Podcasts about hack circus

Can games be art? We're back from a long hiatus with our first Hack Circus podcast interview about videogames! Introducing Jonas Antonsson, founder of Sweden-based games publisher Raw Fury. Raw Fury turns out games that make you feel, and Jonas believes the quest for emotion is just as important as the quest for knowledge. Find out what makes him and his company tick in this long, wide-ranging chat.  Remember Hack Circus is on Twitter @hackcircus – and check out the website for all the episodes: hackcircuspodcast.com

I used to think that branding was about coming up with the story we'd like to tell, but now I think it's more about uncovering the story that's already there. In this special extra-long Creativity Clinic, I talk about a practical technique that has helped me to work on the Hack Circus podcast brand in the run-up to the next series of this show, and give some hints of what's in store. 

The Hack Circus podcast is back with a bang after an enormous break of two years! The star guest this episode is Tom Tobia – a creative entrepreneur based in Sheffield. We cover the origins of an organisation he helped to found, Makerversity, his principled drive, and the way he approaches consulting with the range of businesses he works with. We also exchange some thoughts about creativity – how it arises from constraints, its relationship to failure, and why people should embrace a more open-ended approach to planning. Tom's website: http://www.tomtobia.com Tom's new project: https://www.anewfield.org/

If you want to get stuff made regularly, get your duty on and work out who you're doing it for. In this episode, Leila addresses the common misconception that creative work always has to follow on from an urge, or desire. She explains why you can never put your hopes in motivation – it won't stick around. Get a routine, and do it for someone else, and you'll stand a chance of getting to done. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! And remember to check out Hackcircuspodcast.com In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

How do you get inspired in the least inspiring circumstances? I answer a listener's question about staying creative even when exhausted and miles from home, this week – bringing in a mixture of my own experience and reading, as ever. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

We need to look closely at what we're trying to protect, about ourselves, whenever we feel fearful of making big steps in our creative lives. When we really examine the anxiety, it often turns out to be a case of building a wall around a part of us that is in fact, totally dispensable. There's plenty more of us where that came from! We can take a few hits!  Find out what we should really be protecting instead, in this short Creativity Clinic episode. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

To share your work and reach a wider audience, you have to be prepared to relinquish some of it. Leila explains the problem and suggests some ways to do this more effectively, in this short episode. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook(hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

We all have our dreams – run a gallery, open a cafe, do a Masters degree, learn a language... Most of us are lazy and distracted and never quite seem to get off the blocks, but serial entrepreneur, curator and marketing guru Valentina Fois has made all these dreams come true, and more.  Valentina's new cafe, Lele's (in Clapton, East London) is open throughout the festive period and has various seasonal offers HC listeners should check out – including panettonne (of course!) and original art and design work from independent creators, in a specially curated pop-up shop. We talk about that, plus the future of consumer tech, wake-up calls, being the boss, and more, in this special festive episode. It's always great to talk to someone who actually does things rather than just talks about doing them. Hopefully this chat will give us all a much-needed boost as we go into 2017. You can follow Valentina on Twitter, and check out her cafe, Lele's, next time you're in the area. If you’re enjoying Hack Circus, give us a quick iTunes rating or tell a friend about the show. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, IRC etc.  

Sometimes it seems like we have the wrong number of ideas: too many or not enough, and the flow is totally beyond our control. This week Leila has some tips for keeping your neverending stream of brain gunk in check, and answers a listener question about notebooks and sketchbooks. How do you use yours? If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

This week we tackle some issues around turning your hobby into a more serious enterprise. How to think about 'turning professional' in a way that will prepare you for the realities of it, plus the most important skill you'll need to learn when trying to get into full time creative work. Plus a note on failure and confidence as applied to your business. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

Self doubt is one of the most common things I get asked about, and it comes in all kinds of disguises. I think anxiety about presenting your work to the public is often about self-consciousness, and getting rid of thoughts of oneself is often the key to overcoming nerves.  If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircuspodcast), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus), IRC #hackcircus (on freenode) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

This week we meet Simon Munnery, who you've probably come across on TV, radio or the live circuit doing his characters The League Against Tedium or Alan Parker Urban Warrior, or one of his experimental shows. Simon is a distinguished comic, highly acclaimed for his original wit and outlandish performances. He's also a maker, a fixer and a former computer programmer! If you enjoy Hack Circus please rate or review it on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! Hack Circus goes up every Monday and Thursday, and you can peek behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircuspodcast), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat. It’s also a magazine. Enjoy!

