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This episode of Greenbelt’s ‘Somewhere To Believe In’ comes in the form of a one-off Christmas reflection; brought to you by our friend Beloved Sara Zaltash, a ‘non-denominational rabble-rouser and soul-soother for a world in crisis’.
It was our pleasure to welcome Beloved Sara to Greenbelt for the first time this year, along with her heavenly spiritual chants and adaptation of the Islamic Call to Prayer. And now she’s back again, reflecting on Christmas, with personal stories of community, songs of hope and prayers of blessings.
As Beloved Sara says, we hope ‘you gather around these sounds in warmth and with whatever is dear to you, and that these words shine a beacon of friendship into your Christmas season.’
This episode features strong language and references to drugs.
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Late this November, Greenbelt Festival’s Creative Director, Paul Northup, called me with a request to collaborate on something like a podcast, that wasn’t quite a podcast, to be shared with the Greenbelt community this Christmastime.
I wish I could say that the first emotion I experienced was humility. I wish I was that saint! In truth, I was overwhelmed with giddy delight. Was I really being asked to share my thoughts, stories and songs with the Greenbelt community, that vital and gorgeous and exceptionally kind bunch of people that had won my heart this summer when I performed at the festival? In truth, it took a whole afternoon of pinching myself before the thrill of Paul’s request subsided, before I could settle into what was being asked of me. Did Greenbelters really want to hear more from me? What can I give them, poor as I am?
As the start of Advent loomed, Paul and I realised that the task ahead was greater than the time available, and that we needed a different approach. Paul wondered about centering the not-exactly-a-podcast on my voice, seeing as it was my voice that had been received so kindly by Greenbelters at the festival. It was then that I remembered a piece of storytelling I had written for a guest slot at Sunday Assembly East End in December 2016 - a personal story, woven with song, that was Christmassy and yet not-exactly-Christmassy. This story is what we have chosen to share with you this year.
Funnily enough, Sunday Assembly thought that the story was actually too Christian for their congregation. For me, this story abridges my whole life’s experience of sincere acceptance, inclusion and welcome into Christian community, regardless of how I have shown up. This story does not promote any specific belief or doctrine, except perhaps the belief in the redemptive power of song.
That’s what we have to give you; we give our hearts.
Thank you for all of the support and willingness offered by the Greenbelt team and not-quite-podcast contributors. Thank you especially to Abigail Maxwell, a Greenbelter and Quaker who provides us with a sobering prayer of blessing that we can hold alongside the gladness of the season. I pray that our offering greets you in the finest health, that you gather around these sounds in warmth and with whatever is dear to you, and that these words shine a beacon of friendship into your Christmas season.
Yours ever,
Your own,
Beloved Sara Zaltash
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00:00 - Introduction
01:45 - In the bleak midwinter
07:33 - A Christmas song
10:04 - Eric
16:16 - School
28:10 - Merry Christmas
28:37 - A prayer of blessing
31:04 - ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ song
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This episode of Greenbelt’s ‘Somewhere To Believe In’ podcast takes a different form. It’s a one-off.
It knits together 45-minutes of reflection, conversation, music and prayer in the form of a listen-and-share service to mark the festival’s 2021 August Bank Holiday weekend incarnation (its 48th) – when only a fraction of the wider Greenbelt community could actually physically be together at the Prospect Farm pop-up camping gathering.
The hope is that the audio form of the service will give everyone the chance to share and be connected in a unifying act of remembrance – wherever they are. Ideally, the audio is designed to be shared in and listened to at 11am on Sunday 29th August. But, of course, it can be listened to at any time. Again and again.
The podcast takes its title from a wonderful poem by the poet Roger Robinson. It also features music from Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir and the Wild Goose Resources Group, conversations with activists from Christian Aid, Trussell Trust and Refuweegee and readings and prayers led by Greenbelt’s from all corners of the UK. It is lovingly curated and narrated by Pádraig Ó Tuama – poet, theologian, and conflict mediator. (Pádraig also presents 'Poetry Unbound', a podcast from On Being studios.)
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ORDER OF SERVICE
Download the order of service here
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SUPPORT
Last year – despite our not being together – you gave an incredible £33,000 in response to our service appeal. This year, let’s see if we can top that generosity!
This year, your generous giving will be split 50/50 once again.
50% will go towards the vital work that our partners Christian Aid and Trussell Trust do to challenge, advocate, develop and support – globally and domestically.
And 50% will stay with us here at Greenbelt as we work to make sure the festival remains sustainable in these most challenging of times. So we can be back in the fields at Boughton House for a fully-fledged festival in 2022 – and beyond.
Give here
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Pádraig Ó Tuama
Roger Robinson
Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir
Christian Aid in South Sudan
Trussell Trust
Glasgow protesters praised for blocking UK immigration officers
Refuweegee
Wild Goose Resource Group
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FEATURED TRACKS
‘Lenten Psalm Tone’ by Soul Sanctuary
‘Heaven Shall Not Wait’ by WGRG, Iona Community
‘People Get Ready’ by Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir
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00:00 - Prayer for the earth
00:35 - Welcome to ‘The Job of Paradise’
01:49 - ‘The Job of Paradise’ read by Roger Robinson
02:30 - Pádraig speaks to Roger Robinson
10:33 - Prayer for the artists
11:35 - ‘Psalm 27’ by Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir
16:26 - Chine McDonald and James Wani on aid in South Sudan (Christian Aid)
21:32 - Prayer for those affected by war
22:34 - Pádraig and Jonathan Lees on food banks (Trussell Trust)
27:19 - Scriptural reading
28:31 - Confession
29:50 - Prayer for those responsible for racism
30:26 - ‘Heaven Shall Not Wait’ by Wild Goose Resource Group
32:39 - Pádraig speaks to Selina Hales (Refuweegee) about Glasgow immigration standoff
38:21 - ‘Heaven Shall Not Wait’ by Wild Goose Resource Group
38:56 - Prayer for friendship
39:40 - ‘People Get Ready’ by Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir
42:34 - Prayer for our societies
43:17 - A chance for conversation and response
43:57 - Welcome back
44:13 - Giving
45:19 - Blessing
46:15 - Thank you and credits
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WITH HUGE THANKS TO ALL OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS
SERVICE WRITER, NARRATOR AND HOST
Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet, theologian, and conflict mediator. He presents Poetry
Unbound, a podcast from On Being studios.
