Can Art Save Us?

This episode is about "Joyful madness" and a brilliant collaboration between Science and the Arts. Dr. Weliton Menário Costa, also known as Weli both as a scientist and as a recording artist, is the global winner of the "Dance Your PhD" competition. Complex academic research is communicated through dance to reach new audiences. It’s a tough but inspired challenge and a joy to see science celebrated through the Arts. The visibility of this relationship is especially important when a divisive political approach between the Arts and Sciences has dominated here in the UK; but it’s not a natural division. What is and isn’t natural is also a critical finding in Weli’s scientific work. His three year study of wild kangaroos has evidenced the natural diversity of kangaroo personalities and without conflict. He was able to conclude, “Kangaroos are different, just like us. Differences happen in all species, it’s just natural.” And this is what you see in Weli’s video, a group dance that includes a Drag Queen with Brazilian funk, classical Indian and ballet dancers all performing to his own song, Kangaroo Time. We draw on parallels between his scientific study of wild kangaroos and human behaviour. Weli shares powerful, personal stories of his own challenges with identity and mental health. As a young gay man growing up in a conservative rural area of Brazil, being different alerted him to how the social environment can also shape our behaviour. He talks about his personal fears and anxieties and how his life changed dramatically in Australia where he now lives. We talk about his meditation practice and the importance of acceptance and letting go whilst understanding these aren't passive states. His practice has been core to his cultivation of courage and to developing responsiveness rather than reactiveness. There are clear acts of courageousness in Weli's journey, including his decision to become a full time recording artist and his current EP, "Yours Academically," chronicles that transition. Watch the video, dance along and find your inner roo! Photographs courtesy of Nic Vevers, The Australian National University. Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: www.canartsaveus.com Kangaroo Time Club Mix, video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoSYO3fApEc Discover @WeliMusic on Instagram, check his bio for links, including Spotify or head to Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCBpUI9oMUYmIl0wcTsD1Lkw

What happens when the judicial system we're taught to trust is in fact part of a complex web of systemic failure and structural discrimination on vast scales? My guests today have raised one of the most important spotlights on systemic failure in Australia's prison system. Indigenous Australians are one of the most incarcerated people in the world. Alex Siddons is the director of the groundbreaking feature documentary, The Art of Incarceration, which is currently available on Netflix. He won unprecedented access to film at the Indigenous Unit of Victoria's Fulham Correctional Center. Christopher Austin is a lead participant in the documentary and he was incarcerated from the age of 11. And by the time he was 46, the longest time he had spent in society at any one time was nine months. There's nothing sketchy about this documentary and crime isn't excused. But the repeat cycle of crime and over representation of Indigenous Australians is explored in order to find solutions. Through the personal stories of in-mates the documentary explores the relevance and legacy of colonial history of Stolen Generations, displacement and disadvantage that feed into the prison system today. Alex spotlights how hope and positive change is literally painted through the Torch art program. The program connects indigenous inmates to their culture and strengthens cultural identity through the practice of art. It recognizes that people who are disenfranchised from their dominant culture become too disconnected to rehabilitate successfully. Christopher Austin and Alex Siddons take part in this episode. Christopher shares his personal experience of being displaced and incarcerated from the age of 11. He is a unique survivor of the prison system and today both an artist and pioneer for change. He is now The Torch’s, Indigenous Program Mentor, in itself a huge landmark for change in which he leads. Alex Siddons, is a dedicated filmmaker and his documentary not only raised a vital spotlight on this human rights issue but a brotherhood too. The consent and collaboration of prisoners is further testimony to the Torch Arts Programme, successfully cultivating connection, cultural respect, real change and a future outside of the traps both in and outside of prison. Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover The Art of Incarceration on Netflix and the Director Alex Siddons: www.alexsiddons.com Support and Discover The Torch Art Programme: www.thetorch.org.au Buy art by First Nations people, vouchers and gifts: www.thetorch.org.au/shop-2/