Leila addresses a couple of positivity paradoxes this week. When it comes to getting on with a creative project, we might have been trained rather unhelpfully to think about our audiences, and think about ourselves. These tips are intended to help you get something done this week. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

This is the second half of a long chat I had with the incredibly inspiring Mary Turner Thomson; check out part 1 first, if you haven't already. Mary’s tale of living with a sociopathic liar is unlike anything you've heard before – but the way she has overcome this appalling experience makes her the true star of the story. Raising children without their dad, writing books, giving talks – Mary is fuelled by a determination to help others. Find out how she has turned her experiences into 'gold clouds' in this episode; we could all take a leaf out of her book. You can check out Mary’s story on her website maryturnerthomson.comand buy her book on Amazon. She’s also on Twitter and Facebook and always up for chatting to anyone who wants to talk about, well, anything really. She replies to all emails. If you enjoy Hack Circus please rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! Hack Circus goes up every Monday and Thursday, and you can peek behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircuspodcast), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat. It’s also a magazine. Enjoy!

This week's Creativity Clinic looks at the importance of telling your own story and occupying your own space, and explains why failing big is an important rite of passage for any creative. hackcircuspodcast.com Tune in again on Thursday for the interview episode! And remember you can subscribe to the Creativity Clinic newsletter, here: leilajohnston.com/newsletter If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook(hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

This is the first half of a long chat I had with the incredibly inspiring Mary Turner Thomson; tune in next week for the second episode. Mary’s story of living with a psychopathic con artist is truly extraordinary, but not as extraordinary as the way she has overcome this appalling experience. She emanates positivity and dignity, determined to help others who have been affected by trauma and heighten awareness of the psychopaths and sociopaths in our midst. You can check out Mary’s story on her website maryturnerthomson.com and buy her book on Amazon. She’s also on Twitter and Facebook and always up for chatting to anyone who wants to talk about, well, anything really. She replies to all emails. DON’T FORGET TO COME BACK NEXT WEEK FOR PART 2 OF THIS CHAT! If you enjoy Hack Circus please rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! Hack Circus goes up every Monday and Thursday, and you can peek behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircuspodcast), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat. It’s also a magazine. Enjoy!

Most of us are experts at blaming things, people or situations for our misfortunes. Sometimes this is justifiable, but just because it sometimes proves true, Leila argues, doesn't mean that we shouldn't suspect every argument against our creative progress for being a potential excuse.  Additionally, one of the reasons we are so quick to blame is because we fear responsibility. Leila explores why this might be, in this third Creativity Clinic episode of the Hack Circus podcast. Hackcircuspodcast.com Get in touch anytime with questions or comments on twitter @hackcircus, snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, IRC, or by email: editor@hackcircus.com  

Does making stuff all the time feed your energy or sap it?  In this week's Creativity Clinic, Leila takes a question about the Hack Circus project itself, and talks publicly for the first time about some of the joys and drawbacks of taking on something so ambitious over the last three years. If you're enjoying these episodes, please rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about the show. We're also on Facebook (hackcircuspodcast), Twitter, Instagram and IRC. Hack Circus now has a phone number. Leave questions or comments for Leila on the messaging service here:  0203 322 8867 Subscribe to the weekly Creativity Clinic newsletter to get subversive tried and tested tips to increase your output and motivation, here: leilajohnston.com/newsletter

Sarah Smizz is an artist, medic and PhD student, based in Sheffield. Sarah was recently awarded Radiography Student of the Year, and has just begun a PhD all about creative practice in medical care. Sarah is a creative across the board, with experience as a writer, rapper, graffiti artist, cartoonist, comedian and poet. She has an amazing work ethic and is committed to changing the system from the inside, and using creative practice to address inequality wherever she finds it. Her approach to life is incredibly inspiring, and it was a privilege to spend some time talking to her for this episode. You can find Sarah on Twitter @smizz and her blog is smizz.wordpress.com If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook(hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!    

Flamenco dancer Rosamaria Cisneros Kostic discusses her craft, how to stay grounded, calm and physically aware in a hectic world, and the fascinating dance/tech research she's involved with at C-DaRE in Coventry. Rosa grew up in the U.S. but has lived and worked all over the world. She's a professional dancer, dance historian and critic, Roma scholar, Flamenco historian and peace activist. If you want to check out her beautiful Flamenco skills for yourself, Rosa's dance film Saeta: The Mourning is online here.  See Rosa's website to find out more about her. She's on Twitter too. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus),Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