Website: padraigotuama.com
Twitter: @duanalla
GUEST ARTIST
Roger Robinson is a writer, educator, and performer. His most recent collection of
poems, A Portable Paradise, won the TS Eliot prize in 2020.
Website: rogerrobinsononline.com
Twitter: @rrobinson72
GUEST ACTIVISTS
Selina Hales is the Founder and Director of Refuweegee, a Glasgow-based charity
equipping the local community to welcome and support refugees and asylum
seekers making their homes in the city.
Website: refuweegee.co.uk
Twitter: @SelinaHales
Greenbelt Partner Christian Aid is a UK-based charity whose mission is the
creation of a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty.
Chine McDonald is Christian Aid’s Head of Public Engagement. She was in
conversation with James Wani, Christian Aid’s country director in South Sudan.
Website: christianaid.org.uk
Twitter: @ChineMcDonald @christian_aid
Greenbelt Partner The Trussell Trust is a charity working to eliminate poverty and
hunger in the UK. They support a nationwide network of Foodbanks.
Jonathan Lees is manager at Epsom Foodbank
Website: trusselltrust.org
Twitter: @jonathanlees55 @TrussellTrust
MUSIC
Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir is a London-based gospel choir committed to creating
and sharing gospel music of the highest standard, especially in the places where
gospel’s power to raise the human spirit is most needed. You can find more of their
music via their website.
Website: soulsanctuarygospel.com
Twitter: @soulsanctuarygc
Lenten Psalm Tone
Music Edwin Fawcett, Lyrics Psalm 26/27 copyright Grail Psalter, performed by
Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir, from the album With All Your Soul (2013).
People Get Ready
Music and Lyrics Curtis Mayfield, arranged Peter Yarde Martin, performed by Soul
Sanctuary Gospel Choir
Wild Goose Resource Group (WGRG) is a semi-autonomous project of the Iona
Community. The Iona Community is a dispersed Christian community working for
peace, social justice, the rebuilding of community and the renewal of worship.
Website: iona.org.uk
Twitter: @ionacommunity
Heaven Shall Not Wait
Words: John L. Bell & Graham Maule
Music: John L. Bell copyright © 1987 WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow.
wildgoose.scot
Recording from the CD ‘Heaven Shall Not Wait’ copyright ℗ 1991 WGRG, Iona
Community, Glasgow.
PRAYERS AND READERS
Uriel, Felice and Evodie Thornbury – young family members of the Hilfield Friary
Franciscan Community in Dorset
Vicky and Eve Allen, Greenbeters from East Lothian
Geraint Rees, Greenbelter and CODA festival team member from Rhondda Cynon Taf
Producer
Paul Northup
Engineer
Josh Clipsham, Greenbelt Volunteer
Recorded Talks and Podcast Team
Recordist
Jake Bussell, Greenbelt Volunteer
Recorded Talks and Podcast Team
Publisher
Daisy Ware-Jarett, Greenbelt Digital
Comms Officer
Additional support
Emily Rawling, Executive Assistant and
Copy Editor for Pádraig Ó Tuama
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It’s the final episode in series three of our podcast *cries*, and some might say we’ve saved the best ‘til last. We get to it with festival friend and everyone's favourite Lutheran minister, Nadia Bolz-Weber.
With her usual candour, humour and joy Nadia talks about her experiences growing up within a very particular, conservative Christian tradition, her journey away from Christian faith as a young adult and into other spaces that helped her heal, and her return to the fold later on; building a church from the ground-up, based on all the ‘good bits’.
Plus, we have a refreshingly honest chat about religion, sin, struggle and sex. And that time Nadia had a sculpture of a vagina made from melted down purity rings. (You can play along at home by having a drink of your choice every time Nadia says “vagina”.)
Katherine and Paul reflect on a year of podcasting and lockdowns and we respond to some messages from you lovely lot.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT NADIA BOLZ-WEBER
Nadia Bolz-Weber is an ordained Lutheran Pastor, founder of House for All Sinners & Saints in Denver, Co, the creator and host of The Confessional Podcast and the author of three NYT bestselling memoirs: Pastrix; The Cranky, Beautiful Faith Of A Sinner & Saint (Re-released 2021), Accidental Saints; Finding God In All The Wrong People (2015) and SHAMELESS; A Sexual Reformation (2019). She writes and speaks about personal failings, recovery, grace, faith, and really whatever the hell else she wants to. She always sits in the corner with the other weirdos. Read more from Nadia in The Corners or connect with her and other spiritual misfits in a pop-up Chapel for conversation, daily prayer, and exclusive content by visiting thechapel.io.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Nadia’s talks at Greenbelt
Fresh Expressions
House for All Sinners and Saints
Confessional podcast
Feminist Pastor Unveils Vulva Sculpture Made Of Old Purity Rings
More Graves Found At New Site, Canadian Indigenous Group Says
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:47 - Katherine and Paul catch up
05:58 - Introducing Nadia Bolz-Weber
06:32 - Nadia joins the conversation
07:10 - Nadia on Greenbelt Festival
10:30 - Nadia on the Lutheran church
20:40 - Nadia on founding House for All Sinners and Saints
29:14 - Nadia on struggle and optimism
33:00 - Nadia on sex
36:54 - Nadia on negative feedback
39:49 - Nadia on grace
41:10 - Nadia on insults
44:33 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Nadia
01:02:04 - How to get in touch with us
01:02:39 - Thank you’s
01:03:28 - Hidden tracks
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week – in what may be the best recommendation we’ve ever had – we’re talking to theologian, former American footballer, and probably Rowan Williams' biggest fanboy, Danté Stewart.
