Somewhere To Believe In

This episode of Greenbelt’s ‘Somewhere To Believe In’ comes in the form of a one-off Christmas reflection; brought to you by our friend Beloved Sara Zaltash, a ‘non-denominational rabble-rouser and soul-soother for a world in crisis’. It was our pleasure to welcome Beloved Sara to Greenbelt for the first time this year, along with her heavenly spiritual chants and adaptation of the Islamic Call to Prayer. And now she’s back again, reflecting on Christmas, with personal stories of community, songs of hope and prayers of blessings. As Beloved Sara says, we hope ‘you gather around these sounds in warmth and with whatever is dear to you, and that these words shine a beacon of friendship into your Christmas season.’ This episode features strong language and references to drugs. _ Late this November, Greenbelt Festival’s Creative Director, Paul Northup, called me with a request to collaborate on something like a podcast, that wasn’t quite a podcast, to be shared with the Greenbelt community this Christmastime. I wish I could say that the first emotion I experienced was humility. I wish I was that saint! In truth, I was overwhelmed with giddy delight. Was I really being asked to share my thoughts, stories and songs with the Greenbelt community, that vital and gorgeous and exceptionally kind bunch of people that had won my heart this summer when I performed at the festival? In truth, it took a whole afternoon of pinching myself before the thrill of Paul’s request subsided, before I could settle into what was being asked of me. Did Greenbelters really want to hear more from me? What can I give them, poor as I am? As the start of Advent loomed, Paul and I realised that the task ahead was greater than the time available, and that we needed a different approach. Paul wondered about centering the not-exactly-a-podcast on my voice, seeing as it was my voice that had been received so kindly by Greenbelters at the festival. It was then that I remembered a piece of storytelling I had written for a guest slot at Sunday Assembly East End in December 2016 - a personal story, woven with song, that was Christmassy and yet not-exactly-Christmassy. This story is what we have chosen to share with you this year. Funnily enough, Sunday Assembly thought that the story was actually too Christian for their congregation. For me, this story abridges my whole life’s experience of sincere acceptance, inclusion and welcome into Christian community, regardless of how I have shown up. This story does not promote any specific belief or doctrine, except perhaps the belief in the redemptive power of song. That’s what we have to give you; we give our hearts. Thank you for all of the support and willingness offered by the Greenbelt team and not-quite-podcast contributors. Thank you especially to Abigail Maxwell, a Greenbelter and Quaker who provides us with a sobering prayer of blessing that we can hold alongside the gladness of the season. I pray that our offering greets you in the finest health, that you gather around these sounds in warmth and with whatever is dear to you, and that these words shine a beacon of friendship into your Christmas season. Yours ever, Your own, Beloved Sara Zaltash _ 00:00 - Introduction 01:45 - In the bleak midwinter 07:33 - A Christmas song 10:04 - Eric 16:16 - School 28:10 - Merry Christmas 28:37 - A prayer of blessing 31:04 - ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ song Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Greenbelt’s ‘Somewhere To Believe In’ podcast takes a different form. It’s a one-off. It knits together 45-minutes of reflection, conversation, music and prayer in the form of a listen-and-share service to mark the festival’s 2021 August Bank Holiday weekend incarnation (its 48th) – when only a fraction of the wider Greenbelt community could actually physically be together at the Prospect Farm pop-up camping gathering. The hope is that the audio form of the service will give everyone the chance to share and be connected in a unifying act of remembrance – wherever they are. Ideally, the audio is designed to be shared in and listened to at 11am on Sunday 29th August. But, of course, it can be listened to at any time. Again and again. The podcast takes its title from a wonderful poem by the poet Roger Robinson. It also features music from Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir and the Wild Goose Resources Group, conversations with activists from Christian Aid, Trussell Trust and Refuweegee and readings and prayers led by Greenbelt’s from all corners of the UK. It is lovingly curated and narrated by Pádraig Ó Tuama – poet, theologian, and conflict mediator. (Pádraig also presents 'Poetry Unbound', a podcast from On Being studios.) ____ ORDER OF SERVICE Download the order of service here ____ SUPPORT Last year – despite our not being together – you gave an incredible £33,000 in response to our service appeal. This year, let’s see if we can top that generosity! This year, your generous giving will be split 50/50 once again. 50% will go towards the vital work that our partners Christian Aid and Trussell Trust do to challenge, advocate, develop and support – globally and domestically. And 50% will stay with us here at Greenbelt as we work to make sure the festival remains sustainable in these most challenging of times. So we can be back in the fields at Boughton House for a fully-fledged festival in 2022 – and beyond. Give here ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Pádraig Ó Tuama Roger Robinson Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir Christian Aid in South Sudan Trussell Trust Glasgow protesters praised for blocking UK immigration officers Refuweegee Wild Goose Resource Group ____ FEATURED TRACKS ‘Lenten Psalm Tone’ by Soul Sanctuary ‘Heaven Shall Not Wait’ by WGRG, Iona Community ‘People Get Ready’ by Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir ____ 00:00 - Prayer for the earth 00:35 - Welcome to ‘The Job of Paradise’ 01:49 - ‘The Job of Paradise’ read by Roger Robinson 02:30 - Pádraig speaks to Roger Robinson 10:33 - Prayer for the artists 11:35 - ‘Psalm 27’ by Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir 16:26 - Chine McDonald and James Wani on aid in South Sudan (Christian Aid) 21:32 - Prayer for those affected by war 22:34 - Pádraig and Jonathan Lees on food banks (Trussell Trust) 27:19 - Scriptural reading 28:31 - Confession 29:50 - Prayer for those responsible for racism 30:26 - ‘Heaven Shall Not Wait’ by Wild Goose Resource Group 32:39 - Pádraig speaks to Selina Hales (Refuweegee) about Glasgow immigration standoff 38:21 - ‘Heaven Shall Not Wait’ by Wild Goose Resource Group 38:56 - Prayer for friendship 39:40 - ‘People Get Ready’ by Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir 42:34 - Prayer for our societies 43:17 - A chance for conversation and response 43:57 - Welcome back 44:13 - Giving 45:19 - Blessing 46:15 - Thank you and credits ____ WITH HUGE THANKS TO ALL OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS SERVICE WRITER, NARRATOR AND HOST Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet, theologian, and conflict mediator. He presents Poetry Unbound, a podcast from On Being studios. Website: padraigotuama.com Twitter: @duanalla GUEST ARTIST Roger Robinson is a writer, educator, and performer. His most recent collection of poems, A Portable Paradise, won the TS Eliot prize in 2020. Website: rogerrobinsononline.com Twitter: @rrobinson72 GUEST ACTIVISTS Selina Hales is the Founder and Director of Refuweegee, a Glasgow-based charity equipping the local community to welcome...