Julie Hesmondhalgh is one of Britain’s most loved actresses, she plays roles for stage and screen that tackle important issues and reach out to the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere. Her roles in drama have included sexual violence, the calamity of hate crimes, the representation of transgender people, exploring the right to die and more recently, exposing one of the most widespread miscarriages of justice in British history, The Post Office Scandal. This hit ITV series, Mr. Bates versus the Post Office, has had an unprecedented reaction forcing new political urgency to resolve this scandal. In theatre her work has responded to war, austerity, cancer, mental health, refugees and currently, her personal and emotionally courageous, one woman show, These We Love, a hymn to her working-class childhood. Julie’s work as an artist is part and parcel of her activism for positive change, a fairer society and equality, including access to the Arts. Whilst her famous and ground breaking television role as Hayley Cropper, a transgender woman in Coronation Street, often dominates her career, her work is bigger than this very famous soap opera. Julie is also full of fun and she understands the importance of daftness. She thinks deeply about hope and what it means in how we navigate our lives. We talk about finding her dad's diaries, the huge investment in Arts for the privately educated but devastating cuts in state education and what that means in a democracy. We discuss the Arts in relation to mental health, being able to connect, not feel alone and to combat fear with joy. Julie discusses why hope and optimism are essential in personal and political struggle and how the Arts encourages us all to thrive. Photos courtesy of Julie Hesmondhalgh Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover: Julie Hesmondhalgh www.loucoulson.co.uk/talent/julie-hesmondhalgh Arts Emergency www.arts-emergency.org Take Back Theatre www.takebacktheatre

Dennis Clausen, is a professor of American Literature and Screenwriting at the University of San Diego in the USA. He’s a highly respected, award-winning author of many works of fiction that reflect his lived experience and special interest in American small towns. He’s also written, Storytelling as Art and Craftsmanship, offering practical strategies for Screenwriters and Creative Writers. The emphasis on storytelling as art and craft is critical which is reflected in his regular contributions to Psychology Today. He discusses the threat of Artificial Intelligence and technology to our own thinking skills, neurological development, mental fitness, our imagination, having an authentic voice and questioning, who’s soul will be in literature? We talk about the relationship in his current trilogy between social injustice, economic inequality, homelessness and how Art is critical to finding truth, purpose and human existence. Dennis shares powerful personal stories including how his father, Lloyd Clausen, was adopted to be a farm labourer, not a son, who was extremely deprived. In the 1920s, the Great Depression and droughts also made for his crushing existence. Dennis unravelled his father's life story before he sadly died from cancer and he consequently published, "Prairie Son." All of his work is a great act of humanity and an important reminder why the humanities must have freedom to survive, to respond to authoritarianism and exercise the health of our own minds. Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Professor Dennis Clausen: www.dennisclausen.com Professor Dennis Clausen, contributor to Psychology Today magazine: www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/dennis-m-clausen-phd

David Attree is a ‘people’s poet,’ he’s also known as a ‘Poet-Chef,’ ‘Famous Dave,’ and more recently as the voice of the ‘Week in Words,’ aired on BBC Radio across three counties. His poetry is also currently on buses in the city of Brighton, known internationally as a centre of creativity. But fame isn’t what interests Dave, it’s connection; it’s you. Dave’s BBC, on-air introduction, was clear from the start: “I’m not writing for a crowd.” He’s interested in every individual that makes up a community. He finds “hope in disguise” and he takes “the time to measure what really counts.” Dave “links news and stories with poems and rhymes,” he creates a calm space where we can stop and think and even Time can rest a while. Dave is also an active poet in other ways; he walks and cycles for charitable causes, he speaks up, with us and for us. He’s also a funeral celebrant. He celebrates a person’s life as though he has always known them, with the skill and insight that poets possess. And what lies behind it all? Courage. Dave knows tragedy and fear, he’s had life-saving surgery that sadly, many don’t make and he’s also recovered from a stroke. Through all this he serves the value of life, for all of us and he champions his amazing, para-Olympian daughter too. This is a family that isn’t shy of beating the odds. Dave lets you know you are heard amongst all the noise, he invites you to pause and I’m sure, like me, you’ll feel, you’ve always known him too. Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Dave Attree on BBC Sounds. The Week in Words and other clips with Dave are uploaded here as part of the Allison Ferns, Sunday Breakfast Show: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7v5/clips

