists: The Studiosat MASS MoCAat the Massachusetts Museum for Contemporary Art, North Adams, Massachusetts. In 2017, a 3-week residency at Carroll College, Helena, Montana, allowed the artist to focus on the theological symbolism of geometry, which resulted in a commission for 85 square feet of hand painted geometric stained glass windows for All Saints, the new chapel on campus. That same year, Coombs spent a month at Jentel Artist Residencyin Banner, Wyoming, making a series of math-based drawings that led to the discovery of a new geometric figure. In February 2018, Coombs was invited by artist Lauren Bon of the Metabolic Studiosin Los Angeles, California, to spend two weeks collaborating and contributing to a landscape project for redirecting LA’s river water for the irrigation of city parks. In April, she presented this and other recent work at the 13th Biennial Gathering for Gardnerin Atlanta, Georgia, an international conference for mathematicians and artists. Then in May 2018, longtime New Yorker staff-writer Lawrence Weschler invited Coombs to speak at the Tamarind Institutein Albuquerque, New Mexico, as part of his Wonder Cabinet, a gathering of artists who work in close association with scientists. Coombs’ award-winning stained glass has been exhibited, commissioned and collected internationally for over 30 years. A Fellow of the British Society of Master Glass Painters, the artist studied stained glass at Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland; University of Wales, Swansea; and received her Master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in London, England, 1985. An experienced educator, Coombs directed the glass department at Chelsea College of Art in London from 1994 to 1996. She has lectured and taught stained glass for professional associations and colleges including Pilchuck Glass School, Stained Glass Association of America, American Glass Guild, and the British Society of Master Glass Painters. Her religious commissions include two 25-foot-tall figurative windows for Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan, 20 stained glass windows for St. Mary’s Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, and 4 windows for St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Nashville, Tennessee.   Rare in the stained glass world, Coombs has successfully extended her devotion to content and story-telling to her non-commissioned work. Her piece, “Ornithologist,” from her 2009 Menfolk series, was included in New Glass Review 31, The Corning Museum of Glass publication dedicated to presenting cutting edge works of glass art. Her solo exhibition titled Menfolk, opened at the Jeanetta Cochrane Theater Gallery in London, England, before traveling to the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, England, in the spring of 2010. That same year, Coombs completed a collaborative work with artist Michael Oatman as part of his mixed-media installation “All Utopias Fell,” which remains permanently on exhibit at MASS MoCA. In June 2018 Coombs ran a hands-on pilot project for children and community members at the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and contributed to a panel discussion chaired by Margaret Wertheim from the Institute For Figuring about the connections between art and mathematics. The focus of this one-day conference was STEM to STEAM; practical ways to bring the A for Art into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs in education. In November 2018, Coombs completed two stained glass windows with geometric themes for Carroll College, Helena, Montana. Work continues on three more windows, scheduled for completion in February 2021. The artist’s sculptures are currently on exhibition at the Schow Science Library in Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts.    

This is the first of my recorded interviews from the Edinburgh Film Festival. It was a joy to sit down with Flore Cosquer who heads up the Talent Development department at the Scottish Documentary Institute and manages the Institute’s various training initiatives and industry events, including the Edinburgh Pitch, and oversees the production of the flagship filmmaking program Bridging the Gap. SDI are based at the Edinburgh College of Art and specialise in documentary training, production and distribution, supporting filmmakers through their diverse programme of international activities and training schemes.  Flore and I discuss why she left behind a career in film production as well as the process of producing her first feature documentary Freedom Fields. The film follows three women and their football team in post-revolution Libya, as the country descends in civil war and the utopian hopes of the Arab Spring begin to fade.  Find screenings of the film happening around Europe here: https://www.freedomfieldsfilm.com/screenings 

Episodes 12 and 13 are hosted by Diva Mukherji, Vice President Education at Edinburgh University Students’ Association in academic year 2018/19. In both episodes, Diva is joined by Diljeet Bhachu, (PhD student at Reid School of Music, Edinburgh College of Art), Rosie Taylor (BSc Biological Sciences student), and Dr Katie Nicoll Baines (Project Manager, Evidence Base, School of Chemistry).

Episodes 12 and 13 are hosted by Diva Mukherji, Vice President Education at Edinburgh University Students’ Association in academic year 2018/19. In both episodes, Diva is joined by Diljeet Bhachu, (PhD student at Reid School of Music, Edinburgh College of Art), Rosie Taylor (BSc Biological Sciences student), and Dr Katie Nicoll Baines (Project Manager, Evidence Base, School of Chemistry).

