Vandal Factory

Political theatre, anti-war music and protest poetry! Mark Thomas talks about England & Son , his one-man play by Ed Edwards about class, crime, capitalism, empire, stolen youth and stolen wealth. Seth Mowshowitz from Fold discusses their latest single 'Forever War' about the Military Industrial Complex. Fold are a Leeds band amplifying humanitarian perspectives & critical reflections. Mea...

Saturday 6th January 2024 we attended an important community demonstration down our road. Crossgates Library is over 75 years old and for generations has been at the heart of this community in East Leeds. Unfortunately, due to 14 years of austerity and councils being desperate to balance the books, Leeds City Council have decided to sell the Library at auction. People from 8 to 89 years old came t...

Gill Crawshaw is a curator who draws on her experience of disability activism to organise art exhibitions and events which highlight issues affecting disabled people. We discuss the history of the 19th century textile industry and her new book Rights Not Charity. Plus her exhibitions and her most recent project, Any work that wanted doing , bringing together disabled people’s voices from the past...

ROAD TRIP! Henry and Natalie visited Manchester People's History Museum for the exhibition: Nothing About Us Without Us. How have disabled people used visual art, theatre, film and music to fight for equal rights, represention and survival in an ableist world? You'll hear from poet and artist Vince Laws about his powerful shrouds, part of his DWP Deaths Make Me Sick series. Folk duo The Lunatrakto...

Marena Riyad is a Palestinian comedian, actress and Henna artist living in Dallas, Texas. She was a semi-finalist for the funniest comedian in Texas and was as a finalist for Miss Arab USA representing Palestine. She talks about the power of a story-teller and her artistry on stage working with an audience. Natalie and Henry talk about her Kufiya Comedy events for people who don't always feel welc...

In this special 2-parter, we champion Palestinian artists and voices in the struggle for rights and freedom against a brutal military siege and occupation. Our hearts, our rage and our solidarity goes out to everyone during this horrific time. Thank you to all the artists who continue to guide us through humanity's darkest hour. In part 1, Henry and Natalie discuss the ongoing invasion of Gaza and...

In this special 2-parter, we champion Palestinian artists and voices in the struggle for rights and freedom against a brutal military siege and occupation. Our hearts, our rage and our solidarity goes out to everyone during this horrific time. Thank you to all the artists who continue to guide us through humanity's darkest hour. In part 2, Henry and Natalie share ways people in the UK have been or...

Keith Saha is a writer and Co-CEO/Artistic Director of 20 Stories High Theatre Company based in Liverpool. We chatted to him after the performance of High Time & Dirty Monsters at Leeds Playhouse about the show. We discuss working on a 'state of the nation play', working with young people, making the show political, accessible and buzzing.

We're proud to present Vandal Factory's first podcast in front of a live audience! Recorded as part of BIG UP FEST at The Tetely in Leeds on 4th November 2023! We invited photographer Shy Burhan and rapper Henny Hurtz to talk about their work in social change and community arts. Henry performs a brand new poem and Nat's provocation revolves around HOPE. With a few bangers from Lowkey and Grace Pet...

We spoke to Peyvand straight after her show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Peyvand is a performer whose show, DUAL دوگانه is an award-winning solo show made in collaboration with a multi-national team featuring drag, animation, and the voice of Pedar (if you know, you know). It’s a show about being British, Iranian, stateless, as well as punky, mischievous and dangerously political. We talk abo...

Political theatre, direct action and community projects! What a summer! Henry and Natalie talk about a community project with young people exploring food and injustice called SERVING UP. We reflect on the fight against the Far Right showing up in the local area. Problem Patterns introduce their banging punk song 'Letter of Resignation'. Henry reports back from Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he c...

CJ runs Black Lodge Press, creating radgey, spikey, angry, cheeky and bold artwork for posters, stickers, t-shirts and baby clothes. CJ talks about discovering street level Anarchist culture, getting into zine-making and gig-going, joining anti-austerity protests and what it means to create angry art. You can support the podcast on Patreon! For as little as £1 a month you can be a mega legend and...

It's been a tough old month at Vandal Factory HQ. Henry and Natalie celebrate the life of a dearly departed friend and talk about the latest wave of violence affecting the Freedom Theatre in Palestine. But we also play a new track by Fold, talk about the actors and writers strikes in America and chat with Libra, part of Middle Child/Milk Presents' show: MODEST How to support the Freedom Theatre: h...

