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once a week audio essays, conversations and discussions about cultural democracy, community-based art, and the commons.
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We continue our exploration of social practice programmes and projects at Guildhall School of Music and Drama from the 1970s-2020s. In this episode we hear from three alumni of the Performance and Communication Skills course. Echoes and the Unsaid EPISODE 08 | AUGUST 28 | 2026 HOSTS Jo Gibson | Sophie Hope COMMENTARY Sara Lee took the course in its first year, 1984, and recalls the formative placement she went on at Wormwood Scrubs prison, describing a defining moment when they played a piece of music written by one of the inmates. Paul Griffiths and Tim Steiner joined the course in 1987. Paul
In episode 67 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso interview Eric Booth, a founding leader of the global field of teaching artistry and in music for social impact. A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY EPISODE 67 | AUGUST 21 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Eric Booth | Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso COMMENTARY Eric Booth is a founding leader of the global field of teaching artistry, a wide and fast-evolving field that combines artistry with pedagogical creativity. For over forty-five years, Eric has guided teaching artists and arts organizations in what he calls “the ancient, under
In this month’s episode of Parallel Streams we are hosting Episode 1 of Embodied Voice, a 3 part series produced by Queer Circle and Margomool that asks: How can queer and trans+ folks find routes to vocal embodiment? PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 08 | AUGUST 14 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Sophie Hope | margomool COMMENTARY Queercircle are an LGBTQ+ led charity working at the intersection of arts, health and social action. They have produced a podcast series entitled The Embodied Voice, hosted and produced by margomool. margomool, the narrator and editor of the podcast is a musician, vocalist, researcher a
In the previous episode Sophie Hope and Owen Kelly examined James Agee and Walker Evans classic documentary book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men from several viewpoints: as a public art project, as ethnography, as literature, and as an historical document. In this episode Owen Kelly uses this as the starting point for an argument that locates this, and the book USA, as crucial points on the road to agentic AI. Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse EPISODE 89 | August 7 | 2026 PARTICIPANT Owen Kelly COMMENTARY The trilogy of novels by John Dos Passos collectively known as USA mixed fact and fiction
In the third episode for 2026 we use Casablanca as an example to explore how and why hit movies transferred rapidly to radio.. Friday Number 5 EPISODE 22 | JULY 31 | SERIES 2026 CAST Cecil B deMille, Owen Kelly, Alan Ladd, Hedy Lamarr COMMENTARY On months that have a fifth Friday we break from our normal schedule. This year, as we did in 2022, we delve into the history of radio to bring back some examples that let us hear unfiltered aspects of the world as it seemed to our grandparents. Today go back to January 24, 1944 to listen to the Lux Radio Theater version of Casablanca. This constituted
In July 2024 we interviewed the educator Peter Renshaw, who has been a huge influence on the development of socially engaged practice and research at Guildhall and the initiatives we’ve heard about in this podcast series so far: Leadership, PACE, The Institute for Social Impact Research in the Performing Arts and Disrupt. Echoes and the Unsaid EPISODE 07 | JULY 24 | 2026 HOSTS Jo Gibson | Sophie Hope COMMENTARY In the second part of our conversation with Peter Renshaw, we start by hearing from Sean Gregory. He explains about his experience of the Performance and Communication Skills course at
On episode 66 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso interview Paulo Lameiro, a musician, educator and musicologist, based in his hometown of Leiria, Portugal. A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY EPISODE 66 | JULY 17 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Arlene Goldbard | Paulo Lameiro | François Matarasso COMMENTARY Paulo Lameiro is a portuguese musicologist, educator, communicator and creator from Leiria. After a brief career as a Baritone, with solo performances at the São Carlos National Theatre in Lisbon, he dedicated himself to teaching and took on the administration of several music sch
In this month’s episode of Parallel Streams we listen to an episode of Cory Doctorow’s weekly podcast, in which he has a live (and lively) discussion with Angie Coiro about his new book The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI. PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 07 | JULY 10 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Angie Coiro | Cory Doctorow | Owen Kelly COMMENTARY Cory Doctorow’s website says that he “is a science fiction author, activist and journalist. He is the author of dozens of books, most recently ENSHITTIFICATION: WHY EVERYTHING SUDDENLY GOT WORSE AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT (nonfiction); and the novel PICKS AND S