This podcast was produced by Madeleine Jordan to help provide a deeper understanding of the Burnie Journey project. The interviews, recordings and production took place as part of a work placement with Creative Carbon Scotland from the Edinburgh College of Art. The Burnie Journey research project explores how adopting a creative approach to engagement could be taken by Scotland’s flooding authorities to effectively raise levels of flood awareness and preparedness in flood risk communities. Unlike traditional forms of public engagement, this project sought the skills and expertise of a creative practitioner to design and facilitate a number of engagement workshops on flooding and local flood risk management on behalf of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The project was funded through SEPA’s internal Research and Development Fund and was managed by SEPA’s Flooding Communications and Customer Services team. SEPA commissioned Creative Carbon Scotland to help shape and develop this project using their knowledge of the cultural sector and experience of connecting environmental and climate change organisations with those working in the arts. Creative Carbon Scotland was instrumental in bridging the gap between SEPA and project artist, Simon Gall. The project was also supported by Aberdeen City Council’s Structures, Flooding and Coastal Engineering team who provided local flooding knowledge and community contacts. To find out more about the project, visit the Floodline Scotland web-page: floodlinescotland.org.uk/creative-engagement. To find out more about our wider culture/SHIFT work visit our project page: https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/project/cultureshift

On this episode we’re discussing Mario Praz, the Italian critic and academic who wrote on English literature and, the main topic of this episode, interior design and decoration. Born in Rome in 1896, Praz studied in Bolognia, Rome and Florence, and taught at, among other places, the University of Liverpool. Praz’s writings on interior design changed the way many people thought about the subject, raising the idea of furnishings and decorations being a reflection of the individual. Whether fitting or ironic, given his scholarly work, Mario Praz’s residence in Rome has been preserved as a museum. Our guest who’ll be arguing for Praz’s status as a revolutionary is Professor Ed Hollis, Personal Chair of Interior Design at Edinburgh College of Art. Having work with follies and ruins in Sri Lanka, modern interventions to historic buildings in Scotland, and in the discipline of Interiors, Hollis' research and theoretical thinking has moved towards building stories and narrative structures that connect time, folk tale, and the built environment. Revolutionaries is produced and recorded at Edinburgh College of Art, and is hosted by Ardie Collins from the Engagement and Communications Team. Music is Noahs Stark by krackatoa.

In episode 5, Karen Howie (Technology Enhanced Learning Team Manager in Learning, Teaching and Web, Information Services) hosts a conversation about blogging to develop your professional profile. She talks with University of Edinburgh staff members, Eli Appleby-Donald (Learning Technologist at Edinburgh College of Art) and Lorna Campbell (Senior Service Manager for Learning Technology in Learning, Teaching and Web, Information Services), and PhD student, James Lamb (a Doctoral Student within the Centre for Research in Digital Education, in the Moray House School of Education), about the art of blogging, the difference between various types of blogs, frequency of posts, maintaining and promoting a blog, how to deal with 'blogger's block', and engaging with your audience.  

In episode 5, Karen Howie (Technology Enhanced Learning Team Manager in Learning, Teaching and Web, Information Services) hosts a conversation about blogging to develop your professional profile. She talks with University of Edinburgh staff members, Eli Appleby-Donald (Learning Technologist at Edinburgh College of Art) and Lorna Campbell (Senior Service Manager for Learning Technology in Learning, Teaching and Web, Information Services), and PhD student, James Lamb (a Doctoral Student within the Centre for Research in Digital Education, in the Moray House School of Education), about the art of blogging, the difference between various types of blogs, frequency of posts, maintaining and promoting a blog, how to deal with 'blogger's block', and engaging with your audience.

On this episode, we’re discussing the art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel. Born in Paris in 1831, Durand-Ruel took over his father’s business as an art dealer a few years before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, during which time he escaped to London. It was around this time that he became familiar with a new group of artists called the Impressionists. He became an advocate of their artistic work, seeing their potential for commercial success long before many others in the art world. He is credited with helping to establish some of the best-known artists of this period, including Degas, Manet, Monet, Pissarro and Renoir. Stating the case for Paul Durand-Ruel as a revolutionary is Professor Frances Fowle, Personal Chair of Nineteenth-Century Art at Edinburgh College of Art and Senior Curator of French Art at National Galleries Scotland. Her specialist area is European and American nineteenth-century art, with an emphasis on collecting, the art market, national identity, cultural revival and artistic networks. She is Senior Trustee of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow and sits on the Burrell Renaissance Board. She is also a founding Board member of the International Art Market Studies Association and is on the steering committee for the European Revivals Research Network, initiated by the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki. Revolutionaries is produced and recorded at Edinburgh College of Art, and is hosted by Ardie Collins from the Engagement and Communications team. Music is Noahs Stark by krackatoa.

