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In this month’s episode of Parallel Streams we listen to an episode of Cory Doctorow’s weekly podcast, in which he has a live (and lively) discussion with Angie Coiro about his new book The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI.   PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 07 | JULY 10 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Angie Coiro | Cory Doctorow | Owen Kelly   COMMENTARY Cory Doctorow’s website says that he “is a science f...

Sophie Hope recently read James Agee and Walker Evans classic documentary book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. She persuaded Owen Kelly to read it too, and in this episode they examine the book from several viewpoints: as a public art project, as ethnography, as literature, and as an historical document.   Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse Episode 88 | July 3 2026   PARTICIPANTS Sophie Hope and Ow...

In July 2024 we interviewed the educator Peter Renshaw, who has been a huge influence on the development of socially engaged practice and research at Guildhall and the initiatives we’ve heard about in this podcast series so far: Leadership, PACE, The Institute for Social Impact Research in the Performing Arts and Disrupt. Peter has written extensively on music, education and socially engaged pract...

On episode 65 of A Culture of Possibility, François Matarasso and Arlene Goldbard interview Clare Reynolds, codirector of Restoke, to find out what has happened since they last spoke to her in Episode 3.   A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY EPISODE 65 | JUNE 19 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso | Clare Reynolds   COMMENTARY Clare Reynolds works as the codirector of Restoke, a commun...

In this month’s episode of Parallel Streams we listen to an episode of ART IS CHANGE, introduced by Bill Cleveland who created the long-running podcast. Each episode aims to bring you “deep into the lives and work of activist artists and cultural organizers who are doing more than dreaming — they’re transforming communities around the world.”   PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 06 | JUNE 12 | 2026   PARTIC...

Owen Kelly had intended to conclude his arguments about artificial intelligence this episode but he got sidetracked by a question that he decided to ask Claude Sonnet. Instead he ended up recording a conversation with Claude about the nature of the “thinking” and “feeling” that Claude does.   Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse   EPISODE 87 | June 5, 2026    PARTICIPANTS Owen Kelly and Claude Sonn...

In the second episode of Friday Number Five for 2026 we embark on another journey through the golden age of radio, this time with William Conrad starring as Marshall Matt Dillon in a 1956 episode of Gunsmoke. Friday Number 5  EPISODE 21 | MAY 29, 2026   HOST Owen Kelly   COMMENTARY On months that have a fifth Friday we break from our normal schedule and produce something tangentially related to id...

Jo and Sophie talk to programme leaders, tutors, students and the administrator of the two-year postgraduate Leadership programme, which ran from 2007–2019 at Guildhall School of Music and Drama for musicians wanting to develop their practice in socially engaged settings. This constitutes episode 5 of a special series for miaaw.net about social practice programmes and projects at Guildhall School...

On Episode 64 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso discuss the ethical issues that arise when working with communities.  The presentation was recorded live at a session at the International Community Arts Festival in Rotterdam earlier this Spring.   A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY EPISODE 64 | MAY 15 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso   COMMENTARY In...

In this month’s episode of Parallel Streams we listen to an episode of THOUGHT SNACK, with Max Haiven and Sarah Stein Lubrano. THOUGHT SNACK is an occasional podcast from Sense & Solidarity where Sarah and Max explore the big ideas that make and break our world. PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 05 | MAY 8 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Max Haiven | Owen Kelly | Sarah Stein Lubrano   COMMENTARY Max Haiven is an...

During a discussion about the possible meanings of cultural democracy Sophie Hope raised the concept of structures of feeling that Raymond Williams had developed.  In this episode we examine this concept in more detail.   Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse   EPISODE 86 | MAY 1 | 2026    PARTICIPANTS Sophie Hope and Owen Kelly   COMMENTARY Owen Kelly and Sophie Hope dig out their copies of Marxism...

In the fourth episode of Echoes and the Unsaid Jo and Sophie talk to a group of people involved in the BA Performance and Creative Enterprise (PACE) Programme that ran from 2015-2021 at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  They discuss the background to the course, reflections on how it challenged the structures of the conservatoire and the generative community of practice that evolved between st...

Episode 63 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso discuss cultural policy as it really is, and not as policy makers would like you to think of it.  The presentation was recorded live at a session at the International Community Arts Festival in Rotterdam a few weeks ago.   A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY   EPISODE 63 | APRIL 17 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Arlene Goldbard | François...