Sophie Hope recently read James Agee and Walker Evans classic documentary book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. She persuaded Owen Kelly to read it too, and in this episode they examine the book from several viewpoints: as a public art project, as ethnography, as literature, and as an historical document. Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse Episode 88 | July 3 2026 PARTICIPANTS Sophie Hope and Owen Kelly COMMENTARY According to Wikipedia “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men grew out of an assignment that Agee and Evans accepted in 1936 to produce a Fortune article on the conditions among sharecropper fa
In July 2024 we interviewed the educator Peter Renshaw, who has been a huge influence on the development of socially engaged practice and research at Guildhall and the initiatives we’ve heard about in this podcast series so far: Leadership, PACE, The Institute for Social Impact Research in the Performing Arts and Disrupt. Peter has written extensively on music, education and socially engaged practice and is an influential figure in the worlds of community music and collaborative practices. Echoes and the Unsaid EPISODE 06 | JUNE 26 | 2026 HOSTS Jo Gibson | Sophie Hope COMMENTARY In the first p
On episode 65 of A Culture of Possibility, François Matarasso and Arlene Goldbard interview Clare Reynolds, codirector of Restoke, to find out what has happened since they last spoke to her in Episode 3. A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY EPISODE 65 | JUNE 19 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso | Clare Reynolds COMMENTARY Clare Reynolds works as the codirector of Restoke, a community arts organization in Stoke-on-Trent, in the north of England. We interviewed Clare five years ago, in the third episode of this podcast, and have now returned to find the organization thriving with Nati
In this month’s episode of Parallel Streams we listen to an episode of ART IS CHANGE, introduced by Bill Cleveland who created the long-running podcast. Each episode aims to bring you “deep into the lives and work of activist artists and cultural organizers who are doing more than dreaming — they’re transforming communities around the world.” PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 06 | JUNE 12 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Bill Cleveland | Owen Kelly COMMENTARY Bill Cleveland is a musician, author, and teacher with a pioneering history in producing cultural, educational, and community arts programs. He is the Founder
Owen Kelly had intended to conclude his arguments about artificial intelligence this episode but he got sidetracked by a question that he decided to ask Claude Sonnet. Instead he ended up recording a conversation with Claude about the nature of the “thinking” and “feeling” that Claude does. Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse EPISODE 87 | June 5, 2026 PARTICIPANTS Owen Kelly and Claude Sonnet COMMENTARY I intended to begin this episode by restating the difference between artificial intelligence and artificial general intelligence; something that Rebekah Cupitt discussed on Episode 85. I decide
In the second episode of Friday Number Five for 2026 we embark on another journey through the golden age of radio, this time with William Conrad starring as Marshall Matt Dillon in a 1956 episode of Gunsmoke. Friday Number 5 EPISODE 21 | MAY 29, 2026 HOST Owen Kelly COMMENTARY On months that have a fifth Friday we break from our normal schedule and produce something tangentially related to ideas of cultural democracy. This year, as we did in 2022, we delve into the history of radio to bring back some historical examples of comedies, documentaries, and serials that let us hear unfiltered aspect
Jo and Sophie talk to programme leaders, tutors, students and the administrator of the two-year postgraduate Leadership programme, which ran from 2007–2019 at Guildhall School of Music and Drama for musicians wanting to develop their practice in socially engaged settings. This constitutes episode 5 of a special series for miaaw.net about social practice programmes and projects at Guildhall School of Music and Drama from the 1970s–2020s. Echoes and the Unsaid EPISODE 05 | MAY 22 | 2026 HOSTS Jo Gibson | Sophie Hope COMMENTARY In this episode, we hear from tutors Jan Hendrickse, Nell Catchpole a
On Episode 64 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso discuss the ethical issues that arise when working with communities. The presentation was recorded live at a session at the International Community Arts Festival in Rotterdam earlier this Spring. A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY EPISODE 64 | MAY 15 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso COMMENTARY In the second episode based on live recordings from ICAF in Rotterdam, we hear Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso and their presentation on Community Arts and Ethics. The episode has three parts. We begin
In this month’s episode of Parallel Streams we listen to an episode of THOUGHT SNACK, with Max Haiven and Sarah Stein Lubrano. THOUGHT SNACK is an occasional podcast from Sense & Solidarity where Sarah and Max explore the big ideas that make and break our world. PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 05 | MAY 8 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Max Haiven | Owen Kelly | Sarah Stein Lubrano COMMENTARY Max Haiven is an researcher and educator who uses writing, teaching, games, podcasts and other techniques for the radical imagination. He works as an associate professor and Canada Research Chair in the Radical Imagination a
