Culture File

The performer behind @clownnoir, Simon Thompson, shares some of his favourite reading, listening, watching, tasting and smelling

Simon Thompson on the art of the clown in the post-COVID world, experiences of weather and its presence in human art and culture, Marise Gaughan good and bad habits, and Rob Long's Martini Shot

In his latest epistle from the frontlines of the storytelling industrial complex, Rob Long has some thoughts on keeping friends and audiences engaged.

A new book, Weather: Spaces, Mobilities and Affects considers our relationship with light, wind, rain and fog, and how the experience of weather finds its way into human culture.

Lecoq-trained master clown, Simon Thompson on bringing his clown persona, Clown Noir, online as part of ICO's I Create Online web series.

This week, Jennifer Walshe keeps watch on the shutters of premises in North London, Paddy Woodworth on the nature writing of Richard Mabey, the pre-famine soundworld of the south-west of Ireland, and Rob Long misses out on walking down the aisle to the sound of Prince.

Writer and comedian, Marise Gaughan has been thinking about getting clear of some bad habits for the new year. Thinking about it.

This week, Jennifer Walshe keeps watch on the shutters of premises in North London, Paddy Woodworth on the nature writing of Richard Mabey, the pre-famine soundworld of the south-west of Ireland, and Rob Long misses out on walking down the aisle to the sound of Prince.

Flautist and reanimator of Irish musical treasures, Emer Mayock shares some listening, watching, reading, tasting and smelling pleasures.

What exactly makes for good dialogue? Not necessarily anything you might say in real life, suggests Rob Long.

The literary fruit of a crisis in the life of British writer, Richard Mabey is our latest suggestion for building the ideal shelf of nature writing

Musician Emer Mayock has been diving once more in the 19th-century trad song reservoir of Canon James Goodman.

Composer and artist, Jennifer Walshe finds a neighbourhood takeaway brings back memories of home.

"Deep Smelling" pioneer and the artist behind CCA's OlfactoStroll, Jan Uprichard, on some of her favourite reading, watching, listen, tasting and smelling treats.

Half an hour of audio excursions, taking you from a smell-lead audio tour of whenever you happen to be, to Berlin after dark and after COVID, to a rural idyll in the rosy digital dreams of #cottagecore, and on, deep into the timeline-cleansing possibilities of a good, old moan.

Rob Long on the writer-producer's second biggest problem: having a show in production.

Is an internet subculture that sees bliss in an idealised country life really a progressive force?

Artist, Jan Uprichard has created a self-directed smell walk, in podcast form, to help us practice "Deep Smelling".

Irish writer and adopted Berliner, Liam Cagney makes two very different journeys to Berlin's KitKat Club.

Jennifer Walshe navigates towards the joy in Minecraft; Clare-based Indian classical music fan and musician, Matthew Noone find his in an electro-acoustic take on the sarode; painter, Catherine Boucher Beug is back the garden, back in the before times; and Rob Long has some helpful advice for No 46.

Ennis-born IFF perfumer, Meadh McCurtain on some of her favourite lockdown things.

Writer and producer, Rob Long has some hard-won, tv-derived advice for the new occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Painter, Katherine Boucher Beug explores her winter garden in search of floral subjects

How the musical journeys of Australian-Irish musician and sarod player, Matthew Noone, fetched up in a rainy cabin in Co Clare.

Minecraft might not be the world we want, but it has its attractions, according to composer and artist, Jennifer Walshe