Cultural Peeps Podcast

• Episode 48 - Bridget McKenzie (Director of Climate Museum UK & Culture Declares Emergency)

  This episode is a chat with Bridget McKenzie, the founding director of Climate Museums UK. In our chat we talk about Bridget’s career, which includes working at as an education officer at Tate, and as the Head of Learning at the British Library, and we explore how a value driven approach to work drove her to leave a senior role in a major culture institution to cofound her own company, Flow Associates in 2006. Bridget is also the co-founder of Culture Declares Emergency, a growing movement of individuals and organisations who recognise that the cultural sector can be a leading contributor in the transformation of social and economic systems to create a regenerative world in which biodiverse life is protected and the livelihoods of people are sustained with equality. We also chat about Bridget’s Possitopia Norwich project and her Earth Talk project, which is a course, a community of practice and a playbook that offers a set of tools to hold effective conversations and creative activities about the Earth Crisis. This chat was recorded in August 2024 and is an edited version of a longer conversation. Links: Bridget McKenzie (CV): https://bridgetmckenzie.uk/ Climate Museum UK: https://climatemuseumuk.org/ Culture Declares Emergency: https://www.culturedeclares.org/ Flow Associates: https://flowassociates.com/ BP to end Tate Sponsorship: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/mar/11/bp-to-end-tate-sponsorship-climate-protests Robert Janes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lRTBuPSeUg Tony Butler (Director of Derby Museums): https://derbymuseums.org/news/tony-butler-executive-director-of-derby-museums-trust-awarded-obe-in-new-years-honours-2025 Happy Museum Project: https://happymuseumproject.org/ Creative Climate Leadership: https://www.creativeclimateleadership.com/ Julie’s Bicycle: https://juliesbicycle.com/ Miranda Massie: https://www.mirandamassie.com/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_Massie British Library: https://www.bl.uk/ Possitopian Norwich: https://possitopianorwich.me/ Norwich Eco Hub Podcast (Bridget McKenzie episode): https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3vjNV2ys7Rl0gUkFYR9Eyy?utm_source=generator Explaining Possitopia: https://climatemuseumuk.org/2020/10/15/explaining-possitopia/ Imagination Activism: https://www.moralimaginations.com/imaginationactivism Imagination + Activism for life (Article): https://bridgetmck.medium.com/imagination-activism-for-life-3cc8041ec60a Earth Talk - book and course on engaging people with the Earth Crisis: https://bridgetmckenzie.uk/earth-talk The Roles of Culture in Response to an Earth Crisis: https://tinyurl.com/y2eatehx Some Climate Museum UK projects that have generated resources : https://climatemuseumuk.org/other-sites/ Earth Talk - book and course on engaging people with the Earth Crisis: https://bridgetmckenzie.uk/earth-talk

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• Episode 47 - Corinne Fowler (Professor of Colonialism and Heritage)