On this episode, we’re discussing the choreographer and opera and theatre director, Ruth Berghaus. Born in Dresden in 1927, Berghaus studied expressionist dance and dance direction at the German Academy of Arts in Berlin and went on to direct several major productions from the early 1960s to the early 90s. Her style of production was heavily influenced by the work of Bertolt Brecht, having worked as part of the Berliner Ensemble that Brecht co-founded with his wife Helene Weigel. Berghaus’ professional career was during an era when Germany was split in two shortly after the end of the second world war, a split that became more obvious as a physical barrier with the arrival of the Berlin Wall that ran through the capital from 1961 to 1989. Berghaus worked on both sides of the wall during her career, putting on productions that were funded by both governments and that often critiqued both the East and the West, as well as gender roles and the reverential treatment of canonical operas and plays. Stating the case for Ruth Berghaus as a revolutionary is Dr Elaine Kelly. Elaine is the Head of Music at Edinburgh College of Art where her teaching includes honours courses on “Music and State Socialism in the Twentieth Century” and “Wagner: Music, Philosophy, and Culture”. Her research interests span several broad themes including canon reception, music historiography, opera production, and Marxist aesthetics, many of which coalesce in her work on the German Democratic Republic. Revolutionaries is produced and recorded at Edinburgh College of Art, and is hosted by Ardie Collins from the Engagement and Communications team. Music is Noahs Stark by krackatoa.

We went down to SWG3 in Glasgow to visit Warrior Studios and chat with James Gilchrist. James started Warrior studios with Beth Wilson after meeting at Edinburgh College of Art and holding themselves to a higher standard than that of their tutors. They then went on to create Graphic Design Festival Scotland as a response to problems they saw within the industry. They’re now moving into the 5th year of the festival that has grown in size and reputation over the years. We talk about the ups and downs the festival has brought as well as the design industry in Scotland as a whole. Warriors Studio - https://warriorsstudio.com/ Graphic Design Festival Scotland - https://graphicdesignfestivalscotland.com/2018/

On this episode, we’re discussing the Virgin Saints. This grouping of early Christian saints pulls together stories of women from different corners of the world and spanning many centuries. They include tales of people rising from the dead, a woman whose eyes are gouged out either by someone else or herself (depending on who you ask), and a woman who came to symbolise French resistance against the English during the Hundred Years’ War. Many of the stories serve as a counterbalance to the focus on men’s stories in religious texts, and, given the nature of sainthood and patronage in the Catholic Church, are called upon daily by people to help them with all aspects of their lives. Stating the case for the Virgin Saints as revolutionaries is Lindy Richardson. Lindy is the Textiles Programme Director and curator of the historic Needlework Development Scheme embroidery collection at Edinburgh College of Art. Her curation work has included the gathering of oral histories across the UK to compliment the sample and archival collection. She is currently working on an exhibition of the collection which will take place in the Main Library in George Square from November 2019 - February 2020. Find out more about the St Clare project: http://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/st-clare-project Send your materials for the St Clare shroud: http://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/st-clare-submission Revolutionaries is produced and recorded at Edinburgh College of Art, and is hosted by Ardie Collins from the Engagement and Communications team. Music is Noahs Stark by krackatoa.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1928, Andy Warhol's early career began in advertising where he worked as a designer and illustrator. In the 1960s, he began exhibiting the iconic pop art work that we now associate with him, and he soon became one of the world's most famous artists. But what was it about him and his work that was revolutionary, and what effect does he continue to have to the present day? Our guest is Dr Glyn Davis, a Reader in Screen Studies at Edinburgh College of Art. Glyn has researched and written extensively about film and television and has a particular interest in experimental cinema and artists' film and video. He ran a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Andy Warhol in 2014 and 2015 and was co-editor of "Warhol in Ten Takes", published by the BFI. He is currently the project leader of the Cruising the 1970s research project, a pan-European queer history project involving researchers from Germany, Spain, Poland and the UK. Revolutionaries is produced and recorded at Edinburgh College of Art, and is hosted by Ardie Collins from the Engagement and Communications team. Music is Noahs Stark by krackatoa.