With fire in his belly, Danté “takes us to church”, telling us the story of his own faith journey; from his childhood spent learning of Black revolutionary power, to his full immersion into white evangelical culture as a college football star. And, ultimately, his decision to turn his back on white evangelicalism and to re-nourish and re-build his spirituality and identity as a Black man instead.
Plus, all this gets Katherine and Paul asking: what does healthy religion look like? And how can Greenbelt go beyond showcasing diverse performers and do more to create spaces that are designed for everyone?
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT DANTÉ STEWART
Danté Stewart is a writer and speaker whose voice has been featured on CNN, The Washington Post, Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Sojourners, The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, Comment Magazine, and more. As an up-and-coming voice, he writes and speaks into the areas of Black literature, embodiment, and theology. He received his B.A. in Sociology from Clemson University. He is currently studying at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.
Website | Twitter | Instagram
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Under The Skin With Russell Brand: #105 Alienation and Extremism w/ Angela Nagle
Rowan Williams
Where to Start with Octavia Butler
Culture And Imperialism by Edward Said
Harry and Meghan detail royal struggles, from discussions of baby's skin tone to suicidal thoughts
The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety, and Public Witness
The Black Arts Movement (1965-1975)
It is like growing up black one more time by Toni Morrison
Clemson University
Two Days, Two Deaths: The Police Shootings Of Alton Sterling And Philando Castile
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Audre Lorde
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:47 - Katherine and Paul catch up
08:08 - Introducing Danté Stewart
08:06 - Danté joins the conversation
09:40 - Danté on the pandemic
13:40 - Danté on staying resilient
20:00 - Danté on history and change
24:50 - Danté on growing up
28:00 - Danté on white institutional spaces
32:10 - Danté on exile from those spaces
37:50 - Danté on his faith journey
43:08 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Danté
55:35 - Next week on the podcast
56:32 - How to get in touch with us
57:10 - Thank you’s
58:00 - Hidden track
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Get your best philosophical hats out for this episode because we’re doing a deep dive into the not-so-holy-trinity of dinner table topics – religion, politics and belief – with Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK.
Andrew gives us the 411 on what it means to be a Humanist. And we wrestle with some meaty questions, like: Where does morality come from? Are religions dying out? Can good ever come from causing offence? And does it really matter what we choose to believe?
Plus, Katherine, Paul and Andrew share in their admiration for Frank Turner, a proud humanist and iconic Greenbelt Festival headliner. And Katherine gives us our first lesson in the history of Anarchism... and it might not be what you expect.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT ANDREW COPSON
Andrew Copson was appointed Chief Executive of Humanists UK in 2009, having previously been its Director of Education and Public Affairs. He is also the current President of Humanists International, a position he’s held since 2015. His books include The Little Book of Humanism (2020) and The Little Book of Humanist Weddings (2021) with Alice Roberts; Secularism: a very short introduction (Oxford University Press, 2019); The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Humanism (2015) with A C Grayling. His writing on humanist and secularist issues has appeared in The Guardian, The Independent, The Times and New Statesman as well as in various journals.
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Methodist Church allows same-sex marriage in 'momentous' vote
Humanists UK
Frank Turner - Glory Hallelujah
Little Book of Humanism
humanist (n.)
Anarchism
Two Monkeys Were Paid Unequally: Excerpt from Frans de Waal's TED Talk
Nicholas Walter
Teacher suspended for showing a picture of Prophet Muhammad refuses to return to work over fears for his life
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:47 - Katherine and Paul catch up
05:16 - Introducing Andrew Copson
05:46 - Andrew joins the conversation
06:10 - Andrew on lockdown
07:06 - Andrew on Frank Turner
08:35 - Andrew on Humanism
12:30 - Andrew on morality
16:20 - Andrew on restoration
19:30 - Andrew on social codes
21:20 - Andrew on religious trends
27:22 - Andrew on his Humanism
30:27 - Andrew on blasphemy and offence
35:52 - Andrew on beliefs and values
40:30 - Andrew on certainty
42:20 - Andrew on challenging power
49:05 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Andrew
01:06:05 - Next week on the podcast
01:07:05 - How to get in touch with us
01:07:38 - Thank you’s
01:08:24 - Hidden track
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We’re feeling humbled and full of love this week as we chat to artist, speaker, writer and priest, Mpho Tutu van Furth.
Mpho tells us about her experiences living under apartheid as a young girl and the freedom and justice that so many South Africans, including her family, fought for.
We also hear about Mpho’s journey into priesthood and how she reluctantly handed her license back to the church after their (unfortunately unsurprising) reaction to her ‘lovely can of worms’ – AKA falling in love with a woman. Perhaps most importantly, Mpho reminds us how interconnected and interdependent we all are, and that showing a little bit of care can do a whole lot of good.
Plus, Katherine and Paul reflect on some similarities they see between Mpho’s apartheid memories and life in modern-day Palestine. Like the rest of us, Paul and Katherine jump on the football bandwagon, and Katherine officially joins the #FreeBritney movement.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT MPHO TUTU VAN FURTH
The Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu van Furth is an episcopal priest, an artist, an author, an accomplished public speaker and retreat facilitator. She has had many roles in non-profit leadership. She was the founding executive director of the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. She continues to work for environmental justice, human rights and equal access to opportunity for all people without regard to race, class or gender. With her wife, Marceline, she has established and is Executive Director of the Tutu Teach Foundation to enhance access to opportunity for women and girls. Ms. Tutu van Furth and her wife live in the Netherlands. They have four children and two (amazing) grandchildren.
Website | Instagram | Facebook
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Why Longtime Britney Spears Fans Are Demanding to #FreeBritney
Did Rudiger try and bite Pogba?
A history of Apartheid in South Africa
Domas: Carrying Apartheid’s book
The June 16 Soweto Youth Uprising
Space and power in South Africa: The township as a mechanism of control
The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation
What does ubuntu really mean?
