Getting Better Acquainted

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. ------------ In GBA 19 and GBA 43 we get better acquainted with Louise. We compare childhoods and confidence levels and talk about the death of Louise's stepdad and how his life and death have influenced her. We move out from there into a broader conversation abo...

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. ------------ In GBA 78 we get better acquainted with Louise. She talks mostly about dance. But that doesn't mean the conversation is limited. We cover the experience of dancing, following and leading, the politics of dancing, a potted history of blues music, the...

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. ------------ In GBA 74 we get better acquainted with Mervyn who is still technically my Step Dad. He talks about growing up in Belfast during The Troubles, working in factories, teaching Physics in Dubai, teaching English in China, living in a tent on a roundabou...

This Getting Better Acquainted Extra features my last true story as the host of Spark Hackney. It's really the story of how Spark and true storytelling came into my life and helped to change how I see my life. Spark True Stories: http://stories.co.uk Spark True Stories Podcast: https://www.acast.com/sparklondon TONIGHT: Awkward Age: A special night of stories: https://www.facebook.com/events/16282...

In GBA 338 we get better acquainted with Jessica. She talks about how she discovered reading and how she discovered audio, doing radio as a way to get into podcasting, unlearning and challenging values learnt in childhoods, the complex political situations we are experiencing and the history that has formed them, and so much more. Jessica Stone presents Dear Reader, "the no-review book show about...

This Getting Better Acquainted Extra features a true story I told at Spark London. Mentioned: Mansplaining Masculinity: https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ http://www.mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity Spark London: http://stories.co.uk/ The Family...

In GBA 337 we get even better acquainted with The Family Tree Podcast. I'm joined by Jen Adamthwaite the co-producer/creator of GBA's weird sister podcast to talk about the whys, the hows, the highs and the lows of making the second season of this magical realist podcast drama. This episode also stars a thunderstorm! THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FAMILY TREE. The GBA episode where we talk...

In GBA 336 we get better acquainted with Ruby. She talks about being a sex educator, life drawing modelling, non monogamy, sexuality, pleasure, play, communication, bodies and lots more. We recorded this conversation on a sunny Sunday in a back garden in east London drinking lemon balm tea. Ruby plugs: Body Loves Sketch Club Workshop at the Togetherness Festival on June 17th: https://www.eventbrit...

In GBA 335 we get better acquainted with Sofie Hagen. She talks about how her politics and language have evolved, fat liberation and feminism, her interest in vulnerability, the relationship between comedy and audiences, and so much more. We also compare notes on turning conversations into podcasts, making art and activism for previous versions of yourself and we swap therapy stories. Content note...

In GBA 334 we get even better acquainted with Donna. We reflect on and update the first conversation we had for GBA which was recorded in 2012 when we both had very different understandings of ourselves and the world around us. We compare notes on therapy and talk about some of the labels we now have to describe our experiences, in Donna's case dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and OCD, in my case depress...

In GBA 333 we get better acquainted with Emily. She talks drag metal, non monogamy, bondage, relationships, gender, queerness, femmephobia and lots more. Content note: eating disorders/disordered eating, mental health issues, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, self harm, sex/bdsm/kink/non monogamy, bullying Emily plugs: Miss Emily Emphasis - facebook https://www.facebook.com/EmilySnee/ / inst...

In GBA 332 we get better acquainted with Nav. She talks about telling true stories, why she has decommissioned herself as a pharmacist, the history and cultural context of (western) medicine, how her relationship to race and migration has changed and so much more. Navreet plugs: Storytelling Sessions at Wellcome: 23rd May: Teeth: https://wellcomecollection.org/events/WtXbPiUAAA-m-5V7 https://wellc...

In GBA 331 we get better acquainted with Hel Robin Gurney. They talk writing, fairytales, mythology, folklore, poetry, stories, the process of creating and developing their show The Sleeping Princess and so much more. Robin plugs: 5th May Poetry Society 2pm: Fairytale Double Bill: https://www.facebook.com/events/615314005470398/ The Sleeping Princess at Manchester Fringe, Reading Fringe, Camden Fr...

In GBA 330 we get better acquainted with Miranda. We talk writing, working, true storytelling and lots more. She's been running There Goes The Neighborhood - a night showcasing established and upcoming writing - for a few years and is currently in the middle of putting out the podcast project, 100 Voices For 100 Years, which is releasing a piece of writing from a woman every day for 100 days to co...

In GBA 329 we get better acquainted with Christian. We compare notes on loving, playing, writing and learning music, being in bands, teaching young people and so much more. Christian plugs: The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten: http://themusiclesson.com/ Booking his Jazz band for gigs Partnership and collaboration I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-mascu...

In GBA 328 we get better acquainted with Virginie. She talks about Soirée Pompette - the french language cabaret night she runs and hosts, Moon Lane Ink - a not-for-profit Community Interest Company dedicated to equality of access and equality of representation in children's books and equality of roles within the publishing industry, her French and Irish heritage and her British identity, her care...

In this GBA Extra I share two stories that I told/retold recently at Spark London true storytelling nights. I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ Spark London: http:...

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. ---------------- In GBA 113 we get better acquainted with Donna. She talks about fitting in, sticking out, dressing up, social awkwardness, creating your own reality, dancing, working with children and more. Donna is a very unique person and we met in her very un...

In GBA 327 we get better acquainted with Gabriel Ebulue from the 3 Track Podcast. We talk about his obsession/passion for music and comedy, making "a podcast for music nerds, by a music nerd", what the experience of doing the Edinburgh festival can give to you, struggling to fit in with different musical subgroups, why Morrissey is now cancelled, and lots more. Gabriel plugs: The 3 Track Podcast:...

In GBA 326 we get better acquainted with Tobi from the Arts Performed Podcast. We'd already warmed up by the time we recorded this conversation with me recording an interview for his podcast and so we get into things pretty quickly. Tobi talks cultural studies, artist and resistance, navigating the world with ADHD and dyslexia, how his relationship with being the child of a Guyanese migrant has ch...

In GBA 325 we get better acquainted with Giselle. She talks about making things with your body and with your voice, creation through association, travelling between cultures, the connections and intersections between art, ritual and myth and so much more. We also spend quite a lot of time talking about the process behind and around her recent appearance as Violita on the magical realist podcast dr...

Pushed for time again this week so instead of a full conversation this week's episode is a GBA Extra combining my British Podcast Award submission and a true story I told at the most recent Spark London. The BPA submission features clips from these episodes of GBA: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-302-nicole-henriksen https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-301-nira ht...

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. ------------ In GBA 66 we get better acquainted with Iris. Sitting in my childhood home away from home we talk about Histories: personal, social, local and shared. Our conversation goes places - the excitement of London in the 60's, visiting Germany after WW2, pr...

In GBA 323 we get better acquainted with Carys. She talks about music: her first memories and musical influences, her dads cassette tapes and guitar playing, studying music history and theory at Oxford, DJing dance music, managing a youth orchestra and supporting music in education work. We also cover loving/working in the arts more generally, navigating sexism and racism, how making big choices a...

In this GBA Extra I share two stories that I told/retold recently at Spark London true storytelling nights. I mention: Dead Poets Society: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Poets_Society Spartacus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spartacus_(film) If it was a 'tough choice' to cut my job, then come and tell the children why: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/01/tough-choice-cut-job-...