OffScript

In this episode of OffScript , Dash Arts' Artistic Director Josephine Burton heads out into the land itself and into the long, tangled history of who has felt at home there, and who has had to fight to claim it. Join us to explore connection, place, and the ever-evolving landscape of English identity. First, she talks with Toni Murphy, founder of Touching Grass, a community creating space for quee...

In this episode of OffScript , Dash Arts' Artistic Director Josephine Burton is joined by Dr. Neil Buttery—food historian, cook, and the voice behind The British Food History Podcast —for a delicious and wide-ranging conversation about the edible stories that define us. Josephine and Neil trace the history of English food from the kitchen outwards, exploring how our national palate has been shaped...

In this episode of OffScript , Dash Arts' Artistic Director Josephine Burton is joined by Lynne Murphy, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sussex, author of The Prodigal Tongue , and the American voice behind the long-running blog Separated by a Common Language, for a wide-ranging and surprising conversation about the language we think we own. Josephine and Lynne trace English from its...

In this episode of OffScript , Josephine Burton is joined by historian, journalist, and writer Paula Akpan. A specialist in Black British history and queer identity, Paula brings a vital perspective to our exploration of Albion. Drawing on her acclaimed book, When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors , Paula discusses the power of restoring overlooked narratives to the...

Josephine Burton takes us inside the rehearsal room of Our Public House , Dash Arts' new touring theatre production and the culmination of our series of work on Albion. We join the company during their rehearsals at Toynbee Studios while some of the country heads to the polls in local elections. Assistant Director Scott Hurran shares insights into the collective creation of characters and how comm...

What does Englishness sound like? In this episode of OffScript , Dash Arts' Artistic Director Josephine Burton is joined by musician, songwriter, and activist Billy Bragg for an electric conversation about England - its flags, its contradictions, and its capacity for protest. Billy and Josephine dig into what it means to love a country and argue with it at the same time. They explore the politics...

What makes someone English - and who gets to decide? In this episode of Off Script , Dash Arts' Artistic Director Josephine Burton is joined by choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh, born in India, raised in Sri Lanka and Malaysia, and educated in the UK, whose internationalism has always been at the heart of her practice. Shobana and Josephine explore what Englishness and Britishness actually mean, and...

What does Englishness mean to you? In this episode of OffScript , Dash Arts’ Artistic Director Josephine Burton is joined by journalist, writer, and Editor-in-Chief of Byline Times, Hardeep Matharu, for a wide-ranging conversation about the complex and overlooked stories shaping contemporary England. Drawing on her work leading an independent, reader-funded news outlet committed to investigative j...

In this episode of OffScript, Dash Arts' Artistic Director Josephine Burton takes us inside the rehearsal room and into the pub, as she introduces the people and ideas behind Our Public House , Dash Arts' new touring theatre production and the culmination of the Albion series. Josephine reflects on three years of speech-making workshops with over 700 people across the country, from community centr...

In this episode of OffScript, Dash Arts’ Artistic Director Josephine Burton is joined by Jeremy Deller for a wide-ranging conversation about how art uncovers the contradictions, radical traditions, and hidden stories that shape contemporary England. Jeremy and Josephine reflect on why Englishness remains so slippery to define; how popular culture, folk traditions, and street art reveal who we real...

Welcome to Albion - our exploration of what it means to be English, and what we mean by England. In this episode of OffScript , Dash Arts’ Artistic Director Josephine Burton is joined by Caroline Lucas for a thoughtful and urgent conversation about Englishness - beyond flags and nostalgia. Drawing on her book Another England , Caroline shares her thoughts on how land, belonging and identity shape...

What does it mean to stay balanced and grounded in a shifting world? This episode of OffScript was recorded live at STEADY , the second event in Dash Arts’ We Are Free To Change The World series. Through live performance and conversation, the evening focused on staying; on staying open without burning out, staying yourself in dialogue without collapsing into agreement or disagreement and staying h...

In this episode of OffScript Josephine Burton is joined by Professor Lyndsey Stonebridge. They delve into Hannah Arendt's belief in collective action as the essence of freedom.  Lyndsey discusses Arendt's life, her impact on political philosophy, and her relevance in contemporary social movements. Exploring how her theories inspire artists and activists today, the conversation highlights Aren...