Do you like dancing? Do we dance enough? Or maybe the question is, why don’t we dance more? Dr. Angela Pickard is the UK’s first Professor of Dance Education. She has worked with talented dancers and choreographers across a multitude of theatres and sites in the UK and internationally. From toddlers to The Royal Ballet School, Angela has a wealth of knowledge and she is now the Director of the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health, here in the UK. She is interested in the relationship between dance and psychological, social and artistic outcomes and is particularly interested in responding to exclusion. Who is and isn’t included in dance, even in contemporary forms that we might assume are much more accessible? Who participates in dance is problematic, there’s a ring of elitism around it. Different generations may have memories of the traditional Friday night dance at the village hall, the school disco, the glamorous prom, the explosion of street-dance or maybe at weddings only. Have you ever been to a 'Daybreaker,' a morning dance rave to feel energized and well? Are you a fan of the hit TV series, Strictly Come Dancing? Whatever is happening, it seems our relationship with dance is fragmented, yet it has brought us joy, forms of protest and phenomenal social change. So, let’s get curious about dance and who better to ask than the UK’s first Professor of Dance Education? Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Dr. Angela Pickard, Director of the Sydney de Haan Centre www.canterbury.ac.uk/research/research-centres/sidney-de-haan-research-centre-for-arts-and-health

Cassa Pancho, MBE, founded Ballet Black in 2001, Britain’s most diverse ballet company celebrating dancers of black and Asian descent. Today it’s one of the most prolific commissioners of new and critically acclaimed ballets here in the UK. The journey in between however, has been huge. Racist barriers in the industry were high and it was only six years ago that the world leading designer, Freed of London, in collaboration with Ballet Black, developed the UK’s first range of point shoes for dancers with darker skin tones. The exclusively pink or pale ballet shoe had long reigned as the symbol of a white-centric ballet world. It was trying to write her dissertation for a degree in The Art and Teaching of Classical Ballet, that Cassa realised she couldn’t interview black women in British ballet, because there weren’t any. As a young graduate, Cassa started Ballet Black, it was a brave under taking. Starting a new company is normally built around a star dancer and no-one was likely to take her seriously. But, Ballet Black offered a space where black and Asian dancers could come without feeling othered or marginalised and even a basic dance class was hugely popular. This is the work of a pioneer leading positive change. Black ballerinas being told they could only be cast in male roles or to break their feet because they didn’t fit a preferred, white, body type, are racist traumas to be left in the dust of this trailblazing work. Ballet Black is making a fundamental change in the diversity of classical ballet and to audiences in Britain. We talk about the freedom to be an artist, the stories that are told and who by, creative collaborations, the Ballet Black junior school and Ballet Black on Film. Photo Credits: Image of Cassa Pancho, solo, credited to Holly McGlynn Images of the Ballet Black Company on stage and with Cassa in a Studio, are both credited to Photography by ASH Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Ballet Black: www.balletblack.co.uk Ballet Black on Film: www.bbonfilm.balletblack.co.uk Performances and Dates: wwww.balletblack.co.uk/performances/ Reference also made to Justice 4 Windrush: www.justice4windrush.org

Described as “an obscenely talented man.” Matthew Todd is a multi, award-winning writer, playwright, broadcaster and sometime performer. He was also the editor of the UK’s best-selling gay magazine, Attitude, for 8 years. During this time, Matthew interviewed countless celebrities, idols and icons, including Madonna, Elton John and Lady Gaga. For his very last issue in 2016, he made history. HRH Prince William was photographed for the front cover of Attitude, making his first appearance in the gay press and issuing the first Royal statement against homo, bi, and transphobic bullying. This was statement publishing. The Art of the Attitude front cover was glossy, distinct and stylish, it featured photographs of both gay and straight celebrities; everyone was welcome. But what lay behind those front covers was an even bigger and personal story, one that has informed what some would say, is life-saving work today. Matthew’s insights into gay culture and his own lived experience, was telling him a very different story; not everyone did in fact, feel welcome. He was witnessing a disproportionate number of gay people suffering from anxiety, depression, addiction, suicidal thoughts and behaviour. Despite big life statements, perfect bodies, out and proud gay attitudes, there was a dysfunction which Matthew identified as the ‘straight jacket of shame.’ In his book, Straight Jacket, How to be Gay and Happy, he examines the socio-political history that lies behind gay culture and how secrecy, being othered, criminalised, bullied and relentlessly judged, became defining characteristics of the straight jacket. No amount of striving for perfectionism can replace shame and Matthew’s book, Straight Jacket, is described as a ‘revolutionary call.’ It's reviewed by Sir Elton John as “an essential read for every gay person on the planet." This interview also marks LGBT+ History Month. References include: In LGBT+ month and every month, Matthew Todd's landmark book remains as relevant and as important today. This is a book for anyone interested in good mental health, healthy relationships, a kinder society, human rights and not hatred and discrimination. You can also see Matthew's successful play, Blowing Whistles, 25 April - 25 May at The Turbine Theatre, London. Blowing Whistles is set on the night before Pride in the Park, a gay couple Nigel and Jamie, grapple with the complexities of modern gay relationships. @TurbineTheatre Book soon! Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Matthew Todd: www.matthewtodd.net/ LGBT+ History Month: www.lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/