It’s the final episode in series three of our podcast *cries*, and some might say we’ve saved the best ‘til last. We get to it with festival friend and everyone's favourite Lutheran minister, Nadia Bolz-Weber. With her usual candour, humour and joy Nadia talks about her experiences growing up within a very particular, conservative Christian tradition, her journey away from Christian faith as a young adult and into other spaces that helped her heal, and her return to the fold later on; building a church from the ground-up, based on all the ‘good bits’. Plus, we have a refreshingly honest chat about religion, sin, struggle and sex. And that time Nadia had a sculpture of a vagina made from melted down purity rings. (You can play along at home by having a drink of your choice every time Nadia says “vagina”.) Katherine and Paul reflect on a year of podcasting and lockdowns and we respond to some messages from you lovely lot. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT NADIA BOLZ-WEBER Nadia Bolz-Weber is an ordained Lutheran Pastor, founder of House for All Sinners & Saints in Denver, Co, the creator and host of The Confessional Podcast and the author of three NYT bestselling memoirs: Pastrix; The Cranky, Beautiful Faith Of A Sinner & Saint (Re-released 2021), Accidental Saints; Finding God In All The Wrong People (2015) and SHAMELESS; A Sexual Reformation (2019). She writes and speaks about personal failings, recovery, grace, faith, and really whatever the hell else she wants to. She always sits in the corner with the other weirdos. Read more from Nadia in The Corners or connect with her and other spiritual misfits in a pop-up Chapel for conversation, daily prayer, and exclusive content by visiting thechapel.io. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Nadia’s talks at Greenbelt Fresh Expressions House for All Sinners and Saints Confessional podcast Feminist Pastor Unveils Vulva Sculpture Made Of Old Purity Rings More Graves Found At New Site, Canadian Indigenous Group Says ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:47 - Katherine and Paul catch up 05:58 - Introducing Nadia Bolz-Weber 06:32 - Nadia joins the conversation 07:10 - Nadia on Greenbelt Festival 10:30 - Nadia on the Lutheran church 20:40 - Nadia on founding House for All Sinners and Saints 29:14 - Nadia on struggle and optimism 33:00 - Nadia on sex 36:54 - Nadia on negative feedback 39:49 - Nadia on grace 41:10 - Nadia on insults 44:33 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Nadia 01:02:04 - How to get in touch with us 01:02:39 - Thank you’s 01:03:28 - Hidden tracks ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week – in what may be the best recommendation we’ve ever had – we’re talking to theologian, former American footballer, and probably Rowan Williams' biggest fanboy, Danté Stewart. With fire in his belly, Danté “takes us to church”, telling us the story of his own faith journey; from his childhood spent learning of Black revolutionary power, to his full immersion into white evangelical culture as a college football star. And, ultimately, his decision to turn his back on white evangelicalism and to re-nourish and re-build his spirituality and identity as a Black man instead. Plus, all this gets Katherine and Paul asking: what does healthy religion look like? And how can Greenbelt go beyond showcasing diverse performers and do more to create spaces that are designed for everyone? Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT DANTÉ STEWART Danté Stewart is a writer and speaker whose voice has been featured on CNN, The Washington Post, Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Sojourners, The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, Comment Magazine, and more. As an up-and-coming voice, he writes and speaks into the areas of Black literature, embodiment, and theology. He received his B.A. in Sociology from Clemson University. He is currently studying at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. Website | Twitter | Instagram ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Under The Skin With Russell Brand: #105 Alienation and Extremism w/ Angela Nagle Rowan Williams Where to Start with Octavia Butler Culture And Imperialism by Edward Said Harry and Meghan detail royal struggles, from discussions of baby's skin tone to suicidal thoughts The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety, and Public Witness The Black Arts Movement (1965-1975) It is like growing up black one more time by Toni Morrison Clemson University Two Days, Two Deaths: The Police Shootings Of Alton Sterling And Philando Castile The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin Audre Lorde ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:47 - Katherine and Paul catch up 08:08 - Introducing Danté Stewart 08:06 - Danté joins the conversation 09:40 - Danté on the pandemic 13:40 - Danté on staying resilient 20:00 - Danté on history and change 24:50 - Danté on growing up 28:00 - Danté on white institutional spaces 32:10 - Danté on exile from those spaces 37:50 - Danté on his faith journey 43:08 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Danté 55:35 - Next week on the podcast 56:32 - How to get in touch with us 57:10 - Thank you’s 58:00 - Hidden track ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your best philosophical hats out for this episode because we’re doing a deep dive into the not-so-holy-trinity of dinner table topics – religion, politics and belief – with Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK. Andrew gives us the 411 on what it means to be a Humanist. And we wrestle with some meaty questions, like: Where does morality come from? Are religions dying out? Can good ever come from causing offence? And does it really matter what we choose to believe? Plus, Katherine, Paul and Andrew share in their admiration for Frank Turner, a proud humanist and iconic Greenbelt Festival headliner. And Katherine gives us our first lesson in the history of Anarchism... and it might not be what you expect. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT ANDREW COPSON Andrew Copson was appointed Chief Executive of Humanists UK in 2009, having previously been its Director of Education and Public Affairs. He is also the current President of Humanists International, a position he’s held since 2015. His books include The Little Book of Humanism (2020) and The Little Book of Humanist Weddings (2021) with Alice Roberts; Secularism: a very short introduction (Oxford University Press, 2019); The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Humanism (2015) with A C Grayling. His writing on humanist and secularist issues has appeared in The Guardian, The Independent, The Times and New Statesman as well as in various journals. Website | Facebook | Twitter ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Methodist Church allows same-sex marriage in 'momentous' vote Humanists UK Frank Turner - Glory Hallelujah Little Book of Humanism humanist (n.) Anarchism Two Monkeys Were Paid Unequally: Excerpt from Frans de Waal's TED Talk Nicholas Walter Teacher suspended for showing a picture of Prophet Muhammad refuses to return to work over fears for his life ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:47 - Katherine and Paul catch up 05:16 - Introducing Andrew Copson 05:46 - Andrew joins the conversation 06:10 - Andrew on lockdown 07:06 - Andrew on Frank Turner 08:35 - Andrew on Humanism 12:30 - Andrew on morality 16:20 - Andrew on restoration 19:30 - Andrew on social codes 21:20 - Andrew on religious trends 27:22 - Andrew on his Humanism 30:27 - Andrew on blasphemy and offence 35:52 - Andrew on beliefs and values 40:30 - Andrew on certainty 42:20 - Andrew on challenging power 49:05 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Andrew 01:06:05 - Next week on the podcast 01:07:05 - How to get in touch with us 01:07:38 - Thank you’s 01:08:24 - Hidden track ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re feeling humbled and full of love this week as we chat to artist, speaker, writer and priest, Mpho Tutu van Furth. Mpho tells us about her experiences living under apartheid as a young girl and the freedom and justice that so many South Africans, including her family, fought for. We also hear about Mpho’s journey into priesthood and how she reluctantly handed her license back to the church after their (unfortunately unsurprising) reaction to her ‘lovely can of worms’ – AKA falling in love with a woman. Perhaps most importantly, Mpho reminds us how interconnected and interdependent we all are, and that showing a little bit of care can do a whole lot of good. Plus, Katherine and Paul reflect on some similarities they see between Mpho’s apartheid memories and life in modern-day Palestine. Like the rest of us, Paul and Katherine jump on the football bandwagon, and Katherine officially joins the #FreeBritney movement. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT MPHO TUTU VAN FURTH The Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu van Furth is an episcopal priest, an artist, an author, an accomplished public speaker and retreat facilitator. She has had many roles in non-profit leadership. She was the founding executive director of the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. She continues to work for environmental justice, human rights and equal access to opportunity for all people without regard to race, class or gender. With her wife, Marceline, she has established and is Executive Director of the Tutu Teach Foundation to enhance access to opportunity for women and girls. Ms. Tutu van Furth and her wife live in the Netherlands. They have four children and two (amazing) grandchildren. Website | Instagram | Facebook ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Why Longtime Britney Spears Fans Are Demanding to #FreeBritney Did Rudiger try and bite Pogba? A history of Apartheid in South Africa Domas: Carrying Apartheid’s book The June 16 Soweto Youth Uprising Space and power in South Africa: The township as a mechanism of control The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation What does ubuntu really mean? Truth and Reconciliation Commission ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:48 - Katherine and Paul catch up 00:00 - Katherine and Paul on Prospect Farm 08:49 - Introducing Mpho Tutu van Furth 09:52 - Mpho joins the conversation 10:05 - Mpho on lockdown 13:27 - Mpho on South African identity 16:49 - Mpho on the living under apartheid 23:33 - Mpho on privilege 27:05 - Mpho on her journey to priesthood 29:00 - Mpho on Marceline 33:58 - Mpho on church and her sexuality 36:00 - Mpho on small acts of kindness 38:00 - Mpho on personal spirituality 40:56 - Mpho on being loving 43:47 - Mpho on ubuntu 44:50 - Mpho on enjoying the journey 47:18 - Mpho on forgiveness 48:13 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Mpho 01:01:20 - Next week on the podcast 01:01:58 - How to get in touch with us 01:02:35 - Thank you’s 01:03:24 - Hidden track ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we bask in the warmth of Rabbi Herschel Gluck – an incredible Orthodox Jewish leader – whose entire life seems to be one big act of love. Aside from being in awe of Rabbi Gluck’s gentle soul and kind nature, we talk about his life-long dedication to his community, his outlook on the good that could come from the pandemic and his belief that we can work together to create a better future; without losing sight of our own traditions, cultures and values. Rabbi Gluck also shares how he still struggles to grasp the effect that the Holocaust had on his family, and speaks of the continuous trauma generations of Jewish communities still experience because of it. Plus, Katherine and Paul update us on the plans for Prospect Farm and get an unexpected visit from our new podcast sponsors, Hello Fresh. Promo code: JustKidding. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT RABBI HERSCHEL GLUCK Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE is a British Rabbi based in Stamford Hill in North East London. Born in London and based in the city for most of his life, he is a committed member of a wider ‘global village’, having studied at Yeshivos in France, Canada and the USA and working with communities across the world. Rabbi Gluck was appointed an OBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to interfaith understanding. In the past year he has been quoted in British Parliament for his lifetime commitment to inter-communal understanding and his work countering Anti-Semitism in the UK. ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Oysgezoomt: The Yiddish word of 2020 Holocaust Kindertransport Tzedakah The Scream Rabbi Herschel Gluck’s talks at Greenbelt Festival ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:48 - Katherine and Paul catch up 05:00 - Katherine and Paul on Prospect Farm 06:46 - Introducing Rabbi Herschel Gluck 07:22 - Rabbi Gluck joins the conversation 08:10 - Rabbi Gluck on becoming a Rabbi 09:47 - Rabbi Gluck on duty and care 11:40 - Rabbi Gluck on finding precious moments 12:45 - Rabbi Gluck on lockdown 14:09 - Rabbi Gluck on community 15:30 - Rabbi Gluck on modern Judaism 20:30 - Rabbi Gluck on generations of Jewish experience 23:50 - Rabbi Gluck on change 27:00 - Rabbi Gluck on Greenbelt Festival 28:10 - Rabbi Gluck on being interfaith and refugees 34:00 - Rabbi Gluck on charity 36:50 - Rabbi Gluck on being humble 38:08 - Rabbi Gluck on art as connection 40:57 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Rabbi Gluck 57:54 - Next week on the podcast 58:41 - How to get in touch with us 59:30 - Thank you’s 01:00:19 - Hidden track ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast it’s our absolute privilege to chat with Yvonne Ridley, a journalist and activist who has one of the most fascinating life stories we think you’ll ever hear. Plus, her very enthusiastic peacocks have their say, too. We talk about Yvonne’s experience as a prisoner of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, the promise she made to her captors to study Islam and read the Quran if they released her, and her unexpected faith journey thereafter, as she decided to leave the Christian faith and embrace Islam. Plus, as well as talking about her decades of work to combat harmful Muslim stereotypes, we dig into her relentless activism for issues as wide-ranging as Scottish independence, peace in Gaza, justice for Rohingya Muslims, and more generally, what it means to be a ‘radical’. Meanwhile, Katherine and Paul reflect on one year of podcasting – no, we can’t believe it either – and their potential new careers as daytime TV hosts. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT SISTER YVONNE RIDLEY British journalist Yvonne Ridley made global headlines when she was captured by the Taliban in 2001. Since then she has moved from London to Scotland, becoming active in the independence movement. She has published a number of books including her harrowing experience with the Taliban and another on the Rise of the Prophet Muhammad. She worked as a senior editor to establish Al Jazeera's English website in Qatar before returning to the UK to play central roles in the start up TV projects Islam Channel and Press TV. When she's not working as a journalist in humanitarian and conflict zones she writes historical fiction from her remote farm in the Scottish Borders. She was nominated for a Nobel peace prize in 2019 for humanitarian work involving Syrian women prisoners and helping Rohingya refugees compile evidence of war crimes. Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook ____ TAKE ACTION Fundraiser: Gaza Children's festival (Amos Trust) Fundraiser: Rebuild Gaza's Samir Mansour Book Store (Clive Stafford Smith) ___ LINKS AND RESOURCES Free Radical: Yvonne Ridley Why is there a war in Afghanistan? The short, medium and long story Historical anti-war protest in London: 15 February 2003 The Day I Realized I Would Never Find Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq Respect Party Scottish National Party Action for Independence All Under One Banner Timeline: the humanitarian impact of the Gaza blockade Peace Activist Boats Sail Into Gaza Sand Myanmar Rohingya: What you need to know about the crisis Malak Mattar Clive Stafford Smith Podcast episode Reprieve Books by Yvonne Ridley Eden Burning ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:47 - Katherine and Paul catch up 04:50 - Introducing Yvonne Ridley 06:32 - Yvonne Ridley joins the conversation 06:42 - Yvonne on her animals 07:44 - Yvonne on her experience in Afghanistan 13:16 - Yvonne on pro-war propaganda 17:37 - Yvonne on the movement against the Iraq War 20:38 - Yvonne on ISIS and religious extremism 22:04 - Yvonne on media accountability 25:50 - Yvonne on radicalism 28:32 - Yvonne on grassroots politics 32:28 - Yvonne on activism in Gaza 36:10 - Yvonne on Zionism 38:40 - Yvonne on being hopeful 43:55 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Yvonne 58:30 - Next week on the podcast 59:21 - How to get in touch with us 59:58 - Thank you’s 01:00:48 - Hidden track ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second conversation in our ‘Keeping the faith’ series is with Sister Teresa Forcades who – with good reason – has been dubbed ‘Europe’s most radical nun’. Sister Teresa joins us from her Monastery on the mountain of Montserrat, near Barcelona in Catalonia, where she lives with thirty Catholic Benedictine sisters. We discuss her open criticism of the very Catholic Church she serves, her feminism, her politics, her general mission to speak out in order to create a more loving and fair society, and her experiences of being silenced for doing so. Plus, as a physician and expert in public health, it would have been rude not to ask Sister Teresa for her professional thoughts on the pandemic, the vaccination programme and the role of big pharmaceutical companies. Which, as you may have guessed already, she has a lot of alternative (some would say ‘controversial’) things to say about. Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Sister Teresa and Katherine, in particular, is taken aback by how refreshing Sister Teresa’s views are in comparison with her Catholic schooling. And Paul is reminded by Sister Teresa about just how important it is to be made to look more closely and think again. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT SISTER TERESA FORCADES Teresa Forcades i Vila (1966) is a physician, theologian and Benedictine nun in the mountain monastery of Sant Benet de Montserrat (Catalonia, Spain). Master of Divinity (Harvard, 1997), doctor in Medicine (U. Barcelona, 2004) and doctor in Sacred Theology (Facultat de Teologia de Catalunya, 2007). From 2015-18 she took a leave of absence from her monastery (exclaustration) to become politically active in the Catalan movement for independence. Since 2017 she has been the director of the journal of Christian critical thought Iglesia Viva and hosts a weekly radio program on Catalan radio. She is also the principal of the Sinclètica Monastic School of theology. Website ___ LINKS AND RESOURCES Sister Teresa Forcades: Europe's most radical nun Europe: a Nun’s Eye View (2017) - Greenbelt recorded talk Teresa Forcades i Vila in conversation with Martin Wroe (2017) - Greenbelt recorded talk Núria Calduch - First woman appointed Secretary of Vatican Biblical Commission Jan Brueghel The Elder – The Crucifixion On the Abolition of All Political Parties by Simone Weil A Letter Concerning Toleration by John Locke The Peril of Not Vaccinating the World Ivermectin for Covid-19 ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:49 - Katherine and Paul catch up 03:01 - Introducing Sister Teresa Forcades 05:50 - Sister Teresa joins the conversation 06:19 - Sister Teresa on her monastery 07:24 - Sister Teresa on young women wanting to become nuns 12:19 - Sister Teresa on feminism, misogyny and sexuality 22:00 - Sister Teresa on vaccines and public health 31:14 - Sister Teresa on being silenced 33:40 - Sister Teresa on politics and democracy 39:00 - Sister Teresa on church and politics 45:08 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Sister Teresa 1:00:40 - How to get in touch with us 1:01:25 - Thank you’s 1:02:10 - Hidden track ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Somewhere To Believe In! We’re calling this series ‘Keeping the faith’ because this time around we’re having no-holds-barred conversations with people who get stuck in BECAUSE of what they believe. Arguably, no one has done more to keep the faith than our first guest; former superintendent in the Met police, man-on-a-mission to change a racist police system from within, subject of one of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe films and general truth-to-power-speaker, Leroy Logan. We talk about Leroy’s incredible life. From some of his formative years being spent as a young boy in Jamaica seeing Black people in positions of power to his short career in science and his ultimate ‘calling’ to the police force – a decision which resulted in him joining the ranks of the officers who beat-up his father, and a decades-long mission to call out toxic police culture and replace it with love, respect, service and care. Plus, a lot has happened since we last had a podcast chat, so Katherine and Paul get us up-to-date on all things Greenbelt Festival, Prospect Farm and – most importantly – which lockdown hobbies have stuck and which haven’t. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT LEROY LOGAN Dr Leroy Logan MBE is a former superintendent in the Metropolitan police. He retired in 2013 after 30 years' service. He is also a former chair and founding member of the Black Police Association. Leroy is one of the UK’s most highly decorated and well known black police officers. A highly respected and well regarded commentator on policing in black communities, he believes that there is still much work to do in creating a more equitable and fair criminal justice system. Website | Twitter | Book ___ LINKS AND RESOURCES Leroy Logan’s book ‘Closing Ranks: My Life as a Cop’ Small Axe: Red, White and Blue Black Police Association Macpherson report: what was it and what impact did it have? VOYAGE (Voice of the Youth and Genuine Empowerment) PROGRAMME Damilola Taylor investigation and report Stephen Lawrence Steering Group Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities: The Report Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill Parm Sandhu speaking on Channel 4 News about racism in the MET ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:56 - Katherine and Paul catch up 04:25 - Katherine and Paul on cancelling Greenbelt Festival (again) 07:10 - Katherine and Paul on Prospect Farm 08:45 - Katherine and Paul on why we’re not doing a digital festival this year 09:44 - Introducing Leroy Logan 11:39 - Leroy joins the conversation 12:37 - Leroy on East London 13:16 - Leroy on moving to Jamaica 15:59 - Leroy on growing up 16:30 - Leroy on faith and policing 19:40 - Leroy on feeling called to join the police 22:30 - Leroy on hostile environments and standing up to make a difference 25:46 - Leroy on racist and toxic police culture 31:30 - Leroy on George Floyd and Derek Chauvin 37:48 - Leroy on