This week I chat to Sheffield-based leadership coach and award-winning close-up magician, Steve Faulkner. Steve advises businesses and individuals, helping them to find their direction, and build good habits into their lives. Steve is also a highly accomplished performer whose fascinating background spans circus training, street performing in Covent Garden, cruise ships and even dance.  Find out more about Steve's work and training on his website getgoodatstuff.com If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it. In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

iTunes link Direct download This week Leila is in Finland, investigating Helsinki's creative technology community. You'll meet Rambo of the Helsinki Hacklab, Ashish Mohite – a designer 3D printing with ceramics at the Aalto University Digital Design Laboratory, and Erik Parr, an artist working with all sorts of cool stuff, including glass-smashing audio tones. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don't forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it. We're also on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

This week we chat to writer and editor Simon Ings. Simon has just written a non-fiction book about science research under Stalin's regime. We talk about the plight of the scientists, the problem of metricised governing, and why Russia's plans were often far more rational than they later seemed. These complex issues are brought to life brilliantly by Simon – who is also a science fiction author, and the culture editor of New Scientist magazine. You can order Stalin and the Scientists on Amazon.  Remember to subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, to ensure you don't miss many other equally interesting episodes which will be uploaded weekly from now on. Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series. See hackcircuspodcast.com for more about the show, hackcircus.com for the magazine, and @hackcircus on Twitter. We're also on Facebook and Instagram.    

Download this episode This week we meet friend of Hack Circus, science comedian Helen Keen! You may know her from her Radio 4 series It Is Rocket Science. As well as being an established comedy writer and performer on the circuit, Helen is the author of The Science of Game of Thrones, which is out today. Helen is a highly experienced writer and performer. We chat about performing, audiences, comedy influences, the Edinburgh festival, the challenges of writing a book and more, in this half-hour episode recorded on the fly between meetings. Hope you enjoy it!

This week I chat to Dr Sean Power, a philosopher based in Ireland. Sean has a keen interest in the study of time, and how it relates to presentism and eternalism. He often collaborates with artists, scientists and hackers, and knows a lot about sci-fi movies too!  Sean is on Twitter @jdepaor and you can find out more about him and read some of his essays on his blog or his academic webpage on the Trinity College site. Sean has also contributed regularly to the magazine version of Hack Circus, which you can peruse or buy from hackcircus.com. Remember to subscribe and rate the show to ensure you don't miss many other equally interesting episodes, which will be uploaded weekly from now on. Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series. See hackcircuspodcast.com for more about the show, hackcircus.com for the magazine, and @hackcircus on Twitter. We're also on Facebook and instagram.  

This week we catch up with Welsh-Iraqi comedian, actor, writer and all-round supercreative Nadia Kamil who is now living and working in LA. She's known for her double act with Luke Roberts, 'The Behemoth', a string of hit Edinburgh shows, and 'The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society'. In 2014, Nadia played the petulant flight attendant in Starship Hack Circus, a live Hack Circus event in which we sent the audience into space to investigate an alien signal... and left them there. Check out Nadia's website and twitter for a sense of the many arenas in which she has come to excel.  We discuss international differences in the comedy scene, tactics for auditioning, whether women are ever recognised as polymaths, and more. Remember to subscribe and rate the show to ensure you don't miss many other equally interesting episodes, which will be uploaded weekly from now on. Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series. See hackcircuspodcast.com for more about the show, hackcircus.com for the magazine, and @hackcircus on Twitter. We're also on Facebook and Instagram.  

This is the second half of an in-depth two-part chat with Steve Punt. A well-known British comedy writer and performer, Steve is a regular on BBC Radio (especially The Now Show), and known for his comedy partnership with Hugh Dennis and work on phenomenally popular topical satire TV show, The Mary Whitehouse Experience, which he also starred in, back in the early 90s.  The chat covers everything from how stand-ups translate to television, to crafting documentaries, to what makes a great sitcom. Remember to subscribe and rate the show to ensure you don't miss many other equally interesting episodes, which will be uploaded weekly from now on. Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series. See hackcircuspodcast.com for more about the show, hackcircus.com for the magazine, and @hackcircus on Twitter. We're also on Facebook.

This is the first of an in-depth two-part chat with Steve Punt. A well-known British comedy writer and performer, Steve is a regular on BBC Radio (especially The Now Show), and known for his comedy partnership with Hugh Dennis and work on phenomenally popular topical satire TV show, The Mary Whitehouse Experience, which he also starred in, back in the early 90s.  The chat covers everything from how technology has affected performance styles, to Mary Whitehouse memories, to Steve's feelings about Big Brother. Remember to subscribe and rate the show to ensure you don't miss Part 2, and many other equally interesting episodes which will be uploaded weekly from now on. Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series. See hackcircus.com for more about the project, and @hackcircus on Twitter. We're also on Facebook.