Dani from Faintest Idea talks about their new ska-punk masterpiece. Performance poet Hannah Davies reads from her new collection Dolls. Plus we discuss student activism, current issues and Henry performs a classic poem that he's updated. It's all good fun for you lovely Raptors. Find us on X, Instagram and Facebook! Search ‘Vandal Factory Playlist’ on Spotify for all previous stated "banging tunes...

We chat and dance with Bolshee CIC about the Dancefloor Project, about making nights out safe for everyone. Henry and Nat also discuss Dougald Hine's book At Work In The Ruins. What happens when there's no future to build towards? How do we make meaningful art and change in the wake of climate breakdown...and how do we keep dancing? Plus we play tracks from The Bricks, Gaptooth and R.E.M. and Henr...

Henry and Natalie speak to workers on strike on February 1st, marching and rallying in Leeds City Centre. Workers, and young people, speak from the heart about why they are fighting for better working conditions that will benefit us all. Henry and Natalie return to the Studio to interview Natalie Davies and Rachel Flint from People Poetry - a group that meet weekly with Space2 to write and share p...

Fresh from the Seacroft Climate Forum, Henry and Nat ask how do we build nourishing, powerful and political spaces to connect and build community? The pair interview Evie Manning, Co-Artistic Director of Common Wealth Theatre, and Nathan Stephen-Griffith from functional power-pop band MARTHA. Evie talks about the company and their new show (You Are Here As A Witness) and Nathan discusses the new a...

A few of our favourite moments, chats, provocations and poems from the first 10 episodes of the Vandal Factory show! Check out the full episodes for the meatier morsals. Find us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (please). Search ‘Vandal Factory Playlist’ on Spotify for all previous stated "banging tunes"

Anti-Fascism, envriomentalism and community activism! Sharon Bailey talks about the Battle of Stockton, when in 1933 fascist Blackshirts were beaten back by the working class movement. The campaign talks about celebration and resistence in the 21st century. Hetty from Pigfoot Theatre chats about their new show, Hot In Here, touring to Leeds on October 28th. It uses dance, real-life stories, and mu...

Henry and Natalie return from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (#EdFringe) - with strong opinions (as always!). We met and recorded an interview with SHEWOLVES (awooo) a company (and play) about female friendship and solidarity. We talk about the difficulty in defining community/participatory/outreach arts work using François Matarasso. Henry Does His Own Thing (aka reads a poem) and we play banging...

Art and activism! Together at last! Nat talks to professional mermaid and eco-artist Lucy Meredith about public space, theatre (and swimming pools) and the importance of benches. Meanwhile Henry reports back from the TUC march in That London. We have banging music, 15 year-old Mimi talks about her Suitcase Story and Henry Does His Own Thing (e.g. reads a poem).

Henry and Nat are back! Joe Solo talks about his new album, Never Let Them Win, and how punk shaped him. Petrol Girls talk about their new album, Baby: Changing sounds, feminist lyrics and panic attacks. Plus all your fav features: Henry Does His Own Thing (aka reads a poem), The Banger of The Hour is totally innocuous, and Nat's Provocation Station is about mental health and White Hot Panic. http...

First up, Henry reports back from Manchester Punk Festival, featuring a host of punk poets sharing their thoughts (and vibes). We play 'Ale of Punk Band' (play/drink along at home!). We have a chat with guitaist Frances Bolley, who features in the queer punk opera Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Plus discussion on grassroots vs big picture activism, the Kinder Tresspass and more poetry and banging musi...

Henry and Nat chat to theatre dirctor Freyja Winterson about ways communities can use art to challenge the climate crisis, and Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan about the power of political performance poetry. Plus all your favourite features: Nat’s Banger of the Hour and Henry Does His Own Thing. Links to the things discussed in Nat's Provocation Station: https://www.ianbyrne.org/righttofood-campaig https:/...

It's a bit of a film special this month, as Henry & Natalie talk to Mosa Mpetha and Madeline Shann. Mosa is part of Iconic Presents and Scalarama Film Festival. She programmes queer, fun films in unusual, DIY spaces. Madeline is a theatre maker, choreographer, performer who has produced a screendance called The Spring about our relationship with the environment. Plus all your favourite feature...