Musa Motha is an outstanding, world class dancer and a master of making the impossible, possible. Despite a leg amputation at the age of 11 due to cancer, Musa's dance techniques and innovations exceed all ideas of what we typically think able-bodied means. Musa Motha has won the hearts and minds of thousands around the world, he is celebrated as a national hero in his home country of South Africa and now based in London, England, he is equally loved. Musa made television history with his breakthrough, UK, performance on the hit TV series, Britain’s Got Talent. The first ever, group golden buzzer was struck after the hysterical insistence of the audience. A shower of love and gold saturated the stage in return for a dance performance that was one of awe and disbelief. His ballet posture could hold up a skyscraper, but the essence of his core strength is courage, firm self-belief and faith. We talk about transformation in his personal life and in South Africa itself. Musa was nearly one when Nelson Mandela was sworn in as president. We talk about losing a leg and becoming a dancer, his near death experiences, positive thinking, visualisation, his firm belief in manifestation and unwavering faith in God. Photo Credits: @ViktorErikEman Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: https://www.canartsaveus.com Discover Musa Motha: www.harboursidemgmt.com/artists/musa-motha-artist-page/

Do enough of us think about our resiliency, our capacity to manage or co-exist with stressful events, now and in the future? Do we even think about cultivating our resilience for life’s catastrophes? Sculptor, Kate Viner has foregrounded resilience in her recent exhibition, Resilience in Clay, representing seven people, seeking refuge in the UK, displaced by conflict, discrimination and persecution. Across much of her work including Children Caught in Crossfire and Female Crucifixion, sculptor, Kate Viner, responds to courage, conflict and the brave optimism held by those worst affected. The expressions she captures in her portrait sculptures tell you everything without words. There are those who have lost everything, even their ability to make eye contact, displaced from their lives and families. Kate however, makes that eye contact, she draws our eyes to those who are most vulnerable and whilst they may not be able to look, she ensures they are seen through her sculptural art. We talk about art and spirituality and art as a calling. We talk about resilience for life as an artist, working with difficult themes and responding to people with trauma in their lives. We also talk about the resilience of refugees, their brave optimism and statements of compassion for how we live in the world. Kate never asks personal questions but creates trust with cups of tea, laughter and friendship. Images Courtesy of Kate Viner Studio Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview are here with news, reviews and your host: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Kate Viner: www.kateviner.com Discover The Sanctuary, supporting refugees and asylum seekers locally. www.sanctuaryinchichester.org

It's not often we meet a living legend, or someone who achieves their life's vision when there have been unimaginable forces against them. Gregory Maqoma, in the world of dance and on the international stage, is one of the most important artists of his generation. He not only survived the oppression and institutionalized racism in apartheid South Africa, but he broke cultural and gender expectations even within his own family, to pursue a life in the Arts. He has become a cultural landmark in his own right, and his legacy is currently being celebrated in his 50th year. Gregory has taken back African history and the black body from colonial ownership. He honors the classical dance of his African ancestors and contemporary collaborations, amongst numerous highly prestigious awards in South Africa and America, France also awarded him the ‘Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.’ He's a leader in dance and social justice, elevating the possibilities and contradictions in life. He's a visionary who could see beyond the burning tires, the burning houses, and burning flesh in apartheid South Africa. And despite the human injustice he saw growing up, Gregory was and is the Joy Dancer. As part of his legacy celebrations this year, two books have been published. ‘The Joy Dancer,’ introduces children to Gregory as a young boy living in Soweto, a segregated township, discovering the magic of dance, his memoir, ‘My Life, My Dance, My Soul,’ sees that young boy become a giant of courage, conviction and compassion. We talk about life taking risks, courage, the brutal regime of apartheid, the courage of women that made his dance life possible and being brave enough to be curious. Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview are here with news, reviews and your host: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Gregory Maqoma: www.gregmaqoma.com/ Discover Vuyani Dance Theatre: www.vuyani.co.za/