Earlier this year, your host was the first digital artist in residence at Rambert, one of the UK's leading contemporary dance companies. In this episode, Leila talks technology, learning, mastery, driving, injuries and more with two of the world class dancers she's been working with: Liam Francis and Hannah Rudd. Look out for more episodes featuring Rambert people as the season progresses. Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series all about 'Fantasy technology and everyday magic'. See Hackcircus.com for more about the project.

Currently in residence at Sheffield's Site Gallery, artists Anna Chrystal Stephens and Glen Stoker are interested in survival and empowerment. Their residency began with a 60 mile walk across town and country, living off the land and slowing down their thinking, before arriving at the door of the gallery full of inspiration and in need of a shower. In this first in this year's series of Hack Circus podcasts, we discuss building shelters, foraging, starting fires, using networks, birds nests, trees, fear and uncertainty... An interview with the artists based on this podcast also features in the forthcoming issue of Hack Circus (hackcircus.com) which is all themed on Survival.

In this episode, Leila catches up with Heather Fenoughty at her home in Sheffield. For composer and sound designer Heather, everything from the bathroom fan to the dishwasher seems carefully placed: "To me, the world is sound designed". Find out how to manipulate people's emotions with music, which came first – the lyricist or the composer, why we like particular chords, and what happened when she met Jean Luc Picard down the corridor from Doctor Who, in this extra-musical episode of the Hack Circus podcast! Heather's excellent blog, with links to her work is here: heather-fenoughty.com Hack Circus is a quarterly magazine, event series and podcast. Check out hackcircus.com and sign up to our newsletter to find up what we're up to next.

It's series two! This series of podcasts explore the magical in everyday life. This time Leila meets Nick Davies, hypnotist and hypnotherapist, Director of the Warwickshire School of Hypnotherapy and creator of the BLAST therapy technique for resolving trauma. Learn how to put yourself into a more receptive state, and find out a little about the history and science of hypnosis in this fascinating extra-long episode of the show to launch our second season. Nick even works his magic on Leila's fear of heights live on the show! More about him here and his training and workshops here.  Hack Circus is also a quarterly magazine and a weird, immersive live show: hackcircus.com and hackcircus.com/underworlds for details of our next show – an immersive, hacky musical in London on March 23rd. This episode of the show is sponsored by train-mad software development company Shedcode who tinker with arduino, tell stories with data, and drink plenty of tea. Get in touch if you'd like to contact them, or sponsor an episode of Hack Circus yourself! editor@hackcircus.com

In this episode Leila meets magician Mike Stoner to talk weddings, podcasts, telepathy, making things interesting, choosing volunteers – and how magicians need to master the art of *selling* before they even pick up a pack of cards. Mike brings some tricks along, and needless to say, Leila's mind is blown. More about Mike at: www.magician-4-hire.co.uk and the Hack Circus project at hackcircus.com

In the third episode of the Hack Circus podcast, Leila Johnston meets Joe Banks from Rorschach Audio, a fascinating sound artist who has been researching acoustic illusions, EVP and everything to do with the psychology of sound, for many years. For more about the new issue & next event – see hackcircus.com. 

In the first episode of the new Hack Circus podcast, Leila catches up with her friend Helen Zaltzman from the well-known podcast 'Answer Me This' (and many other things). They chat about making, painting, Jewishness, mirrors, driving and much more – and the Ludic Rooms pop in with some circuit-bending tips for beginners. For more about the new issue & next event see hackcircus.com.

It's Shift Run Stop al fresco season again so your hosts meet in a park to come clean about their geeky hobbies. Chat covers public lock-picking, 8-bit graphics, DIY effects pedals, Hack Circus and the meditative power of geekiness. Our resident Charlie Bucket, Lee stops by with some Wonka bars and edible pebbles, while fresh [...]

With All Hallows' Eve nearly upon us, it's time for the yearly testing of seasonal spooky snacks. We learned that there are a lot of them. We also talk about Hack Circus, Iceland, Tom Cruise, costumes, listener correspondence and lots more besides. Links: Roo's newsletter | Leila's newsletter | The SRS forum | @ShiftRunStop | Hack Circus | Buy [...]

Flamenco dancer Rosamaria Cisneros Kostic discusses her craft, how to stay grounded, calm and physically aware in a hectic world, and the fascinating dance/tech research she's involved with at C-DaRE in Coventry. Rosa grew up in the U.S. but has lived and worked all over the world. She's a professional dancer, dance historian and critic, Roma scholar, Flamenco historian and peace activist. If you want to check out her beautiful Flamenco skills for yourself, Rosa's dance film Saeta: The Mourning is online here. See Rosa's website to find out more about her. She's on Twitter too. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus),Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!