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:48 - Katherine and Paul catch up
00:00 - Katherine and Paul on Prospect Farm
08:49 - Introducing Mpho Tutu van Furth
09:52 - Mpho joins the conversation
10:05 - Mpho on lockdown
13:27 - Mpho on South African identity
16:49 - Mpho on the living under apartheid
23:33 - Mpho on privilege
27:05 - Mpho on her journey to priesthood
29:00 - Mpho on Marceline
33:58 - Mpho on church and her sexuality
36:00 - Mpho on small acts of kindness
38:00 - Mpho on personal spirituality
40:56 - Mpho on being loving
43:47 - Mpho on ubuntu
44:50 - Mpho on enjoying the journey
47:18 - Mpho on forgiveness
48:13 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Mpho
01:01:20 - Next week on the podcast
01:01:58 - How to get in touch with us
01:02:35 - Thank you’s
01:03:24 - Hidden track
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week we bask in the warmth of Rabbi Herschel Gluck – an incredible Orthodox Jewish leader – whose entire life seems to be one big act of love.
Aside from being in awe of Rabbi Gluck’s gentle soul and kind nature, we talk about his life-long dedication to his community, his outlook on the good that could come from the pandemic and his belief that we can work together to create a better future; without losing sight of our own traditions, cultures and values.
Rabbi Gluck also shares how he still struggles to grasp the effect that the Holocaust had on his family, and speaks of the continuous trauma generations of Jewish communities still experience because of it.
Plus, Katherine and Paul update us on the plans for Prospect Farm and get an unexpected visit from our new podcast sponsors, Hello Fresh.
Promo code: JustKidding.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT RABBI HERSCHEL GLUCK
Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE is a British Rabbi based in Stamford Hill in North East London. Born in London and based in the city for most of his life, he is a committed member of a wider ‘global village’, having studied at Yeshivos in France, Canada and the USA and working with communities across the world. Rabbi Gluck was appointed an OBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to interfaith understanding. In the past year he has been quoted in British Parliament for his lifetime commitment to inter-communal understanding and his work countering Anti-Semitism in the UK.
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Oysgezoomt: The Yiddish word of 2020
Holocaust
Kindertransport
Tzedakah
The Scream
Rabbi Herschel Gluck’s talks at Greenbelt Festival
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:48 - Katherine and Paul catch up
05:00 - Katherine and Paul on Prospect Farm
06:46 - Introducing Rabbi Herschel Gluck
07:22 - Rabbi Gluck joins the conversation
08:10 - Rabbi Gluck on becoming a Rabbi
09:47 - Rabbi Gluck on duty and care
11:40 - Rabbi Gluck on finding precious moments
12:45 - Rabbi Gluck on lockdown
14:09 - Rabbi Gluck on community
15:30 - Rabbi Gluck on modern Judaism
20:30 - Rabbi Gluck on generations of Jewish experience
23:50 - Rabbi Gluck on change
27:00 - Rabbi Gluck on Greenbelt Festival
28:10 - Rabbi Gluck on being interfaith and refugees
34:00 - Rabbi Gluck on charity
36:50 - Rabbi Gluck on being humble
38:08 - Rabbi Gluck on art as connection
40:57 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Rabbi Gluck
57:54 - Next week on the podcast
58:41 - How to get in touch with us
59:30 - Thank you’s
01:00:19 - Hidden track
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week on the podcast it’s our absolute privilege to chat with Yvonne Ridley, a journalist and activist who has one of the most fascinating life stories we think you’ll ever hear. Plus, her very enthusiastic peacocks have their say, too.
We talk about Yvonne’s experience as a prisoner of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, the promise she made to her captors to study Islam and read the Quran if they released her, and her unexpected faith journey thereafter, as she decided to leave the Christian faith and embrace Islam.
Plus, as well as talking about her decades of work to combat harmful Muslim stereotypes, we dig into her relentless activism for issues as wide-ranging as Scottish independence, peace in Gaza, justice for Rohingya Muslims, and more generally, what it means to be a ‘radical’.
Meanwhile, Katherine and Paul reflect on one year of podcasting – no, we can’t believe it either – and their potential new careers as daytime TV hosts.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT SISTER YVONNE RIDLEY
British journalist Yvonne Ridley made global headlines when she was captured by the Taliban in 2001. Since then she has moved from London to Scotland, becoming active in the independence movement. She has published a number of books including her harrowing experience with the Taliban and another on the Rise of the Prophet Muhammad. She worked as a senior editor to establish Al Jazeera's English website in Qatar before returning to the UK to play central roles in the start up TV projects Islam Channel and Press TV. When she's not working as a journalist in humanitarian and conflict zones she writes historical fiction from her remote farm in the Scottish Borders. She was nominated for a Nobel peace prize in 2019 for humanitarian work involving Syrian women prisoners and helping Rohingya refugees compile evidence of war crimes.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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TAKE ACTION
Fundraiser: Gaza Children's festival (Amos Trust)
Fundraiser: Rebuild Gaza's Samir Mansour Book Store (Clive Stafford Smith)
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Free Radical: Yvonne Ridley
Why is there a war in Afghanistan? The short, medium and long story
Historical anti-war protest in London: 15 February 2003
The Day I Realized I Would Never Find Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq
Respect Party
Scottish National Party
Action for Independence
All Under One Banner
Timeline: the humanitarian impact of the Gaza blockade
Peace Activist Boats Sail Into Gaza Sand
Myanmar Rohingya: What you need to know about the crisis
Malak Mattar
Clive Stafford Smith Podcast episode
Reprieve
Books by Yvonne Ridley
Eden Burning
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:47 - Katherine and Paul catch up
04:50 - Introducing Yvonne Ridley
06:32 - Yvonne Ridley joins the conversation
06:42 - Yvonne on her animals
07:44 - Yvonne on her experience in Afghanistan
13:16 - Yvonne on pro-war propaganda
17:37 - Yvonne on the movement against the Iraq War
20:38 - Yvonne on ISIS and religious extremism
22:04 - Yvonne on media accountability
25:50 - Yvonne on radicalism
28:32 - Yvonne on grassroots politics
32:28 - Yvonne on activism in Gaza
36:10 - Yvonne on Zionism
38:40 - Yvonne on being hopeful
43:55 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Yvonne
58:30 - Next week on the podcast
59:21 - How to get in touch with us
59:58 - Thank you’s
01:00:48 - Hidden track
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The second conversation in our ‘Keeping the faith’ series is with Sister Teresa Forcades who – with good reason – has been dubbed ‘Europe’s most radical nun’.