  My guest today is Corinne Fowler, Professor of Colonialism and Heritage at Leicester University. Between 2018 and 2022, Corinne directed a child-led history and writing project called 'Colonial Countryside: National Trust Houses Reinterpreted' and has also worked on the rural racism project. In 2020, she co-authored a National Trust report that explored the colonial connections between 93 Properties that are now in the Care of the Trust and global slave trades, goods and products of enslaved labour and the East India Company and the British Raj. After its release, the report attracted huge media interest and led to hundreds of articles which debated not only its content, but also the work and lives of the authors and the wider role of the National Trust. We talk about what it’s like to be the recipient of intense media scrutiny, and the strategies that Corinne employed during this high-profile public debate. We also chat about Corinne’s latest book, Our Island Stories, which is written around 10 country walks that she undertook with different companions, and which explores the relationships between local and global histories. This conversation was recorded in January 2024 over zoom and is an edited version of a longer conversation. Links: Corinne Fowler: https://le.ac.uk/people/corinne-fowler Centre for New Writing: https://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/centrefornewwriting/ Colonial Countryside Project: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/research/colonial-countryside-project Rural Racism Project: https://le.ac.uk/news/2023/march/rural-racism Centre for Hate Studies: https://le.ac.uk/people/neil-chakraborti University of Leicester Museum Studies: https://le.ac.uk/museum-studies SATs (Key Stage 2 tests): https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/05/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sats/ Arts Council England: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/ National Lottery Heritage Fund: https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/ Renaissance One: https://www.renaissanceone.co.uk/ Our Island Stories (Book): https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/289672/corinne-fowler Cooperative Movement: https://www.uk.coop/understanding-co-ops/how-co-ops-began Marian Gwyn: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/iswe/dr-marian-gwyn Penrhyn Castle: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/penrhyn-castle-and-garden Moving Manchester Project: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=19248%2F1 Post Colonial Manchester (book): https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/renaissance/9781526120014/ Graham Campbell: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/1703/Councillor-Graham-Campbell Harewood House: https://harewood.org/ Harewood House - Missing Portrait Project: https://harewood.org/about/blog/category/missing-portraits/ David Harewood: What's in a name? A conversation between David Harewood and David Lascelles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiPuklu41tw Colonialism and Historic Slavery Report (National Trust): https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/addressing-the-histories-of-slavery-and-colonialism-at-the-national-trust Edward Coulson Statue: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Edward_Colston Country Houses and the British Empire: How Imperialism Transformed Britain’s Colonial Countryside MOOC: https://le.ac.uk/people/corinne-fowler Inclusive histories | Responding to the ‘culture war’ through engagement and dialogue: https://www.museumsassociation.org/campaigns/decolonising-museums/inclusive-histories-responding-to-the-culture-war/ Common Sense Group: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_Group Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning By Nigel Biggar: https://www.williamcollinsbooks.co.uk/products/colonialism-a-moral-reckoning-nigel-biggar-9780008511630/ Kevin Ncube: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-ncube-32295372/?originalSubdomain=uk Neil Chakraborti: https://le.ac.uk/people/neil-chakraborti

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• Episode 46 - Simon Thompson (Head Gardener at Wallington, National Trust)

  This episode is a chat with Simon Thompson, Head Gardener at the National Trust Property, Wallington. Simon has worked for the National Trust for over 25 years, and we thought we would approach this episode in the spirit of the work of a gardener – through a walk around the estate. Simon welcomed me to Wallington back in September 2024 on a glorious sunny morning before the site was open to the public. We set off from the Mansion house on a ramble through the woodlands and the walled gardens discussing what his job looks and feels like on a day-to-day basis, the work that goes into designing and maintaining a historic house estate, and how he became a gardener. We were accompanied by a huge variety of wildlife including insects, birds and some very tiny ducklings which you can hopefully hear as part of our recording! The episode works as a standalone chat, but if you’d like to see images of the different spaces, sculptures, ponds and gardens we discuss, then please visit the episode page on the Cultural Peeps WordPress site. I loved making this episode – and I hope you enjoy listening! Links: Wallington: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/wallington Wallington: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallington_Hall Gardens and Parkland Jobs in the National Trust: https://www.nationaltrustjobs.org.uk/where-you-could-work/gardens-and-parklands/ RHS: https://www.rhs.org.uk/ RHS Qualifications: https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/qualifications-and-training/rhs-qualifications Chelsea Flower Show: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show

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• Episode 45 - Dave Johns (Comedian, Actor & Writer)