Episode Notes We had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Dave O'Brien, the Chancellor's Fellow in cultural and creative industries at the University of Edinburgh College of Art to discuss cultural policy and urban regeneration. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

To explore the ambiguous relationships between knowledge and love is the process in which Pau Catà blends his artistic, curatorial and research practices. Scaling them down into everydayness, he intertwines an interest in epistemology with an inclination towards amateurship. Due to a tendency to hypermobility and to play devil’s advocate, he often falls in dislocation, a condition that is translated into visual essays and creative prose. Sharing and working with others is an important component in his curatorial practice. To work collaboratively has been the aim behind the foundation in 2009 of CeRCCa_Center for Research and Creativity Casamarles, a space that has hosted more than 100 artists, thinkers and activist knitting a net of fruitful complicities. Despite current discourses, accademia has enhanced experimentation and engagement in his work. Combined with a disposition to test his learnings, this intellectual framework has been fundamental to challenge and reflect upon a practice that encompasses grassroots creative activism, academic texts and conversations. Pau Cata is the initiator of CeRCCa and co-coordinator of NACMM - North Africa Cultural Mobility Map, KIBRIT and Platform HARAKAT. He is also a PhD researcher at the Edinburgh College of Art. The provisional title of his thesis is: Rilke and the pilgrims: A minor curating approach to cartography and epistemology. The book mentioned in the interview is The Invention of Africa, full text here. cercca_intro2: AIR at CeRCCa First NACMM meeting at Jiwar Barcelona

THIS WEEK, we talk to Richard Williams about sex, Mad Men, James Bond and of course, architecture. Richard is a Professor of Contemporary Visual Cultures at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art where he heads the History of Art subject area. Don’t miss this candid discussion of all things sexy in the contemporary built world.  

Did you know that Scotland is home to the longest study of human cognition in the world?  Contemporary Scottish Artist Fionna Carlisle and Lothian Birth Cohorts Director Professor Ian Deary discuss how they came to collaborate on an exhibition of the Lothian Birth Cohort participants, which is showing from Friday 26 October to Saturday 24 November 2018 at the Firestation Gallery at the Edinburgh College of Art.Related links:Forward Thinking blogFionna CarliseIan DearyCentre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology Godfrey Thompson Project | Documenting the understanding of human intelligence

Today’s episode is an in-depth interview with NYC artist Gwyneth Leech.  Gwyneth is well known for her artwork on used coffee cups.  She's studied at the Edinburgh College of art in the UK. Gwyneth has exhibited over 850 coffee cup art works in specific installations.  It all began in 2011 in the Window Space for Public Art on West 39th Street in the infamous NYC’s Garment District.  Her presence at work in the window was an instrumental part of the project.  From there, she went onto the Anthropologie window display in the UK during the London Art Festival.  Today, she now has over 1,001 coffee cup stories.  Check out her live in action on this awesome video: Anthropologie Installation Video Gwyneth also speaks on how she got started and how she got a chance to do work on a two year collaboration designing porcelain coffee cups with the Anthropologie stores. Gwyneth says “When I don’t have art in my life, I have a huge amount of misplaced energy.  I just can’t imagine my life without art”. Although she still loves drawing on coffee cups, she’s found a new inspiration for her artwork.  She now paints the construction of high rise buildings in New York City as they are being built.  Check out the short documentary The Monolith directed by Angelo Guglielmo here: The Monolith Video Her latest exhibit will be held February 16, 2018 through March 31st.  It will be held at the Kaufman Arcade at 132 West 36th Street in Manhattan where  she will show 20 of her most recent paintings that cover various NYC construction sites.  If you live in the city or are planning to visit, you must go see the show, you will not be disappointed.   So take a listen and join us on Gwyneth's magical artistic journey.   Be sure to stay in touch with Gwyneth and learn more about her: Gwyneth on Twitter Gwyneth on Instagram Gwyneth's Website Gwyneth on Facebook   Rock On & Rock Out! Dawn-Marie XO    