During a discussion about the possible meanings of cultural democracy Sophie Hope raised the concept of structures of feeling that Raymond Williams had developed. In this episode we examine this concept in more detail. Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse EPISODE 86 | MAY 1 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Sophie Hope and Owen Kelly COMMENTARY Owen Kelly and Sophie Hope dig out their copies of Marxism & Literature and discuss the cultural theory that Raymond Williams develops there. They reflect on Williams’ insistence on keeping in mind that we live our lives as processes, and that cultural theory needs to
In the fourth episode of Echoes and the Unsaid Jo and Sophie talk to a group of people involved in the BA Performance and Creative Enterprise (PACE) Programme that ran from 2015-2021 at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. They discuss the background to the course, reflections on how it challenged the structures of the conservatoire and the generative community of practice that evolved between students and staff during the life of the programme. Echoes and the Unsaid EPISODE 04 | APRIL 24 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Jo Gibson | Sophie Hope COMMENTARY Jo Gibson and Sophie Hope talk to a group of people
Episode 63 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso discuss cultural policy as it really is, and not as policy makers would like you to think of it. The presentation was recorded live at a session at the International Community Arts Festival in Rotterdam a few weeks ago. A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY EPISODE 63 | APRIL 17 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso COMMENTARY Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso have hosted the A Culture of Possibility podcast for over five years but they have never met face to face - until they finally met late last month
In the fourth episode of Parallel Streams we listen to episode 52 of Ferment Radio, with Kirsty Hendry and Aga Pokrywka. Ferment Radio is “a podcast series that takes you deep into the fascinating world of microbes. Through fermentation and transformation, we develop new recipes for living on a broken planet”. PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 04 | APRIL 10 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Kirsty Hendry | Owen Kelly | Aga Pokrywka COMMENTARY Ferment Radio has produced more than 50 episodes “that takes you deep into the fascinating world of microbes. Through fermentation and transformation, we develop new recipes fo
Rebekah Cupitt and Owen Kelly discuss the possibility of artificial general intelligence; the nature of Claude, and the relationship (if any) between artificial intelligence and creativity. They also discuss the meaning of the word excode. Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse APRIL 3 | 2026 | EPISODE 85 PARTICIPANTS Rebekah Cupitt | Owen Kelly COMMENTARY Rebekah Cupitt has a BA (University of Queensland, Australia) and an MA in Social Anthropology (Stockholm University, Sweden) and holds a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction specialising in Mediated Communication. Rebekah's research focuses on th
This is episode 3 in a special series for miaaw.net about social practice programmes and projects at Guildhall School of Music and Drama from the 1970s-2020s. The series is hosted by Jo Gibson (Research Fellow, Institute for Social Justice, York St John University) and Sophie Hope (co-lead of the De-centre for socially engaged practice and research at Guildhall School of Music and Drama). Echoes and the Unsaid EPISODE 03 | MARCH 27 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Jo Gibson | Sophie Hope COMMENTARY In this episode we meet John Sloboda (Emeritus Professor at Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Director of
On Episode 62 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso begin a conversation about co-creation. They both believe that co-creation is integral to community-based arts work. But what does it mean? What are its pitfalls? Why does it matter? A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY EPISODE 62 | FEBRUARY 20 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso COMMENTARY On Episode 62 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso talk about co-creation. Co-creation is integral to community-based arts work. What does it mean? What are its pitfalls? Why does it mat
In the third episode of Parallel Streams Sophie Hope introduces and contextualises the final episode of Remember the Future Season 2 from art.coop. What does it mean for philanthropy to exist in relationship to the solidarity economy? What if artists led a redistribution effort to resource arts collectives? PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 03 | MARCH 13 | 2026 PARTICIPANTS Sophie Hope | Marina Lopez | Sruti Suryanarayanan COMMENTARY Art.coop describes itself as “working for a future in which artists closest to the pain of an extractive economy know their power and use it to dismantle the current syste