  Today's guest is Dave Johns, one of the most respected and best loved stand up comics working on the British comedy circuit. Dave is also a multi-award winning film and stage actor and is probably best known for his breakthrough role in Ken Loach's critically acclaimed film 'I, Daniel Blake' which won the coveted Palme D'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival and was also winner of the BAFTA for the Most Outstanding British Film. In this episode, we talk about Dave's early life as a bricklayer, his love of improvisational comedy and how after a visit to the Comedy store in London in the late 80's, he started his own comedy club in Newcastle, booking the likes of Jo Brand and Steve Coogan who were on their own ascent at the time. We also talk about Dave's role in the Edinburgh Fringe production of 12 angry men in 2003 (which starred fellow comedians Bill Bailey, Stephen Frost and Jeff Green), his West End stage run in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, alongside Christian Slater and his own stage adaptations of Stephen King's 'Rita Heyworth and the Shawshank Redemption' as well as 'I, Daniel Blake'. There are some great anecdotes, particularly around Dave's experiences at the Cannes Film Festival, including conversations with Donald Sutherland and Stephen Spielberg. I had about 90 minutes with Dave - but I genuinely think we could have easily recorded 4 or 5 episodes worth of material and we would still only have scratched the surface of Dave's amazingly rich life in comedy, stage, television and film....but, I hope this captures a flavour of both his career and life outlook. Thanks to Dave for the time and generosity and a special thanks to Joyce Jobe for helping set up this chat and I hope you enjoy the episode. Dave Johns: https://davejohns.net/ Ken Loach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Loach I, Daniel Blake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Daniel_Blake I, Daniel Blake (Trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahWgxw9E_h4 Melbourne Festival: https://www.melbournefestival.co.uk/ Edinburgh Festival: https://www.eif.co.uk/ Edinburgh Festival Fringe: https://www.edfringe.com/ Whose Line is It Anyway? https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163507/ Sarah Millican: https://sarahmillican.co.uk/my-tour-has-started/ North East Culture Award: https://necultureawards.com/northeastcultureawards2024/en/page/home Cannes Film Festival: https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/ B.F.G (Film): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ0Bey4YUGI Sunday for Sammy: https://www.sundayforsammy.org/ Norther Stage: https://northernstage.co.uk/ The Comedy Store: https://thecomedystore.co.uk/ Friday Night Live: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Live_(British_TV_programme) Ben Elton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Elton Jo Brand: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Brand Frank Skinner: https://www.frankskinnerlive.com/ Amando Iannucci: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armando_Iannucci Guy Masterson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Masterson 12 Angry Men: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Angry_Men_(1957_film) Nica Burns: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nica_Burns Christian Slater: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000225/ Stephen King: https://stephenking.com/index.html Rita Heyworth and the Shawshank Redemption: Olivier Gaumet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivier_Gourmet 23 Walks: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9699620/

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• Episode 44 - The Rickard Sisters (Graphic Novelists)

  This week's guests are Sophie and Scarlett Rickard - who together make graphic novels. If you've ever wondered what graphic novels are, or how they are made, then this is the episode for you! We take a deep dive into how Scarlett and Sophie have worked collaboratively to produce 3 beautiful books - including their their critically acclaimed debut, 'Mann's best friend' which is set in the fictional town of Oldroyd, where the lives of ordinary people play out through a story of family, friendship and fear of failure. We also discuss at their adaptation of Robert Tressell's 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists' (1914) which tells the story of a group of working men in the fictional town of Mugsborough, and of socialist journeyman-prophet Frank Owen, who attempts to convince his fellow workers that capitalism is the real source of the poverty all around them. Their latest book, is based on 'No Surrender', which was originally written by Constance Maud, and first published in 1911, the year women across the country boycotted the British census by spoiling forms with the words “I don’t count so I won’t be counted” and “no persons here, only women.” We hear about how Sophie writes the stories - or in the case of 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists' and 'No Surrender', adapts each of the original novels into a script format, which Scarlett then storyboards and develops into the beautiful panels that form the final graphic novels. We also talk about how publishing and editing works as well as their upcoming 4th book, 'This Slavery' which is due out in 2025. If you are interested in learning more, or would like to buy copies of the books we discuss in this episode, you can find these, along with lots more information at rickardsisters.com As usual, I've included links in the podcast notes - and if you'd like to see images of the panels we discuss in the episode, then please visit the project blog (culturalpeeps.wordpress.com) or our social media channels. Thanks to both Scarlett and Sophie for generously giving me so much of their time and for providing this fascinating insight into their creative process. As a huge fan of their work, I loved making this one, and I really hope you enjoy our chat. Links: The Rickard Sisters (About): https://rickardsisters.com/about/ The Rickard Sisters: https://rickardsisters.com/ The Rickard Sisters (Substack): https://rickardsisters.substack.com/ The Rickard Sister’s Shop: https://rickardsisters.com/shop/ Self Made Hero (Publisher): https://selfmadehero.com/ Mann’s Best Friend: https://rickardsisters.com/product/manns-best-friend/ No Surrender: https://selfmadehero.com/books/no-surrender & https://rickardsisters.com/product/no-surrender/ The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists: https://selfmadehero.com/books/the-ragged-trousered-philanthropists & https://rickardsisters.com/product/the-ragged-trousered-philanthropists/ This Slavery (Upcoming Book): https://rickardsisters.com/news-post/introducing-this-slavery/ Arts Council England: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/ David Hine: https://www.selfmadehero.com/creators/david-hine Rickard Sisters on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therickardsisters/?hl=en-gb

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