To mark the publication of the special issue ‘Producing and Consuming Inequality: A Cultural Sociology of the Cultural Industries’, Edinburgh College of Art held an evening of discussion, debate, and decision-making, themed around the problem of social inequality and the cultural sector.   The special issue was published in Volume 11, Issue 3 of Cultural Sociology and was edited by Dave O’Brien , Kim Allen , Sam Friedman , and Anamik Saha. Academic research, highlighted in Cultural Sociology, has shown the inequalities associated with who makes culture in the UK; what is represented on stage, on screen, and in print; and who consumes the culture of our government supported cultural organisations.   The evening consisted of a panel of cultural practitioners, hosted by the guest editors of the special issue. The speakers on the panel were: -          Kate Fox, poet, comedian and academic; -          Clive Gilman, Creative Scotland and Scottish Funding Council; -          Robbie O’Neil, an actor whose work includes part in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and Casualty; -          Yasmin Sulaiman, Editor-in-Chief at The List.   Following discussions and debate with the panel, audience Q&A considered how we might challenge some of the inequalities confronting contemporary culture.

Lindy Richardson: Historic Embroidery Conservation & Community Inspiration ss019 Today on the Stitchery Stories embroidery podcast, Lindy Richardson shares her current research project. She chats with Susan Weeks about the collection of historic embroidery held by Edinburgh College of Art which was originally part of the Needlework Development Scheme. The NDS was founded in Scotland in 1934, sponsored by J and P Coats, the thread manufacturers. Its aim was to encourage embroidery and up until it was disbanded in 1961, well over 3000 items of historic embroidery from across the world had been amassed. 70 items held by Edinburgh College Of Art form the focus of a project which has seen study and conservation of the items. The project has involved diverse community groups, assisting with conservation as well as inspiring them to create their own Embroidered Stories. This is an uplifting project. Susan chats with Lindy about: The history of the collection of the Needlework Development Scheme (NDS) Discovering 70 pieces from the collection tucked away in cupboards The current project focused on the collection Taking the project to the Scottish Prison Service Involving immigrants & refugees Expert amateurs from local 'Guilds' Studying and conserving the collection The therapeutic benefits of doing embroidery within the daily routine of prison life Creating the 'Embroidered Stories' pieces and creating an exhibition around them Integrating the different groups through the project Inspiring newcomers to design and create their own embroidery The challenges of handling & restoring historic embroidery The challenges of getting project 'stuff' into prison! Keeping the collection true to it's origins as a handling collection If you have been involved with the Needlework Development Scheme over the years in any capacity, or know someone who has, then Lindy would love to talk to you. Please contact her! For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Photographs of the project at http://www.stitcherystories.com/lindyrichardson Visit: http://embroideredstories.eca.ed.ac.uk (after 10Dec2017) Read: http://edin.ac/embroideredstories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embroiderednds https://www.instagram.com/ecatextilesdepartment Contact Lindy: Lindy Richardson Programme Director Textiles Edinburgh College of Art University of Edinburgh, EH3 9DF 0131 651 5812 l.richardson@ed.ac.uk  

There's a growing movement in which communities around the country grow their own food - in allotments, local orchards or just spare pieces of land. In Edinburgh, this is celebrated by the Power of Food Festival which takes place this weekend. Here's the programme: http://bit.ly/2rDoAc1 And a video from last year: https://vimeo.com/217994404

“William is a bit of a dreamer.” That’s what Will’s teachers often wrote on his reports. He knew from a young age that he wanted to be an animator. He describes his own story so well, that I’ll let him speak for himself here: “After a degree in animation at Edinburgh College of Art, Will joined Aardman Animations as a trainee assistant animator on Wallace & Gromit's Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Since then he has worked on features, commercials and TV shows including The Pirates, Creature Comforts and Shaun the Sheep. He has written and directed three independent short films and is currently Animation Director on Nick Park’s latest feature film Early Man in Bristol. Will lives in South Gloucestershire, England with his talented wife and two children.” Links: Will Becher: will_becher, willbecher.co.uk Eve Coy: @evescoy, http://evecoy.blogspot.co.uk/ Aardman Animation: http://www.aardman.com/ Early Man Movie: @EarlyManmovie If you're curious about Will's work, here's a list...it's not exhaustive, though! :) Early Man (animation director) (filming) 2015Wolves and Dogs: Howls for Full Moon (animator) 2009-2014Shaun the Sheep (TV Series short) (animator - 45 episodes) - Fruit and Nuts (2014) ... (animator) - The Stare (2014) ... (animator) - Duck! (2014) ... (animator) - Save the Dump (2014) ... (animator) - Picture Perfect (2014) ... (animator) Show all 45 episodes 2012So You Want to Be a Pirate! (Video short) (animator) 2012ParaNorman (animator) 2012The Pirates! Band of Misfits (character lead animator) 2008A Matter of Loaf and Death (Short) (character animator) 2007Creature Comforts America (TV Series) (animator - 7 episodes) - Great Outdoors/Pet Peeves/Talent Show (2007) ... (animator) - Growing Up/Fears & Phobias/Something's Afoot (2007) ... (animator) - Communication/Feeding Time/Parrot Tongue Twister (2007) ... (animator) - Working/For the Birds/Love, Animal Style (2007) ... (animator) - Winter/The Zoo (2007) ... (animator) Show all 7 episodes 2006Off Beat (Short) (animator) 2005The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (animator)

