PodcastsArtsTHE IDLE HANDS SOCIETY

THE IDLE HANDS SOCIETY

Dan Higginson & Paul Bence
THE IDLE HANDS SOCIETY
Latest episode

63 episodes

  • THE IDLE HANDS SOCIETY

    S2 E7: Ed Thompson: The Magician

    08/05/2026 | 1h 16 mins.
    PEOPLE Mentioned
    Ed Thompson
    William Eggleston
    Henri Cartier-Bresson
    Ansel Adams
    Diane Arbus
    Dina Litovsky
    Tim Hetherington
    Peter Knapp
    Sergei Chilikov
    Gueorgui Pinkhassov
    Chuck Close
    Austin Osman Spare
    Daido Moriyama
    Sam Battle (Look Mum No Computer)
    Lewis Hine
    Esther Teichmann
    Mr. Motivator
    Tom Anderson (Tom from Myspace)
    Idle Hands Society
    Books & Films Discussed
    The Genius of Photography — BBC television series referenced in relation to William Eggleston shooting in France.
    In the Garden of England by Ed Thompson — Ed's published photobook (Note: The book was actually published under the title In-A-Gadda-Da-England!), referenced when discussing images that recur across projects.
    The Photographer's Playbook — An example of an unlikely photography book that found its audience.
    Anarcho-Dandies — Ed's forthcoming photobook drawn from his 2009 medium-format project. (Since the book is forthcoming, I linked to the 2009 slide-show video of the project!)
    Ed Thompson's unpublished occult photography manuscript — Seven years in the making, 50,000 words, untitled. (As it is unpublished, I linked back to Ed's official website).
    Louis Theroux: The Misogyny Disruptors — Cited as an analogy for the online course-selling culture in photography communities. (Note: The actual title of this 2026 Netflix documentary is Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere).
    Reach out to us @idlehandssociety. Your hosts today are @danshigginson, @paulbenceuk, and @mark_sugden on Instagram. You can support the Podcast by contributing to The Idle Hands Tip Jar.
    www.idlehandssociety.com
  • THE IDLE HANDS SOCIETY

    S2 E6: Mark Sugden: The White Mercedes

    24/04/2026 | 1h 24 mins.
    Artists & People Mentioned
    Tom Collins
    Daniel Arnold
    John Putney
    Barry Lewis
    Tess Morris
    Matt Lawrence
    The Idle Hands Society Instagram
    Books & Films Discussed
    The Islanders by Dan Wood
    The Valley by John Putney
    Daniel Arnold by Loose Joints
    Pickpocket by Daniel Arnold
    Man Up Directed by Ben Palmer and Written by Tess Morris
    Only Murders in the Building
    Timestamps & Key Moments
    [03:00] Paul shares a harrowing and humorous account of falling ill while travelling through Tanzania, serving as an unconventional "icebreaker" that sets the authentic and grounded tone for the new season.
    [08:33] The group reflects on the practicalities of maintaining a creative community, discussing how a dedicated studio space removes the barriers to production that previously hindered their momentum.
    [13:58] A discussion on the influence of personal history in photography, focusing on how a photographer's background and unique upbringing prevent their work from becoming a mere imitation of their peers.
    [42:58] Mark provides a detailed look at the construction of his Slate Islands mquette, explaining the process of using accordion folds and binding tape to transform digital files into a physical film strip of memories.
    [01:05:01] The conversation turns to the aesthetic choices in landscape photography, debating whether the inclusion of a human figure adds a necessary narrative scale or if it functions as an overused visual cliché.
    [01:12:44] The trio performs a critical reading of Doug Dubois’s work, questioning the integrity of documentary practice when the photographer chooses to style, dress, and pose their subjects to fit a specific vision.
    Reach out to us @idlehandssociety. Your hosts today are @danshigginson, @paulbenceuk, and @mark_sugden on Instagram. You can support the Podcast by contributing to The Idle Hands Tip Jar.
    www.idlehandssociety.com
  • THE IDLE HANDS SOCIETY

    S2 E5: Tom Collins: There’s an app for that

    16/04/2026 | 1h 29 mins.
    Artists & People Mentioned
    Tom Collins
    Daniel Arnold
    John Putney
    Barry Lewis
    Tess Morris
    Matt Lawrence
    The Idle Hands Society Instagram
    Books & Films Discussed
    The Islanders by Dan Wood
    The Valley by John Putney
    Daniel Arnold by Loose Joints
    Pickpocket by Daniel Arnold
    Man Up Directed by Ben Palmer and Written by Tess Morris
    Only Murders in the Building

    Reach out to us @idlehandssociety. Your hosts today are @danshigginson, @paulbenceuk on Instagram. You can support the Podcast by contributing to The Idle Hands Tip Jar.
    www.idlehandssociety.com
  • THE IDLE HANDS SOCIETY

    S2 E4: Barry Lewis: From Bunsen Burners to the Berlin Wall

    09/04/2026 | 2h 12 mins.
    Artists & People Mentioned
    Barry Lewis (Instagram)
    Antony Gormley
    David Toop
    Elaine Mitchener
    Dam Van Huynh
    Ryuichi Sakamoto
    Idle Hands Society Instagram
    Books & Films Discussed
    Miami Beach 1988-1995
    Blackpool 1984-1989
    Vaguely Lost in Shangri-La: Glastonbury in Photographs
    Butlin's Holiday Camp 1982
    Positive Lives
    Pond (Film)

    Reach out to us @idlehandssociety. Your hosts today are @danshigginson, @paulbenceuk on Instagram. You can support the Podcast by contributing to The Idle Hands Tip Jar.
    www.idlehandssociety.com
  • THE IDLE HANDS SOCIETY

    S2 E3: Old Photos

    02/04/2026 | 1h 43 mins.
    People Mentioned
    Ryan McDonagh
    Brian Carroll
    Alice Tomlinson
    Nico Froehlich
    Paul Bence
    Dan Higginson
    Idle Hands Society Instagram
    Books & Films Discussed
    Offline Journal
    Reach out to us @idlehandssociety. Your hosts today are @danshigginson, @paulbenceuk on Instagram. You can support the Podcast by contributing to The Idle Hands Tip Jar.
    www.idlehandssociety.com
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About THE IDLE HANDS SOCIETY
Welcome to The Idle Hands Society, a community for creatives. Join us for regular chats with people across all disciplines, loosely focused on creativity.
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