reflecting, learning and improving 42:40 - Leroy on Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series 46:35 - Leroy on speaking for those who don’t have a voice 48:56 - Leroy on police and protest 53:03 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Leroy 59:52 - Katherine and Paul on protecting your right to protest 1:01:40 - Next week on the podcast 1:02:27 - How to get in touch with us 1:03:05 - Thank you’s ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our final episode in this series, we talk to Palestinian spoken word artist, human rights activist and our new favourite politics teacher, Rafeef Ziadah. We dig into poetry, art, trauma, displacement, equality and justice as Rafeef shares her experiences of being a third-generation Palestinian refugee, exiled from her home and now living in London. Rafeef reminds us that issues like climate change and the pandemic do not respect borders, which makes us reflect on the entire ‘nation-state’ system. Above all, Rafeef tells us of the strength she gets from the Palestinian people whose resolve and resilience is undiminished despite great challenges, and who continue to tell their stories and create art in the face of occupation. Plus, Katherine and Paul reflect on their first year of podcasting and Katherine’s new favourite hobby. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT RAFEEF Rafeef is a Palestinian spoken word artist and human rights activist based in London, UK. Her performances of poems like ‘We Teach Life, Sir’ and ‘Shades of Anger’ went viral within days of release. Her live readings offer a moving blend of poetry and music. Since releasing her first album, Rafeef has headlined prestigious performance venues across several countries with powerful readings on war, exile, gender and racism. Her long awaited third album Three Generations is out December 2020. It can be pre-ordered here: https://www.pozible.com/profile/rafeef-ziadah We Teach Life, her second album, was a powerful collection of spoken word with original music compositions, which she brings to the stage with Australian guitarist and producer Phil Monsour. Rafeef received the Ontario Arts Council Grant from the Word of Mouth programme to create her debut spoken-word album Hadeel. She regularly conducts spoken word workshops with the aim of empowering expression through writing and performance. Website | Spotify | Itunes | Facebook | Twitter ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Three Generations Bandcamp Passport Nakba 1948: Ethnic Cleansing of Cities, Towns and Villages Palestinian Writers Festival We Teach Life Sir Palestine Music Expo Edward Said National Conservatory of Music Made in Palestine If my words The Walled Off Hotel - Banksy Jesus Was Not in a Stable Relationship - Pádraig Ó Tuama in conversation with Paul Northup ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:19 - Katherine and Paul catch up 04:00 - Introducing Rafeef Ziadah and her work 10:30 - Rafeef joins the conversation 10:47 - Rafeef on lockdown ‘Three Generations’ 15:50 - Rafeef on being a Palestinian refugee 17:35 - Rafeef on art and activism 19:02 - Rafeef on being stateless 21:02 - Rafeef on changing the world 22:50 - Rafeef on politics and social movements 26:45 - Rafeef on building a movement 29:00 - Rafeef on responses to her work 32:10 - Rafeef on writing and performing poetry 34:09 - Rafeef on being denied the right of return to Palestine 35:50 - Rafeef on the wall 38:06 - Rafeef on profit and power over people 39:25 - Rafeef on the US election and Trump 44:37 - Rafeef on the pandemic in Gaza 46:23 - Rafeef on Palestinian resolve and resistance 48:09 - Rafeef on the Christmas story 50:10 - Rafeef on hope 50:45 - Rafeef on burnout 52:28 - Rafeef on how to support her work 53:19 - Rafeef on Greenbelt Festival 53:52 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Rafeef 01:08:16 - How to get in touch with us 01:08:37 - Thank you’s 01:09:40 - Hidden track ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we connect with Canadian singer-songwriter and theatre-maker Ben Caplan. Ben joins us from the car park of a Canadian fast-food giant called Tim Hortons, en route to play a socially distanced gig as part of the Small Halls Festival in Ottawa. We get all the deets about life and lockdown in Canada. Ben has praise for his government’s response to the pandemic – in stark contrast to what we’ve heard from other artists both here in the UK and elsewhere. We talk about Ben’s identity as a Jewish man, his experiences of antisemitism, and how growing up with Jewish values like tikkun olam (literally “repair of the world”) inspires him to make art that leaves a smile on our faces and a question in our hearts. Plus, after recovering from the shock of hearing someone talk so positively about their government, Katherine and Paul reflect on how heartfelt and eloquent Ben is, which gives us an idea about how we can fix this mess... #BenCaplanForPrimeMinister. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT BEN Ben Caplan is a songwriter, performer and entertainer in the most time-honoured sense of the word. From the moment he walks onto the stage, you are filled with his infectious spirit, and captivating presence. You can feel Caplan's comfort and ease as he strides in front of the crowd and begins the controlled collective descent into chaos. In his latest project, Ben Caplan explores themes of immigration, loss, darkness, love, sex, and God. Caplan is touring with a fresh batch of songs which were originally composed for a new musical play called Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story. The award winning play had its international debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it won top festival honours, and has been a smash hit. The play has toured internationally including a seven-week run Off Broadway where it picked up a New York Times Critic's Pick, and six Drama Desk Award nominations, among other accolades. Website Facebook Instagram Twitter ____ FEATURED TRACKS O Holy Night by Ben Caplan (12:01) Fledgling by Ben Caplan (21:35) Plough the Shit by Ben Caplan (28:40) Truth Doesn’t Live in a Book by Ben Caplan (45:20) The Happy People by Ben Caplan (50:57) - Podcast theme - I Can Change by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires LINKS AND RESOURCES The Festival of Small Halls Old stock: A refugee Love Story Pogroms Tikkun Olam: Repairing the World Investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu: Commando turned PM The Talmud Website Webstore Bowling for Columbine ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:20 - Katherine and Paul catch up 05:30 - Introducing Ben Caplan and his work 06:03 - Ben joins the conversation 07:51 - Ben on the pandemic in Canada 09:56 - Ben on slowing down 12:01 - ‘O Holy Night’ by Ben Caplan 12:50 - Ben on support for the arts in Canada 15:33 - Ben on creativity 16:29 - Ben on his inspirations 18:05 - Ben on refugees 21:35 - ‘Fledgling’ by Ben Caplan 22:40 - Ben on the power of art 25:40 - Ben on finding moments of joy 26:20 - Ben on telling stories of massacres 28:40 - ‘Plough the Shit’ by Ben Caplan 30:18 - Ben on Judaism 31:45 - Ben on anti-semitism 40:47 - Ben on literalist readings of religious texts 45:20 - ‘Truth Doesn’t Live in a Book’ by Ben Caplan 46:23 - Ben on commercial music 48:30 - Ben on performing 49:41 - Ben on brokenness 50:57 - ‘The Happy People’ by Ben Caplan 51:20 - Ben on Greenbelt Festival 54:20 - Ben on what he would retrain as 56:56 - Ben on how to support his work 59:08 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Ben 1:10:07 - Coming up next week 1:10:27 - How to get in touch with us 1:11:06 - Thank you’s 1:11:30 - Hidden track ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory...