Sister Teresa joins us from her Monastery on the mountain of Montserrat, near Barcelona in Catalonia, where she lives with thirty Catholic Benedictine sisters. We discuss her open criticism of the very Catholic Church she serves, her feminism, her politics, her general mission to speak out in order to create a more loving and fair society, and her experiences of being silenced for doing so.
Plus, as a physician and expert in public health, it would have been rude not to ask Sister Teresa for her professional thoughts on the pandemic, the vaccination programme and the role of big pharmaceutical companies. Which, as you may have guessed already, she has a lot of alternative (some would say ‘controversial’) things to say about.
Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Sister Teresa and Katherine, in particular, is taken aback by how refreshing Sister Teresa’s views are in comparison with her Catholic schooling. And Paul is reminded by Sister Teresa about just how important it is to be made to look more closely and think again.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT SISTER TERESA FORCADES
Teresa Forcades i Vila (1966) is a physician, theologian and Benedictine nun in the mountain monastery of Sant Benet de Montserrat (Catalonia, Spain). Master of Divinity (Harvard, 1997), doctor in Medicine (U. Barcelona, 2004) and doctor in Sacred Theology (Facultat de Teologia de Catalunya, 2007). From 2015-18 she took a leave of absence from her monastery (exclaustration) to become politically active in the Catalan movement for independence. Since 2017 she has been the director of the journal of Christian critical thought Iglesia Viva and hosts a weekly radio program on Catalan radio. She is also the principal of the Sinclètica Monastic School of theology.
Website
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Sister Teresa Forcades: Europe's most radical nun
Europe: a Nun’s Eye View (2017) - Greenbelt recorded talk
Teresa Forcades i Vila in conversation with Martin Wroe (2017) - Greenbelt recorded talk
Núria Calduch - First woman appointed Secretary of Vatican Biblical Commission
Jan Brueghel The Elder – The Crucifixion
On the Abolition of All Political Parties by Simone Weil
A Letter Concerning Toleration by John Locke
The Peril of Not Vaccinating the World
Ivermectin for Covid-19
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:49 - Katherine and Paul catch up
03:01 - Introducing Sister Teresa Forcades
05:50 - Sister Teresa joins the conversation
06:19 - Sister Teresa on her monastery
07:24 - Sister Teresa on young women wanting to become nuns
12:19 - Sister Teresa on feminism, misogyny and sexuality
22:00 - Sister Teresa on vaccines and public health
31:14 - Sister Teresa on being silenced
33:40 - Sister Teresa on politics and democracy
39:00 - Sister Teresa on church and politics
45:08 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Sister Teresa
1:00:40 - How to get in touch with us
1:01:25 - Thank you’s
1:02:10 - Hidden track
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Welcome back to Somewhere To Believe In! We’re calling this series ‘Keeping the faith’ because this time around we’re having no-holds-barred conversations with people who get stuck in BECAUSE of what they believe.
Arguably, no one has done more to keep the faith than our first guest; former superintendent in the Met police, man-on-a-mission to change a racist police system from within, subject of one of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe films and general truth-to-power-speaker, Leroy Logan.
We talk about Leroy’s incredible life. From some of his formative years being spent as a young boy in Jamaica seeing Black people in positions of power to his short career in science and his ultimate ‘calling’ to the police force – a decision which resulted in him joining the ranks of the officers who beat-up his father, and a decades-long mission to call out toxic police culture and replace it with love, respect, service and care.
Plus, a lot has happened since we last had a podcast chat, so Katherine and Paul get us up-to-date on all things Greenbelt Festival, Prospect Farm and – most importantly – which lockdown hobbies have stuck and which haven’t.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT LEROY LOGAN
Dr Leroy Logan MBE is a former superintendent in the Metropolitan police. He retired in 2013 after 30 years' service. He is also a former chair and founding member of the Black Police Association. Leroy is one of the UK’s most highly decorated and well known black police officers. A highly respected and well regarded commentator on policing in black communities, he believes that there is still much work to do in creating a more equitable and fair criminal justice system.
Website | Twitter | Book
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Leroy Logan’s book ‘Closing Ranks: My Life as a Cop’
Small Axe: Red, White and Blue
Black Police Association
Macpherson report: what was it and what impact did it have?
VOYAGE (Voice of the Youth and Genuine Empowerment) PROGRAMME
Damilola Taylor investigation and report
Stephen Lawrence Steering Group
Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities: The Report
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
Parm Sandhu speaking on Channel 4 News about racism in the MET
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:56 - Katherine and Paul catch up
04:25 - Katherine and Paul on cancelling Greenbelt Festival (again)
07:10 - Katherine and Paul on Prospect Farm
08:45 - Katherine and Paul on why we’re not doing a digital festival this year
09:44 - Introducing Leroy Logan
11:39 - Leroy joins the conversation
12:37 - Leroy on East London
13:16 - Leroy on moving to Jamaica
15:59 - Leroy on growing up
16:30 - Leroy on faith and policing
19:40 - Leroy on feeling called to join the police
22:30 - Leroy on hostile environments and standing up to make a difference
25:46 - Leroy on racist and toxic police culture
31:30 - Leroy on George Floyd and Derek Chauvin
37:48 - Leroy on reflecting, learning and improving
42:40 - Leroy on Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series
46:35 - Leroy on speaking for those who don’t have a voice
48:56 - Leroy on police and protest
53:03 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Leroy
59:52 - Katherine and Paul on protecting your right to protest
1:01:40 - Next week on the podcast
1:02:27 - How to get in touch with us
1:03:05 - Thank you’s
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In our final episode in this series, we talk to Palestinian spoken word artist, human rights activist and our new favourite politics teacher, Rafeef Ziadah.