Richard Thomson, Watson Gordon Professor of Fine Art, History of Art, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh

Wednesday Reading Series Michael Davidson is Professor of Literature at the University of California, San Diego. He is the author of The San Francisco Renaissance: Poetics and Community at Mid-Century (Cambridge U Press, 1989), Ghostlier Demarcations: Modern Poetry and the Material Word (U of California Press, 1997), Guys Like Us: Citing Masculinity in Cold War Poetics (U of Chicago, 2003) and Concerto for the Left Hand: Disability and the Defamiliar Body (U of Michigan, 2008). His most recent book, Outskirts of Form: Practicing Cultural Poetics was published in 2011 by Wesleyan University Press. He is the editor of The New Collected Poems of George Oppen (New Directions, 2002). He is the author of five books of poetry, the most recent of which is The Arcades (O Books, 1998). He is the co-author, with Lyn Hejinian, Barrett Watten, and Ron Silliman, of Leningrad (Mercury House Press, 1991). Marjorie Welish is the author of The Annotated “Here” and Selected Poems, Word Group, Isle of the Signatories, and In the Futurity Lounge / Asylum for Indeterminacy (Spring 2012), all from Coffee House Press. The papers delivered at a conference on her writing and art held at the University of Pennsylvania were published in the book Of the Diagram: The Work of Marjorie Welish (Slought Books). In 2009, Granary Books published Oaths? Questions?, a collaborative artists' book by Marjorie Welish and James Siena which was the subject of a special exhibition at Denison University Museum, Granville, Ohio, and part of a two-year tour of artists' books throughout the United States. Her honors include the George A. and Eliza Gardner Howard Fellowship from Brown University, the Judith E. Wilson Visiting Poetry Fellowship at Cambridge University, and two fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts. She has held a Senior Fulbright Fellowship, which has taken her to the University of Frankfurt and to the Edinburgh College of Art. She is now Madelon Leventhal Rand Distinguished Lecturer in Literature at Brooklyn College.

It's not the solar meadow that sustainability officer, Martin is most proud of but the community garden. Find out why and a whole lot more in today's episode!

Emma is a documentary filmmaker and Programme Director of Film & TV at Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh. Podcast edited and presented by Duncan Cowles. Recorded: September 2015 More info: http://scotdoc.com/applyBTG

On 26 March 2015 the Mental Health Foundation staged The Dust of Everyday Life, a conference at the CCA in Glasgow designed to ask challenging questions about the relationship between mental health and the arts. The findings will help to shape future editions of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, as we prepare for our tenth programme in 2016. The Dust of Everyday Life consisted of a series of panel discussions touching on film, TV, theatre, photography, and writing, as well as stigma, social justice and raising awareness. This is a recording of our session on film, The Myth of the Mad Genius, which explored stigmatising depictions of creatives in cinema, and how filmmakers might move beyond the usual types and tropes. The panel consisted of Dr Peter Byrne (consultant psychiatrist and visiting professor at University of Strathclyde, Hannah McGill (critic and former director of Edinburgh International Film Festival)and Emma Davie(documentary filmmaker and programme director, Edinburgh College of Art). It was chaired by Richard Warden (filmmaker and film curator at Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival).

Filmed: January 2014 Emma is a documentary filmmaker and Programme Director of Film & TV at Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh. For the film I Am Breathing, she won the 2013 British Academy Scotland Award for Best Director together with co-director Morag McKinnon. Here Emma is talking about her work, I am Breathing in a masterclass/Q&A held back in January 2014.