Have you ever thought about the Art of History? Not the history of art but how history is painted to tell us about the past; to document historical events, people and movement, power and conflict, control and beliefs, to tell us how to understand our lives, identity and the world today. How history is painted and told in any form, can include propaganda, fact, fiction, embellishment and absence. But who has told and been able to tell their histories? Currently in the UK, we have a significant news story in education that spotlights the importance of history, how and what is told, investigated or re-examined and by whom. Professor Hakim Adi, is the first British person of African heritage to become a professor of history in the UK. He was appointed Professor of the History of Africa and the African Diaspora at the University of Chichester and he’s just been shortlisted for the Wolfson history prize for his book published in 2022, entitled African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History. The Wolfson Prize is the UK’s most prestigious history prize. Here comes the strange part. At Chichester University, Professor Adi’s course, was recently axed without consultation. Despite being appointed years before this particular course, he was also made redundant. We talk about the need for truth, transformative history to help combat racism, respecting struggle and to never give up. He is internationally recognized as an expert in the history of Africa and the African diaspora. This is the best history lesson I've had. What we're not taught is staggering; the courage, the honour, the excitement, the inspiration, the giants that are absent. This is a voice raising a poorly painted landscape to the bolder truth of Africa. Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: https://www.canartsaveus.com Discover Professor Hakim Adi: www.hakimadi.org/

Nicky Goulder, CEO of the charity Create, recently received an Amazing Women award celebrating her as an ‘Arts Innovator.’ The British magazine, Women and Home, sold worldwide, hosts these awards for women making a big difference in the world. And this is indeed a very celebratory year. Founded 20 years ago, Create is now a multi-award-winning charity empowering the lives of society’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable people. In fact, Create has won more than 120 awards since 2012 and has worked with 40, 000 + people since it started. This is a charity that changes lives through the creative arts, connecting, inspiring and empowering the people they work with. Working with artists, Create delivers purposeful projects for young and adult carers, disabled adults and children, prisoners, pensioners, marginalised groups including the homeless, refugees and the LGBTQ+ community. Currently Create has partnered on a nationwide Feeding Creativity campaign with the bakers Jacksons of Yorkshire. Publicised on millions of loaves of bread, Feeding Creativity is reaching schools and children nationwide whilst raising awareness of young carers. We talk about dad's in prison, carers as young as four years old, the pandemic urgency to reach new and existing participants, the importance of celebrating, why creativity matters and the evidence for Arts and wellbeing, including increasing life expectancy by ten years. Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview are here with news, reviews and your host: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Create: www.createarts.org.uk

Mark Walmsley trained in drums and percussion and spent 15 years performing with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He’s also played in the pit of various West End shows in London and taught drumming to children online, around the world. But Mark also beats a different drum, as a self-confessed, ‘furious networker,’ working his way through creative digital marketing and events management. Put all that together, hand it to Tom Cruise behind his bar in Cocktail, and you get Mark Walmsley, founder of the Arts and Culture Network. Currently, there’s an average of 300 new members a day joining a global community that’s 80, 000 strong and Mark’s mission is to drive connections. He’s also interested in fractional philanthropy, taking a percentage of membership fees to support initiatives in under-developed communities, for example supporting a dance group for homeless children, based in Uganda. We talk about entrepreneurism, risk, the pirate code of conduct, music and neurology and why Einstein said imagination is more important than knowledge. We also talk about his exec role on Jungle Book, a forthcoming, immersive theatre experience. Mark leans forward and everyone is invited. Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview are here with news, reviews and your host: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Mark Walmsley and the Arts & Culture Network: www.artsandculturenetwork.com/