We dig into poetry, art, trauma, displacement, equality and justice as Rafeef shares her experiences of being a third-generation Palestinian refugee, exiled from her home and now living in London. Rafeef reminds us that issues like climate change and the pandemic do not respect borders, which makes us reflect on the entire ‘nation-state’ system.
Above all, Rafeef tells us of the strength she gets from the Palestinian people whose resolve and resilience is undiminished despite great challenges, and who continue to tell their stories and create art in the face of occupation.
Plus, Katherine and Paul reflect on their first year of podcasting and Katherine’s new favourite hobby.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT RAFEEF
Rafeef is a Palestinian spoken word artist and human rights activist based in London, UK. Her performances of poems like ‘We Teach Life, Sir’ and ‘Shades of Anger’ went viral within days of release. Her live readings offer a moving blend of poetry and music. Since releasing her first album, Rafeef has headlined prestigious performance venues across several countries with powerful readings on war, exile, gender and racism. Her long awaited third album Three Generations is out December 2020. It can be pre-ordered here: https://www.pozible.com/profile/rafeef-ziadah
We Teach Life, her second album, was a powerful collection of spoken word with original music compositions, which she brings to the stage with Australian guitarist and producer Phil Monsour. Rafeef received the Ontario Arts Council Grant from the Word of Mouth programme to create her debut spoken-word album Hadeel. She regularly conducts spoken word workshops with the aim of empowering expression through writing and performance.
Website | Spotify | Itunes | Facebook | Twitter
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Three Generations
Bandcamp
Passport
Nakba 1948: Ethnic Cleansing of Cities, Towns and Villages
Palestinian Writers Festival
We Teach Life Sir
Palestine Music Expo
Edward Said National Conservatory of Music
Made in Palestine
If my words
The Walled Off Hotel - Banksy
Jesus Was Not in a Stable Relationship - Pádraig Ó Tuama in conversation with Paul Northup
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:19 - Katherine and Paul catch up
04:00 - Introducing Rafeef Ziadah and her work
10:30 - Rafeef joins the conversation
10:47 - Rafeef on lockdown ‘Three Generations’
15:50 - Rafeef on being a Palestinian refugee
17:35 - Rafeef on art and activism
19:02 - Rafeef on being stateless
21:02 - Rafeef on changing the world
22:50 - Rafeef on politics and social movements
26:45 - Rafeef on building a movement
29:00 - Rafeef on responses to her work
32:10 - Rafeef on writing and performing poetry
34:09 - Rafeef on being denied the right of return to Palestine
35:50 - Rafeef on the wall
38:06 - Rafeef on profit and power over people
39:25 - Rafeef on the US election and Trump
44:37 - Rafeef on the pandemic in Gaza
46:23 - Rafeef on Palestinian resolve and resistance
48:09 - Rafeef on the Christmas story
50:10 - Rafeef on hope
50:45 - Rafeef on burnout
52:28 - Rafeef on how to support her work
53:19 - Rafeef on Greenbelt Festival
53:52 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Rafeef
01:08:16 - How to get in touch with us
01:08:37 - Thank you’s
01:09:40 - Hidden track
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week we connect with Canadian singer-songwriter and theatre-maker Ben Caplan. Ben joins us from the car park of a Canadian fast-food giant called Tim Hortons, en route to play a socially distanced gig as part of the Small Halls Festival in Ottawa.
We get all the deets about life and lockdown in Canada. Ben has praise for his government’s response to the pandemic – in stark contrast to what we’ve heard from other artists both here in the UK and elsewhere. We talk about Ben’s identity as a Jewish man, his experiences of antisemitism, and how growing up with Jewish values like tikkun olam (literally “repair of the world”) inspires him to make art that leaves a smile on our faces and a question in our hearts.
Plus, after recovering from the shock of hearing someone talk so positively about their government, Katherine and Paul reflect on how heartfelt and eloquent Ben is, which gives us an idea about how we can fix this mess... #BenCaplanForPrimeMinister.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT BEN
Ben Caplan is a songwriter, performer and entertainer in the most time-honoured sense of the word. From the moment he walks onto the stage, you are filled with his infectious spirit, and captivating presence. You can feel Caplan's comfort and ease as he strides in front of the crowd and begins the controlled collective descent into chaos.
In his latest project, Ben Caplan explores themes of immigration, loss, darkness, love, sex, and God. Caplan is touring with a fresh batch of songs which were originally composed for a new musical play called Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story. The award winning play had its international debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it won top festival honours, and has been a smash hit. The play has toured internationally including a seven-week run Off Broadway where it picked up a New York Times Critic's Pick, and six Drama Desk Award nominations, among other accolades.