On the podcast this week Katherine and Paul welcome Mimi and Lucy from “queer, feminist, punk-witch band” Dream Nails. We discuss what it means to be punk – in the cliched sense but also in the Dream Nails sense, which includes: writing badass music, creating safe gig spaces where everyone can dance without fear, shouting ‘women and non-binary people to the front’ at the start of every show and placing hexes on the patriarchy; all done with an immense amount of joy. Describing themselves as ‘four punk witches from London’, we take the opportunity to summon an old Greenbelt tale about the year “the white witch” came to the field and the subsequent fallout. (Spoiler alert: some people weren’t that happy about it.) Plus, inspired by Dream Nails’ ‘Gig In a Box’ (complete with a handmade sticky floor tile so you can recreate that small-venue experience at home), Katherine and Paul wonder what a ‘Greenbelt In a Box’ might look like. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT DREAM NAILS Dream Nails are a punk force to be reckoned with. Founded by feminist activists in 2015, their debut album garnered 4/5 stars from NME, DIY and Kerrang! The female four-piece have built a reputation across the UK, Europe and Scandinavia for their ‘fierce talent and furious energy’ (Guardian). Dream Nails have taken their riotous live shows on tour with Cherry Glazerr, Bleached and Petrol Girls. In 2019 they headlined Glastonbury's Sisterhood stage for the third consecutive time. Dream Nails are PRS foundation and PPL Momentum 2020 artists. Having won support from Steve Lamacq, Tom Robinson and Amy Lame (BBC6), Huw Stephens and Jack Saunders (Radio 1), John Kennedy (XFM), and glowing coverage in Billboard, DIY, Upset, Independent, Guardian, VICE, Dazed, NYLON, Clash, i-D, The Skinny and Frieze, Dream Nails’ energy and youthful power promise to set your soul on fire. Bandcamp Instagram Twitter Facebook ____ FEATURED TRACKS Payback (25:55) DIY by Dream Nails (30:22) Vagina Police by Dream Nails (46:24) Big Dyke Energy by Dream Nails (55:57) - Podcast theme - I Can Change by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires LINKS AND RESOURCES Dream Nails Feministmas & Gig In a Box COVID-19: Shops to open 24 hours a day to boost high street pandemic recovery Poverty in the Pandemic: the Impact of Coronavirus on Low-income Families and Children Good Night Out Riot Grrrl movement Sisters Uncut Hex the Patriarchy patch Abortion Support Network Lonely Star (Christmas Song) by Dream Nails 2young4punks - Don Letts at Greenbelt Festival 2011 Greenbelt at 40 (featuring the year of the witch and the willies) ____ TAKE ACTION Donate to Abortion Support Network ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:20 - Katherine and Paul catch up 09:38 - Introducing Dream Nails and their work 10:48 - Dream Nails join the conversation 11:50 - Dream Nails on releasing their debut album during lockdown 13:54 - Dream Nails on not being able to play live 15:52 - Dream Nails on community 17:36 - Dream Nails on ‘women and non-binary people to the front’ 24:07 - Dream Nails on activism and resilience 25:28 - ‘Payback’ by Dream Nails 26:26 - Dream Nails on their music 29:50 - Dream Nails on affirmations 30:22 - ‘DIY’ by Dream Nails 30:55 - Dream Nails on pushback 33:35 - Dream Nails on punk 36:29 - Dream Nails on self-care 39:32 - Dream Nails on witches 45:51 - Dream Nails on Greenbelt Festival 46:24 - ‘Vagina Police’ by Dream Nails 49:08 - Dream Nails on Abortion Support Network 52:47 - Dream Nails on Trump 55:57 - ‘Big Dyke Energy’ by Dream Nails 56:40 - Dream Nails on what’s coming up 59:13 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Dream Nails 01:15:45 - Coming up next week 01:16:30 - How to get in touch with us 01:17:18 - Thank you’s 01:17:58 - Hidden track ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode....

This week we’re talking to “jack of all trades, master of ceremonies” Testament: hip-hop MC, writer, theatre-maker and world-record-breaking human beatboxer. Listen in as Testament discusses his cultural upbringing, including his love of De La Soul as well as the Pet Shop Boys, along with his theory why Glee is not only prophetic, but “the real hip-hop”. Testament gets real with Paul and Katherine about his own faith, feminism and social justice work. Including his attempts as a rebellious teenager to ‘out-Christian’ his parents, and his acceptance nowadays of his own vulnerability and ‘brokenness’ as a way to help others reflect on their own lives. He also belatedly apologises for accidentally stabbing his older brother in his hand with a compass when they were growing up, but that’s another story… Meanwhile, Katherine and Paul get excited about Dolly Parton’s covid vaccine and have a go at guessing what’s inside Dominic Cummings’ cardboard box. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT TESTAMENT Testament is a Hip-Hop MC, writer, theatre maker and world record breaking human beatboxer. Born in North London and growing up in Manchester, moving on to study in West Yorkshire where he currently resides. As a lyricist his critically acclaimed work combines strands of rap, song and spoken word. Testament’s work includes the celebrated Hip-Hop album Homecut: No Freedom Without Sacrifice, as well as several spoken word performances for BBC TV and BBC Radio (1xtra, Radio 4 and 6Music). More recently, 2019 he was Channel 4 Writer in Residence at Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester. Website Instagram Twitter Facebook ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Testament’s website Dominic Cummings and his cardboard box Dolly Parton Vaccine Orpheus in the Record Shop Peace Jam The Romantics and Us with Simon Schama Testament And William Blake Woke Testament’s interview with Leroy Logan Leroy Logan and Testament in conversation - Podcast ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:20 - Katherine and Paul catch up 08:39 - Introducing Testament and his work 09:22 - Testament joins the conversation 09:50 - Testament on lockdown 11:34 - Testament on Orpheus in the record shop 14:55 - Testament on creativity 23:28 - Testament on Peace Jam 27:45 - Testament on Desmond Tutu 28:50 - Testament on faith, dogma and trying ‘out-Christian’ everyone 32:16 - Testament on Greenbelt Festival 34:10 - Testament on ego and social justice 37:06 - Testament on classic and contemporary art 40:33 - Testament on ‘Woke’ and feminism 47:42 - Testament on racial justice 52:10 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Testament 01:06:00 - Coming up next week 01:07:54 - How to get in touch with us 01:08:08 - Thank you’s 01:08:36 - Hidden track ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s podcast episode is a very important one, so let’s get straight to it. Katherine and Paul speak to writer, human rights campaigner, political refugee, theatre-maker and ‘public enemy’ to Alexander Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus, Natalia Kaliada. Natalia is a founding Co-Artistic Director of Belarus Free Theatre, a collective of artists who use the power of theatre to fight for democracy in Belarus and oppose what’s known as ‘the last dictatorship in Europe’. We hear about Natalia’s own experiences living a not-so-censored life under an oppressive regime. Including her exile to London and how she continues to fight the same fight her ancestors did (her grandfather survived German concentration camps and Soviet gulags before ever Alexander Lukashenko came to dictatorial rule in his beloved Belarus). Resistance is seemingly in her DNA. Natalia shares the stories of the Belarus protesters, 15,000 of whom have been imprisoned, raped or killed by the Belarus government this year. We hear how theatre has helped some of them through their imprisonment and how Belarus Free Theatre continues to use art as a tool to take down the dictatorship. Katherine and Paul reflect on the importance of this conversation and how now, more than ever, we need to stand with the people of Belarus; not just to demand democracy for them, but to actively protect democracy around the world for everyone. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT NATALIA Natalia Kaliada is a founding Co-Artistic Director of Belarus Free Theatre as well as a writer, human rights campaigner and producer and is one of the most outspoken critics of Belarus’s repressive regime. Belarus Free Theatre was founded in 2005 in Europe's last surviving dictatorship, by Natalia Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin. BFT’s performances take place in selected secret venues around Minsk with audiences alerted to their existence by text message or e-mail. Although forced to operate under cover within Belarus, the Theatre has travelled widely and has gained a growing international reputation. They continue to create exceptional theatre under near impossible conditions underground in Belarus. The company has found a home as associate artists of the Young Vic, London. Natalia Kaliada has been detained, arrested without access to counsel and threatened with rape for her participation in peaceful rallies that were called “subversive” activities and “unstable elements” by the Belarusian authorities. After the tragic events in Belarus in 2010, she and her husband were smuggled out of Belarus and now live in exile in London. Website: https://www.belarusfreetheatre.com/ Instagram: @belarusfreetheatre Facebook: @belarusfreetheatre Twitter: @BFreeTheatre ____ TAKE ACTION Support Belarus Free Theatre http://www.belarusfreetheatre.com/ I’m with the Banned http://www.belarusfreetheatre.com/en/bft/imwiththebanned/#Banned Ask your local MP to add “major scumbags” who support Lukashenko’s regime to a sanctions list so their assets will be frozen. ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Belarus Free Theatre https://www.belarusfreetheatre.com/ Ministry Of Counterculture https://moc.media/ Who is long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko? https://www.euronews.com/2020/08/07/belarus-presidential-election-who-is-long-time-leader-alexander-lukashenko Who is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/world/europe/belarus-opposition-svetlana-tikhanovskaya.html Alexander Lukashenko on Coronavirus https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/coronavirus-belarus-alexander-lukashenko-vodka-sauna-countryside-tractors-a9434426.html Natalia on Bruatility https://euobserver.com/opinion/149384 Brutality in Belarus https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53776461 Belarus bans two opposition candidates https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/14/belarus-bans-two-opposition-candidates-from-running-in-elections Balaklava Blues...