Basil Watson is a Jamaican sculptor now based in the USA, and over a 45 year career, he has achieved international recognition as one of the world's leading sculptors. He was awarded the highest order of distinction, Commander Class, by the government of Jamaica, and his distinction through service continues today. Basil's outstanding work serves the development of global harmony, he speaks to equality, justice and peace, always remaining humble, dedicated to his artistic service. He's also the son of Barrington Watson one of Jamaica's most eminent artists who became an internationally renowned painter. He was a pioneer leading cultural change in the recognition of and possibility for black artists and art runs throughout Basil's family, including his brother, sister and son, who are all artists. This is a family legacy sharing an artistic language that speaks universally to humanity. Basil is responsible for iconic statement sculptures that reach out emotionally capturing the spirits and personality of his subjects. Just some of his well known work includes Jamaican sprinter, the eight time Olympic gold medalist, Usain Bolt, Civil Rights leader, and one of the greatest speakers of all time, Martin Luther King and the National Windrush Monument, unveiled by Prince William in Britain. Basil understands the important role of the arts in leadership. And in his own words, “global harmony is critical for the survival of humanity and for the creation of a world in which all mankind can live productive and creative lives.” We talk about the courage to follow your creative path, to hold onto your moral and artistic integrity, to keep moving forward and to always think of the bigger picture. Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.' Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Basil Watson: www.basilsculpture.com/home.html Find out more about #Justice4Windrush www.justice4windrush.org/

Zita Holbourne is a multi award winning multidisciplinary artist, author, poet, curator and vocalist. She's an experienced trade union and community activist and her artwork responds to social and climate justice, human rights and equality. Zita was elected to the TUC National Race Relations Committee and the Women's Committee and she's joint National Chair of the Union for Artists. As a human rights campaigner, and educator she believes in practical solidarity, and for years she's raised funds for humanitarian aid missions. She's the National Chair of Black Activists Rising Against Cuts which she co-founded in 2010, initially in response to government austerity. She's also founded the Roots, Culture, Identity art collective, curating exhibitions to showcase the art of young black and migrant artists. Through arts activism she campaigns against all forms of discrimination, including the discriminatory cuts in the UK arts and culture sectors already in 2023 achievements include being one of the winning submissions for the Jessica Kingsley writers prize entitled, Roots and Rebellion Personal Stories of Resisting Racism and Reclaiming Identity. She has been nominated for Arts, Culture and Community Influencer in the Caribbean Global Awards 2023 and her artwork was commissioned for the Voices of Windrush festival, commemorating and celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation arriving into Britain. We talk about art speaking to scandal, to hope, to commemorating the lost, the loved and leaders of positive, social change. We talk about art as a healer, a teacher and a friend. Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.' Photo Credits: Largest, central photo of Zita Holbourne © Josimar Senior, Black Writers Guild Top left, photo of Zita Holbourne © Elizabeth Dalziel, Women Activists of East London exhibition . Bottom right, Artwork by © Zita Holbourne for the Voices of Windrush Festival Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover the Roots, Culture, Identity Exhibition: www.tuc.org.uk/RootsCultureIdentity Discover Voices of Windrush Festival: www.voicesofwindrush.com/ Find out more about #Justice4Windrush www.justice4windrush.org/ Discover Zita Holbourne: https://linktr.ee/ZitaBARACUK

John Simmit founded the Upfront Comedy Empire. He's a comedian, producer, actor and theatre performer enjoying current success in the musical Rush, a "joyous Jamaican journey" earning five star reviews and sellout shows. For 30 years, John has promoted black comedy in Britain, and alongside comedy tours, he has built a network of clubs nationwide. He's credited by The Guardian newspaper as "the man who put British black comedy on the map," and he also regularly showcased talent he brought over from the United States. Early on in his career, John made a name for himself in the Real McCoy, a hit BBC television comedy show featuring Black and Asian stars that quickly reached audiences of 5 million. He's also known for his character in the second most successful TV show ever in terms of sales. The multiple BAFTA award winning Teletubbies, John played Dipsy and Britain's only Cuban-Jamaican-Brummie brought reggae and Caribbean culture into preschool programming. From the surreal to the comedy of life, John brings us joy, and humor. We talk about Rush, musical theatre combing history with hits to tell the story of Windrush. We talk about the legacy and political scandal of Windrush and the courage, generosity and kindness of comedy. Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.' Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Rush: https://rushtheatrecompany.co.uk/ Find out more about #Justice4Windrush: www.justice4windrush.org/