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
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FEATURED TRACKS
O Holy Night by Ben Caplan (12:01)
Fledgling by Ben Caplan (21:35)
Plough the Shit by Ben Caplan (28:40)
Truth Doesn’t Live in a Book by Ben Caplan (45:20)
The Happy People by Ben Caplan (50:57)
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Podcast theme - I Can Change by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
LINKS AND RESOURCES
The Festival of Small Halls
Old stock: A refugee Love Story
Pogroms
Tikkun Olam: Repairing the World
Investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party
Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu: Commando turned PM
The Talmud
Website
Webstore
Bowling for Columbine
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:20 - Katherine and Paul catch up
05:30 - Introducing Ben Caplan and his work
06:03 - Ben joins the conversation
07:51 - Ben on the pandemic in Canada
09:56 - Ben on slowing down
12:01 - ‘O Holy Night’ by Ben Caplan
12:50 - Ben on support for the arts in Canada
15:33 - Ben on creativity
16:29 - Ben on his inspirations
18:05 - Ben on refugees
21:35 - ‘Fledgling’ by Ben Caplan
22:40 - Ben on the power of art
25:40 - Ben on finding moments of joy
26:20 - Ben on telling stories of massacres
28:40 - ‘Plough the Shit’ by Ben Caplan
30:18 - Ben on Judaism
31:45 - Ben on anti-semitism
40:47 - Ben on literalist readings of religious texts
45:20 - ‘Truth Doesn’t Live in a Book’ by Ben Caplan
46:23 - Ben on commercial music
48:30 - Ben on performing
49:41 - Ben on brokenness
50:57 - ‘The Happy People’ by Ben Caplan
51:20 - Ben on Greenbelt Festival
54:20 - Ben on what he would retrain as
56:56 - Ben on how to support his work
59:08 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Ben
1:10:07 - Coming up next week
1:10:27 - How to get in touch with us
1:11:06 - Thank you’s
1:11:30 - Hidden track
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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On the podcast this week Katherine and Paul welcome Mimi and Lucy from “queer, feminist, punk-witch band” Dream Nails.
We discuss what it means to be punk – in the cliched sense but also in the Dream Nails sense, which includes: writing badass music, creating safe gig spaces where everyone can dance without fear, shouting ‘women and non-binary people to the front’ at the start of every show and placing hexes on the patriarchy; all done with an immense amount of joy.
Describing themselves as ‘four punk witches from London’, we take the opportunity to summon an old Greenbelt tale about the year “the white witch” came to the field and the subsequent fallout. (Spoiler alert: some people weren’t that happy about it.)
Plus, inspired by Dream Nails’ ‘Gig In a Box’ (complete with a handmade sticky floor tile so you can recreate that small-venue experience at home), Katherine and Paul wonder what a ‘Greenbelt In a Box’ might look like.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT DREAM NAILS
Dream Nails are a punk force to be reckoned with. Founded by feminist activists in 2015, their debut album garnered 4/5 stars from NME, DIY and Kerrang!
The female four-piece have built a reputation across the UK, Europe and Scandinavia for their ‘fierce talent and furious energy’ (Guardian). Dream Nails have taken their riotous live shows on tour with Cherry Glazerr, Bleached and Petrol Girls. In 2019 they headlined Glastonbury's Sisterhood stage for the third consecutive time.
Dream Nails are PRS foundation and PPL Momentum 2020 artists. Having won support from Steve Lamacq, Tom Robinson and Amy Lame (BBC6), Huw Stephens and Jack Saunders (Radio 1), John Kennedy (XFM), and glowing coverage in Billboard, DIY, Upset, Independent, Guardian, VICE, Dazed, NYLON, Clash, i-D, The Skinny and Frieze, Dream Nails’ energy and youthful power promise to set your soul on fire.
Bandcamp
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
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FEATURED TRACKS
Payback (25:55)
DIY by Dream Nails (30:22)
Vagina Police by Dream Nails (46:24)
Big Dyke Energy by Dream Nails (55:57)
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Podcast theme - I Can Change by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
LINKS AND RESOURCES
Dream Nails
Feministmas & Gig In a Box
COVID-19: Shops to open 24 hours a day to boost high street pandemic recovery
Poverty in the Pandemic: the Impact of Coronavirus on Low-income Families and Children
Good Night Out
Riot Grrrl movement
Sisters Uncut
Hex the Patriarchy patch
Abortion Support Network
Lonely Star (Christmas Song) by Dream Nails
2young4punks - Don Letts at Greenbelt Festival 2011
Greenbelt at 40 (featuring the year of the witch and the willies)
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TAKE ACTION
Donate to Abortion Support Network
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:20 - Katherine and Paul catch up
09:38 - Introducing Dream Nails and their work
10:48 - Dream Nails join the conversation
11:50 - Dream Nails on releasing their debut album during lockdown
13:54 - Dream Nails on not being able to play live
15:52 - Dream Nails on community
17:36 - Dream Nails on ‘women and non-binary people to the front’
24:07 - Dream Nails on activism and resilience
25:28 - ‘Payback’ by Dream Nails
26:26 - Dream Nails on their music
29:50 - Dream Nails on affirmations
30:22 - ‘DIY’ by Dream Nails
30:55 - Dream Nails on pushback
33:35 - Dream Nails on punk
36:29 - Dream Nails on self-care
39:32 - Dream Nails on witches
45:51 - Dream Nails on Greenbelt Festival
46:24 - ‘Vagina Police’ by Dream Nails
49:08 - Dream Nails on Abortion Support Network
52:47 - Dream Nails on Trump
55:57 - ‘Big Dyke Energy’ by Dream Nails
56:40 - Dream Nails on what’s coming up
59:13 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Dream Nails
01:15:45 - Coming up next week
01:16:30 - How to get in touch with us
01:17:18 - Thank you’s
01:17:58 - Hidden track
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week we’re talking to “jack of all trades, master of ceremonies” Testament: hip-hop MC, writer, theatre-maker and world-record-breaking human beatboxer.
Listen in as Testament discusses his cultural upbringing, including his love of De La Soul as well as the Pet Shop Boys, along with his theory why Glee is not only prophetic, but “the real hip-hop”.
Testament gets real with Paul and Katherine about his own faith, feminism and social justice work. Including his attempts as a rebellious teenager to ‘out-Christian’ his parents, and his acceptance nowadays of his own vulnerability and ‘brokenness’ as a way to help others reflect on their own lives.