Audio highlights from a 2008 masterclass with film-maker Nick Broomfield held at Edinburgh College of Art by the Scottish Documentary Institute. Podcast edited & hosted by Duncan Cowles

Highlights from a masterclass with artist/filmmaker Jeremy Weller held at Edinburgh College of Art late 2013. Video - scotdoc.com/jeremy Podcast hosted by Duncan Cowles

Abstract: The title of this lecture is explained by Richard Murphy Architects' location between two different points pf view. There is little in our work that might be called avant-garde. The office does not subscribe to the high-octane world of the international 'starchitects' depositing iconic buildings in different cultures around the world, which whilst having some superficial photo-journalistic value, rarely repay close inspection. The other position is represented by the society in which we work, Edinburgh in particular, but also elsewhere in the UK. This is a city in which many citizens wish that the modern era had never occurred. Modern architecture, it seems to be universally agreed, has spoilt the view. However it is essential for the health of our culture that we make buildings that are recognisably of today so that in the future there will be some history of this era to preserve. Rooting recognisably new buildings into old places or particular landscapes; contributing towards rather than damaging, their location; continuing rather than fossilising, the history of a place: these are our objectives. We call it architecture of its time and place. Biography: Richard Murphy was educated at Newcastle and Edinburgh Universities. Before founding Richard Murphy Architects he worked for MacCormac Jamieson and Pritchard Architects in London, and directed the edinburgh office of Alsop Lyall & Stormer Architects. He has taught at Edinburgh University, Robert Gordon University, Edinburgh College of Art, Strathclyde University, The Technical University of Braunschweig, the University of Virginia and Syracruse University, New York State. Richard's publications include Carlo Scarpa and the Castelvecchio (Butterworths Architecture, 1991), Querini Stampalia Foundation, Carlo Scarpa (Phaidon Press, 1983) and An Architects' Appreciation of Charles Rennie Mackintosh (Bellew Publishing, 1990). He is an Academician of the Royal Scottish Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and an Honorary Fellow of Napier University. His practice has won 21 RIBA and RIAI awards in as many years.

Leonard Rosoman's career saw him travel the world as an Official War Artist in the Second World War. He is also a member of the Royal Academy, an illustrator and teacher. The young Leonard dodged the family business by getting a scholarship to the Edward VII School of Art in Durham and went on to paint and teach. When war broke out Leonard was drafted into the Auxiliary Fire Service in London but he didn't stop painting, and he used his experiences to create some of his finest work. This drew him to the attention of the Home Office, and Sir Kenneth Clarke asked him if he would be an Official War Artist. He agreed and was appointed an official war artist to the Admiralty and was posted to the British Pacific Fleet. In April 1945 was posted to Sydney and from there he joined HMS Formidable.After the war Leonard went back to teaching, first in London then to Edinburgh College of Art in 1948, and later on to the Royal College of Art where he met his most memorable student - David Hockney: "I didn't find him at all difficult, but it was a little bit scary because if anybody ever had something written on his forehead, he had. Every single member of that staff pretty well guaranteed that when David left, he would be a success of some kind. He was a very rare bird - he had a quality of understatement - rare and important in its way."[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]Favourite track: I Got A Gal in Kalamazoo by Glenn Miller & his Orchestra Book: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce Luxury: A sloping lawn

Leonard Rosoman's career saw him travel the world as an Official War Artist in the Second World War. He is also a member of the Royal Academy, an illustrator and teacher. The young Leonard dodged the family business by getting a scholarship to the Edward VII School of Art in Durham and went on to paint and teach. When war broke out Leonard was drafted into the Auxiliary Fire Service in London but he didn't stop painting, and he used his experiences to create some of his finest work. This drew him to the attention of the Home Office, and Sir Kenneth Clarke asked him if he would be an Official War Artist. He agreed and was appointed an official war artist to the Admiralty and was posted to the British Pacific Fleet. In April 1945 was posted to Sydney and from there he joined HMS Formidable. After the war Leonard went back to teaching, first in London then to Edinburgh College of Art in 1948, and later on to the Royal College of Art where he met his most memorable student - David Hockney: "I didn't find him at all difficult, but it was a little bit scary because if anybody ever had something written on his forehead, he had. Every single member of that staff pretty well guaranteed that when David left, he would be a success of some kind. He was a very rare bird - he had a quality of understatement - rare and important in its way." [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: I Got A Gal in Kalamazoo by Glenn Miller & his Orchestra Book: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce Luxury: A sloping lawn