Dr Michael McMillan is an artist, author, playwright and curator. His plays and performance pieces have been produced by the Royal Court Theatre, Channel 4, BBC Radio 4 Drama and across the UK. He’s a Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at the University of the Arts, London and an Associate Lecturer, teaching Cultural & Historical Studies at the London College of Fashion. Michael was born to immigrant parents from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and his work explores family, identity and generation in a migrant context. His curation and installation of a 1970s West Indian Front Room at the Geffrye Museum had more than 35, 000 visitors and has since become a permanent exhibition at the now Museum of the Home. A new iteration of this 1970s interior was recently included at Tate Britain’s landmark exhibition; “Life Between Islands,” exploring Caribbean-British art over four generations. Amongst the 5 star reviews, The Guardian described the exhibition as ”a mind-altering portrait of British Caribbean life through art.” We talk about the significance of the Windrush generation versus government scandal, the struggle behind rich cultural exchange, the political fear of art, the vital integrity of an artist, courage when your identity is made a target and the experience that changed Michael's life when he was only 16. Michael is a true educator. Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.' Series Audio Editor - Courtesy of Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Images: The Museum of the Home Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here:www.canartsaveus.com Discover Dr. Michael McMillan's Front Room here: https://www.museumofthehome.org.uk/whats-on/rooms-through-time/a-front-room-in-1976/ Find out more about #Justice4Windrush www.justice4windrush.org/

In this special edition, short interview, I had the pleasure to talk again to Shirley May who featured in Season 3 which was dedicated to poetry and spoken word artists. Shirley May is an acclaimed poet, writer and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of literature. She is also CEO and Artistic Director of Young Identity, Manchester's premier spoken word collective in the UK. To complement her one hour episode, repeated in Season 4, see listing, She Wrote Her Own Eulogy, this special edition celebrates Windrush 75. We talk about the experience of her parents leaving Jamaica for Britain and Shirley shares stories not included in her book 'She Wrote Her Own Eulogy.' We talk about her mother's active, community work supporting citizenship administration and her father's resilience and response to racism. Find out who is 'still dancing' and why the commemorative events of Windrush 75 are so important. See additional links and Young Identity interviews below. Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.' You can hear more from the Young Identity poets in Season 3 too, who also share Caribbean and African heritage. See Season 3 listings: 'The Courage and Craft of Two Poets' 'Pain, Poetry and a Jamaican born Nigerian Princess'. Discover Shirley May and Young Identity: www.youngidentity.org/ Find out more about #Justice4Windrush: www.justice4windrush.org/ Series Audio Editor - Courtesy of Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. News and read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: www.canartsaveus.com

Shirley May is an acclaimed poet, writer and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of literature. She is also CEO and Artistic Director of Young Identity, Manchester's premier spoken word collective in the UK. In 2006, Shirley founded the Inner Voice, a voluntary Youth Arts Project that 16 dedicated years later, has become Young Identity, a literature and performance arts charity. Young Identity now has the prestigious status of being a national portfolio organisation with the UK Arts Council. In other words, Young Identity is recognized as a leader both in their field and in our collective national arts. Shirley's work is described as "blazing with emotion, challenging all the senses." We talk about her work responding to pain and pride in the experience of migration, her Jamaican heritage and in African history. We start with how one day "she woke up with a poem in her mouth," how "the word was first" and developing the "risk of excellence," in marginalised youth today. Young Identity is important legacy work that talks to truth. This episode first featured in Season 3 (Speak Your Excellence). As part of the Windrush 75 commemorations and celebrations, Season 4 includes this episode again and it is also complimented with an additional short interview with Shirley May. This is listed in Season 4 as 'Still Dancing - Windrush 75,' in which Shirley talks specifically about the experience of her parents leaving Jamaica for Britain, including experiences not previously published in her book, "She Wrote Her Own Eulogy." Her parents came in response to the call to help rebuild Britain post WWII and she talks about why the Windrush 75 Anniversary and events are so important in response to both legacy and scandal. (More links below). Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.' You can hear more from the Young Identity poets in Season 3 too, who also share Caribbean and African heritage. See Season 3 listings: 'The Courage and Craft of Two Poets' 'Pain, Poetry and a Jamaican born Nigerian Princess'. Series Audio Editor - Courtesy of Joey Quan. Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. News and read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: www.canartsaveus.com Discover Shirley May here: www.youngidentity.org/ www.shirleyannemay.co.uk/ Find out more about #Justice4Windrush www.justice4windrush.org/