What does it take to prepare for change — artistically, emotionally, politically?  This episode of OffScript was recorded live at the opening event in Dash Arts’ We Are Free To Change The World series. Through performance and conversation, the event explored the conditions that help artists and creative activists find their ground to listen, to make, to resist, and to come together. Hosted by...

In this episode of We Are Free to Change the World , Dash Arts’ Artistic Director Josephine Burton is joined by the legendary artist Peter Kennard. Inspired by Hannah Arendt’s belief in our freedom to begin anew, Josephine and Peter examine how art becomes a form of political action—shifting public consciousness, exposing injustice, and giving shape to the possible futures. They discuss the challe...

“ [Dash] reaches beyond the creation of its work and its interpretation of human experience. You go to places that others don't.” For Dash Arts’ 20th anniversary, OffScript host Josephine Burton is joined by one of the UK’s leading champions of justice, Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC. Helena and Josephine explore how the arts and the law shift public imagination, from movements for social justice t...

In the second episode of our mini-series, "We Are Free to Change the World," inspired by Hannah Arendt's call to action, Dash Arts' Artistic Director Josephine Burton is joined by Labour MP for Norwich South, Clive Lewis.  From his House of Commons office, Clive Lewis discusses the struggle for freedom within contemporary politics. The conversation explores his belief that the "only real free...

Through a series of live and digital conversations - we’re exploring how artists and activists challenge, inspire, and motivate us to see the world differently.  Join Josephine Burton as she sits down with musician and artist Ian Bruce and campaigner Clare Farrell to discuss creativity, activism, and the courage to imagine radical change. In this groundbreaking episode, hear how artists are t...

In part 2 we’re looking at the impact of politics on the most recent productions from Dash Arts. We explore our 2025 production of The Reckoning, which brought real-life testimonies from Ukraine to the stage, and the upcoming 2026 production of Our Public House, inspired by speeches from people across England.  Marina Pesenti, former Director of the Ukrainian Institute, looks back at how more...

In this special two-part series, we're celebrating Dash Arts' 20th birthday by looking back at how politics has impacted our work over the past two decades. In episode one, join Josephine Burton as she explores how artists and creative activists respond to the urgency of our times. Hear from storyteller Sophie Austin on our production of One Thousand and One Nights , which challenged preconceived...

From working with rappers in Beiruti basements to gathering musicians from all the conservatoires of ex-Soviet Republics in the mountains of Georgia and wild late nights in a tent with the Dash Arts Dacha, this episode celebrates the music and sounds woven through the last 20 years of Dash Arts. Josephine Burton acts as a guide across Dash Arts’ many musical projects, sharing stories and music fro...

After 32 performances, more than 1,700 bowls of salad and a clutch of four and five star reviews; our 5 week opening run of The Reckoning has drawn to a close.  In this episode we wanted to share with you some of the incredible voices and stories who joined us at Arcola in Dalston in calling for justice for Ukraine. Written by Anastasiia Kosodii and Josephine Burton, and directed by Burton, T...

This month Dash’s brand new production, The Reckoning , opens at The Arcola Theatre in Dalston. Co-Writer and Director Josephine Burton gives you a taste of what to expect from this vivid and powerful new play about war, survival and the fragile trust between those who uncover the truth and those who must live with it. Book your tickets for The Reckoning on the Arcola Theatre’s website . Based on...

What is the role of the artist when faced with social and political unrest?  This month as protests take place across the world, we’ve been thinking of the long history between art and protest. Every day this month Georgians, Turks, Americans and Serbians are on the streets speaking out against the country’s ruling governments. At Dash Arts we make art that challenges the world we all live in...

Join us round the kitchen table with acclaimed Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules and Dash’s Artistic Director Josephine Burton as they weave together cooking and storytelling in our latest production. Dash’s new production, The Reckoning, is a vivid and powerful new play about war, survival and the fragile trust between those who uncover the truth and those who must live with it. Co-writers Anastasiia...