In the fourth episode of Parallel Streams we listen to episode 52 of Ferment Radio, with Kirsty Hendry and Aga Pokrywka. Ferment Radio is “a podcast series that takes you deep into the fascinating world of microbes. Through fermentation and transformation, we develop new recipes for living on a broken planet”.  PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 04 | APRIL 10 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Kirsty Hendry | Owen Kelly...

Rebekah Cupitt and Owen Kelly discuss the possibility of artificial general intelligence; the nature of Claude, and the relationship (if any) between artificial intelligence and creativity.  They also discuss the meaning of the word excode.   Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse   APRIL 3 | 2026 | EPISODE 85   PARTICIPANTS Rebekah Cupitt | Owen Kelly COMMENTARY Rebekah Cupitt has a BA (University o...

This is episode 3 in a special series for miaaw.net about social practice programmes and projects at Guildhall School of Music and Drama from the 1970s-2020s.  The series is hosted by Jo Gibson (Research Fellow, Institute for Social Justice, York St John University) and Sophie Hope (co-lead of the De-centre for socially engaged practice and research at Guildhall School of Music and Drama).   Echoe...

On Episode 62 of A Culture of Possibility, Arlene Goldbard and François Matarasso begin a conversation about co-creation.  They both believe that co-creation is integral to community-based arts work. But what does it mean? What are its pitfalls? Why does it matter?   A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY    EPISODE 62 | FEBRUARY 20 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso COMMENTARY On Episod...

In the third episode of Parallel Streams Sophie Hope introduces and contextualises the final episode of Remember the Future Season 2 from art.coop.  What does it mean for philanthropy to exist in relationship to the solidarity economy? What if artists led a redistribution effort to resource arts collectives?  PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 03 | MARCH 13 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Sophie Hope | Marina Lopez |...

Owen Kelly has heard the terms “conscious consumption” and “ethical consumption” thrown around a lot recently. In this episode he tries to find out whether or not they count as synonyms, and whether or not the terms add any real value to our discussions, and to ideas of cultural democracy.   Meanwhile in an Abandoned Warehouse   MARCH 6 | SERIES 2026 | EPISODE 84   PARTICIPANTS Owen Kelly COMMENTA...

Sophie, Jo, and guests, discuss power sharing, community leadership, governance structures, co-creation, longitudinal evaluation, anti-oppressive working practices, and communities of practice.   Echoes and the Unsaid    EPISODE 02 | FEBRUARY 27 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Jo Gibson | Sophie Hope COMMENTARY In this episode, Sophie and Jo talk to Jo Chard, Senior Producer for Disrupt at Guildhall School;...

This month in A Culture of Possibility Eugene van Erven discusses his adventures in international popular theatre: adventures that carried him on a journey that led to the founding of ICAF in Rotterdam.   A CULTURE OF POSSIBILITY EPISODE 61 | FEBRUARY 20 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Eugene van Erven | Arlene Goldbard | François Matarasso   COMMENTARY On episode 61 of A Culture of Possibility cohosts Arle...

In the second episode of Parallel Streams Owen Kelly introduces and contextualises a recent episode from the weekly podcasts made by David Rovics. This one, which we repost here by kind permission of David Rovics, contains his personal analysis of the relationships between music, jobs and AI, and provides some practical examples.   PARALLEL STREAMS EPISODE 02 | FEBRUARY 13 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Ow...

In November 2025 Sophie Hope gave a presentation at a conference called Collaborative Futures, organised in Dublin by Create. In this episode she talks with three participants to discuss the program, the outcomes,  and the possibilities inherent in the idea of collaborative futures.   MEANWHILE IN AN ABANDONED WAREHOUSE EPISODE 83 | February 6 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Megan Atkinson | Sophie Hope | S...

In the first episode of the year we embark on another journey through the golden age of radio, beginning with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in The Reluctant Tobacconist.    Friday Number Five Episode 20 | January 30 | 2026   HOST Owen Kelly COMMENTARY On months that have a fifth Friday we break from our normal schedule and produce something else related tangentially to questions of cultural democ...

Jo Gibson and Sophie Hope begin a new series examining the history of social practice programmes and projects at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.   Echoes and the Unsaid | Episode 01 January 23 | 2026   PARTICIPANTS Jo Gibson | Sophie Hope   COMMENTARY This is the first episode in a nine-part series hosted by Jo Gibson (Research Fellow, Institute for Social Justice, York St John University) an...