In the third episode of our second podcast series, Katherine and Paul welcome Bristol-based poet, theatre-maker and powerful storyteller, Muneera Pilgrim. We hear about Muneera’s experiences growing up as a black woman in Bristol – and what it means for her to finally see the statue of you-know-who toppled. We also talk about Muneera’s unexpected faith journey: from repeatedly falling in and out of love with her Caribbean Christian roots, to eventually finding her home in Islam. Above all else, Muneera’s infectious belief in the ability for art and storytelling to transform our lives gives us a much-needed shot of hope. Meanwhile, Katherine and Paul can’t help but laugh over the absurdity that is ‘Four Seasons Total Landscaping’, and we find out what Shakespeare, crosswords and scripture have in common. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT MUNEERA Muneera Pilgrim is a poet, cultural producer, writer and broadcaster, as well as co-founder of the Muslim female spoken word and hip-hop duos Poetic Pilgrimage and Nana Collective. Muneera conducts expressive-based, purpose-driven workshops, shares art, guest lectures, hosts and finds alternative ways to educate and exchange ideas. She regularly contributes to Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2, and she is currently an Associate Artist with The English Touring Theatre where she contributed to The Othello Project, and is writing a project that will be revealed in 2020. Instagram: @muneera_pilgrim Twitter: @MuniPilgrim ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Edward Colston statue toppled in Bristol https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/14/the-day-bristol-dumped-its-hated-slave-trader-in-the-docks-and-a-nation-began-to-search-its-soul Unicorns Have Nothing On Us by Muneera Pilgrim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpJjWGcCUqU Marlon Thomas https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/marlon-thomas-family-bristols-stephen-2735642 Amal http://amal.org.uk/ Othello Creative Response https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/talks/othello-creative-response/ ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:20 - Katherine and Paul catch up 09:35 - Introducing Muneera Pilgrim and her work 10:24 - Muneera joins the conversation 10:35 - Muneera on Bristol 15:00 - Muneera on lockdown and inequality 18:13 - Muneera on storytelling 20:40 - Muneera on her influences 24:10 - Muneera on creativity 25:35 - Muneera on Marlon Thomas 29:18 - Muneera on faith and race 34:33 - Muneera on Islam 38:05 - Muneera on spirituality 40:40 - Muneera on Greenbelt 44:26 - Muneera on Othello 47:18 - Muneera on art 51:58 - Muneera on hope and motivation 55:00 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Muneera 01:05:39 - Coming up next week 01:06:18 - How to get in touch with us 01:06:55 - Thank you’s ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast we’re beyond excited to welcome the hilarious comedian and all-round lovely person, Josie Long. We hear about Josie’s unique journey into comedy, beginning aged just 14. And how she’s determined to extend the olive branch of opportunity to the next generation of young creatives. Needless to say, we talk about the current government's support (or lack thereof) for the creative industries and why she’s decided she’s had enough and is moving to Scotland. Plus, Paul and Josie have a fan-girl moment over our unofficial resident Geographer, Danny Dorling. While Katherine gives you her two cents about how to be a successful dictator. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT JOSIE Often described as a unique voice in comedy, Josie is one of the most respected comedians of her generation. She started stand-up at age 14 and went on to win the BBC New Comedy Award. She has continued to perform stand-up around the world and her eighth solo stand-up show, Something Better, had a sell-out two weeks at the Soho Theatre in London, followed by a two-week run at the Barrow Street Theatre New York. Josie has been nominated for the coveted Best Show award at the Edinburgh Fringe three times. Her latest show, Tender, is touring the U.K. in 2020. On TV and radio, Josie has appeared on The News Quiz, Just A Minute, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Skins, 8 out of 10 Cats, and Drunk History. Josie has also worked extensively in factual areas including The Culture Show on BBC2 and as the presenter and writer of Radio 4’s Short Cuts. Josie wrote and starred in the film Super November, directed by Douglas King. The film was nominated for The Discovery Award in the 2018 BIFAs. Website: https://www.josielong.com/ Instagram: @josielong Facebook: @josie.i.long Twitter: @josielong ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Arts Emergency https://www.arts-emergency.org/ Book Shambles with Robin Ince and Josie long https://www.josielong.com/podcast/book-shambles/ Josie & Jonny Are Having a Baby (With You!) https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stitcher/josie-jonny-are-having-a-baby-with-you Jonny & The Baptists https://www.jonnyandthebaptists.co.uk/ Josie at Greenbelt https://youtu.be/pJjzuJQwf_M Tender https://www.josielong.com/josies-shows/tender/ ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:22 - Katherine and Paul catch up 06:41 - Introducing Josie Long and her work 08:23 - Josie joins the conversation 08:23 - Josie on lockdown 11:34 - Josie on performing online 14:49 - Josie on productivity 15:46 - Josie on government arts funding 18:03 - Josie on how she got into comedy 20:10 - Josie on her inspirations 21:36 - Josie on learning from others 24:28 - Josie on Arts Emergency 26:57 - Josie on the value of art 29:12 - Josie on anger and despair 34:56 - Josie on politics 36:43 - Josie on small venues vs stadiums 40:45 - Josie on offence 45:44 - Josie on religion 46:25 - Josie on Greenbelt Festival 50:03 - Josie on hopefulness 52:11 - How to support Josie 55:43 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Josie 01:03:42 - How to get in touch with us 01:04:23 - Thank you’s ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the second series of Somewhere To Believe In! We’re back by popular demand(ish). This time around we’re coming together to celebrate and hear from artists we love – and we hope you’ll love them too. Who better to kick things off than Lee Bains of Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, a self-proclaimed ‘deep-south wide-open far-left liberation gospel’ Rock-N-Roll band from Alabama, USA. Lee and his band are on a mission to fight against white supremacy, xenophobia and systems of power, all while bringing their southern hospitality and charm to the table. With the US elections looming, we hear what it’s like being Christian living under a government that so regularly weaponises the Bible to justify inhuman behavior. Lee gives us a much-needed reminder about the power of the people, making us wonder if the election results matter as much as we think they do. We also get introspective and hear how slowing down has made Lee tackle some big questions about who he really is and what he’s trying to do with his music. Meanwhile, Katherine and Paul talk about our plans for the 2021 festival and - and we can’t stress the importance of this enough - how happy Katherine’s mum will be that we’re back with a second series of the podcast. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ SUPPORT LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES Website: http://www.thegloryfires.com/ Merch: https://store.thegloryfires.com/ Bandcamp: https://leebainsiii.bandcamp.com/ Instagram: @gloryfires Facebook: @thegloryfires Twitter: @TheGloryFires ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Angela Davis https://time.com/5793638/angela-davis-100-women-of-the-year/ Arundhati Roy https://www.facebook.com/ArundhatiRoyAuthor Linn Park statue https://bhamnow.com/2020/06/02/a-history-of-the-confederate-monument-in-birminghams-linn-park/ Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires http://www.thegloryfires.com/ ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:42 - Coming up in this series 02:32 - Katherine and Paul catch up 05:26 - Katherine and Paul on Greenbelt Festival 2021 06:17 - Introducing Lee Bains and his work 08:34 - Lee joins the conversation 09:06 - Lee on Greenbelt Festival 12:56 - Lee on this year and Covid-19 15:42 - Lee on government support in America 20:37 - Lee on independent music venues 24:38 - Lee on not being able to tour 27:47 - Lee on activism and burn out 33:13 - Lee on people, systems and policing 36:10 - Lee on church and power 38:09 - Lee on the power of music 42:49 - Lee on success 51:00 - Lee on the US election 52:15 - Lee on anti-racist rallies and activism in Atlanta 56:00 - Lee on how to support Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires 57:13 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Lee 01:02:58 - Katherine and Paul on the future of music venues 01:06:20 - Katherine and Paul on church and power 01:08:50 - How to get in touch with us 01:09:42 - Thank you’s 01:10:24 - Hidden track ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greenbelt Festival is proud to be taking part in Everybody Now. We’ve caused a turning point in the Earth’s natural history. Everybody Now is a podcast about what it means to be human on the threshold of a global climate emergency, in a time of systemic injustice and runaway pandemics. Scientists, activists, farmers, poets, and theologians talk bravely and frankly about how our biosphere is changing, about grief and hope in an age of social collapse and mass extinction, and about taking action against all the odds. On 19th October 2020, Everybody Now is being released by podcasters all over the world as a collective call for awareness, grief and loving action. With contributions from: Dr. Gail Bradbrook - scientist and co-founder of Extinction Rebellion Prof. Kevin Anderson - Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the University of Manchester Dámaris Albuquerque - works with agricultural communities in Nicaragua Dr. Rowan Williams - theologian and poet, and a former Archbishop of Canterbury Pádraig Ó Tuama - poet, theologian and conflict mediator Rachel Mander - environmental activist with Hope for the Future John Swales - priest and activist, and part of a community for marginalised people Zena Kazeme - Persian-Iraqi poet who draws on her experiences as a former refugee to create poetry that explores themes of exile, home, war and heritage Flo Brady - singer and theatre maker Hannah Malcolm - Anglican ordinand, climate writer and organiser Alastair McIntosh - writer, academic and land rights activist David Benjamin Blower - musician, poet and podcaster Funding and Production: This podcast was crowdfunded by a handful of good souls, and produced by Tim Nash and David Benjamin Blower Permissions: The song Happily by Flo Brady is used with permission. The song The Soil, from We Really Existed and We Really Did This by David Benjamin Blower, used with permission. The Poem The Tree of Knowledge by Pádraig Ó Tuama used with permission. The Poem Atlas by Zena Kazeme used with permission. The Poem What is Man? by Rowan Williams from the book The Other Mountain, used with permission from Carcanet Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our final episode of season one, Katherine and Paul are joined by human rights lawyer, founder of Reprieve and all-round international justice powerhouse, Clive Stafford Smith. Clive candidly discusses his work representing prisoners facing the death penalty, those held in secret prisons (including Guantanamo Bay), and the victims of assassination by drones. He also shares his less-than-glowing views on the criminal justice system, our treatment of criminals and forensic science. He even uses his incredible mind-melding abilities to interrogate Katherine and Paul (not like that) and poses a series of head-scratchers. Would you send someone you love to prison? What’s the worst thing Paul’s ever done? Is Katherine a marxist? All this and much more... It’s an important conversation to hear, but be aware it occasionally features some strong language and there are descriptions of torture. Possibly not one for the kids. Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below. ____ ABOUT CLIVE STAFFORD SMITH CLIVE STAFFORD SMITH JD OBE is the founder of Reprieve, a London based human rights charity that focuses on the direct representation of prisoners facing the death penalty around the world, those held in secret prisons, and the victims of assassination by drones. Born in Cambridge, he is a dual UK-US national. He was educated at Radley College, where he studied science and mathematics. His law degree comes from Columbia Law School in New York. He worked for nine years at the Southern Center for Human Rights, a charity in Atlanta; in 1993, he founded the Louisiana Crisis Assistance Center, a non-profit law office in New Orleans specializing in the defence of capital cases at the trial level; he founded Reprieve in 1999. In early 2002 he was one of three lawyers who filed the initial litigation in Rasul v. Bush, to force the Bush administration to respect the rights of Muslim prisoners in Guantánamo Bay and other secret prisons. In 2000, he was awarded the OBE by Queen Elizabeth II for “services to humanity”. He has been involved in more than 300 death penalty cases in the US and around the world, and has helped secure the release of 80 detainees in Guantánamo Bay, where he continues to represent a further 7 detainees. He lives in Dorset. Twitter: CliveSSmith ____ LINKS AND RESOURCES Reprieve https://reprieve.org.uk/ Kris Maharaj https://reprieve.org.uk/update/kris-maharaj-turns-80/ Ahmed Raabbani https://reprieve.org/cases/ahmed-rabbani/ ‘The World of Reprieve’ by Clive Stafford Smith https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/talks/the-word-of-reprieve/ ____ TAKE ACTION https://reprieve.org.uk/take-action/ ____ 00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In 00:30 - Katherine and Paul catch up 03:00 - Feedback from listeners 04:40 - Introducing Clive Stafford Smith and his work 05:49 - Clive joins the conversation 06:00 - Clive on covid and human rights 09:50 - Clive on how he got into law 11:00 - Clive on the British legal system 14:14 - Clive on innocence and fair trials 15:50 - Clive on forensic science 16:50 - Clive on prison 19:00 - Clive on the criminal justice system 24:10 - Clive on rehabilitation 25:30 - Clive on secret executions 26:20 - Clive on doing better 28:20 - Talk Snippet from GB2017 ‘The World of Reprieve’ 37:30 - Clive on Guantanamo Bay 42:20 - Clive on hunger strikes 44:30 - Clive on what we can do to help 47:00 - Clive on violence and pacifism 50:40 - Clive on faith 54:00 - Clive on passion 58:36 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Clive 01:07:00 - How to get in touch with us 01:08:10 - Thank you’s ____ A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. ____ https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/ #SomewhereToBelieveIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.