He also belatedly apologises for accidentally stabbing his older brother in his hand with a compass when they were growing up, but that’s another story…
Meanwhile, Katherine and Paul get excited about Dolly Parton’s covid vaccine and have a go at guessing what’s inside Dominic Cummings’ cardboard box.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT TESTAMENT
Testament is a Hip-Hop MC, writer, theatre maker and world record breaking human beatboxer. Born in North London and growing up in Manchester, moving on to study in West Yorkshire where he currently resides. As a lyricist his critically acclaimed work combines strands of rap, song and spoken word. Testament’s work includes the celebrated Hip-Hop album Homecut: No Freedom Without Sacrifice, as well as several spoken word performances for BBC TV and BBC Radio (1xtra, Radio 4 and 6Music). More recently, 2019 he was Channel 4 Writer in Residence at Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester.
Website
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Testament’s website
Dominic Cummings and his cardboard box
Dolly Parton Vaccine
Orpheus in the Record Shop
Peace Jam
The Romantics and Us with Simon Schama
Testament And William Blake
Woke
Testament’s interview with Leroy Logan
Leroy Logan and Testament in conversation - Podcast
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:20 - Katherine and Paul catch up
08:39 - Introducing Testament and his work
09:22 - Testament joins the conversation
09:50 - Testament on lockdown
11:34 - Testament on Orpheus in the record shop
14:55 - Testament on creativity
23:28 - Testament on Peace Jam
27:45 - Testament on Desmond Tutu
28:50 - Testament on faith, dogma and trying ‘out-Christian’ everyone
32:16 - Testament on Greenbelt Festival
34:10 - Testament on ego and social justice
37:06 - Testament on classic and contemporary art
40:33 - Testament on ‘Woke’ and feminism
47:42 - Testament on racial justice
52:10 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Testament
01:06:00 - Coming up next week
01:07:54 - How to get in touch with us
01:08:08 - Thank you’s
01:08:36 - Hidden track
____
A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week’s podcast episode is a very important one, so let’s get straight to it. Katherine and Paul speak to writer, human rights campaigner, political refugee, theatre-maker and ‘public enemy’ to Alexander Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus, Natalia Kaliada.
Natalia is a founding Co-Artistic Director of Belarus Free Theatre, a collective of artists who use the power of theatre to fight for democracy in Belarus and oppose what’s known as ‘the last dictatorship in Europe’.
We hear about Natalia’s own experiences living a not-so-censored life under an oppressive regime. Including her exile to London and how she continues to fight the same fight her ancestors did (her grandfather survived German concentration camps and Soviet gulags before ever Alexander Lukashenko came to dictatorial rule in his beloved Belarus). Resistance is seemingly in her DNA.
Natalia shares the stories of the Belarus protesters, 15,000 of whom have been imprisoned, raped or killed by the Belarus government this year. We hear how theatre has helped some of them through their imprisonment and how Belarus Free Theatre continues to use art as a tool to take down the dictatorship.
Katherine and Paul reflect on the importance of this conversation and how now, more than ever, we need to stand with the people of Belarus; not just to demand democracy for them, but to actively protect democracy around the world for everyone.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT NATALIA
Natalia Kaliada is a founding Co-Artistic Director of Belarus Free Theatre as well as a writer, human rights campaigner and producer and is one of the most outspoken critics of Belarus’s repressive regime.
Belarus Free Theatre was founded in 2005 in Europe's last surviving dictatorship, by Natalia Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin. BFT’s performances take place in selected secret venues around Minsk with audiences alerted to their existence by text message or e-mail. Although forced to operate under cover within Belarus, the Theatre has travelled widely and has gained a growing international reputation. They continue to create exceptional theatre under near impossible conditions underground in Belarus. The company has found a home as associate artists of the Young Vic, London.
Natalia Kaliada has been detained, arrested without access to counsel and threatened with rape for her participation in peaceful rallies that were called “subversive” activities and “unstable elements” by the Belarusian authorities. After the tragic events in Belarus in 2010, she and her husband were smuggled out of Belarus and now live in exile in London.
Website: https://www.belarusfreetheatre.com/
Instagram: @belarusfreetheatre
Facebook: @belarusfreetheatre
Twitter: @BFreeTheatre
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TAKE ACTION
Support Belarus Free Theatre http://www.belarusfreetheatre.com/
I’m with the Banned http://www.belarusfreetheatre.com/en/bft/imwiththebanned/#Banned
Ask your local MP to add “major scumbags” who support Lukashenko’s regime to a sanctions list so their assets will be frozen.
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Belarus Free Theatre https://www.belarusfreetheatre.com/
Ministry Of Counterculture https://moc.media/
Who is long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko? https://www.euronews.com/2020/08/07/belarus-presidential-election-who-is-long-time-leader-alexander-lukashenko
Who is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/world/europe/belarus-opposition-svetlana-tikhanovskaya.html
Alexander Lukashenko on Coronavirus https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/coronavirus-belarus-alexander-lukashenko-vodka-sauna-countryside-tractors-a9434426.html
Natalia on Bruatility https://euobserver.com/opinion/149384
Brutality in Belarus https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53776461
Belarus bans two opposition candidates https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/14/belarus-bans-two-opposition-candidates-from-running-in-elections
Balaklava Blues http://www.balaklavablues.com/
Balaklava Blues at Greenbelt https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/artists/balaklava-blues-presented-by-belarus-free-theatre/
Generation Jeans https://theconversation.com/denim-and-revolution-belarus-free-theatres-generation-jeans-resonates-101442
Being Harold Pinter https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03bcpyk
Red Forest http://totaltheatre.org.uk/belarus-free-theatre-red-forest/
Discover Love https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p038x587
Trash Cuisine https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p038x5sq
Burning Doors https://www.vulture.com/2017/10/theater-review-burning-doors-is-a-fiery-anti-putin-scream.html
Dogs of Europe https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2020/event/belarus-free-theatre-dogs-of-europe
Belarus: thousands protest against death of teacher in police custody https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/15/belarus-thousands-protest-against-death-of-teacher-in-police-custody
Is Protest Art Just Propaganda? Or is All Art a Form of Protest? https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/talks/is-protest-art-just-propaganda-or-is-all-art-a-form-of-protest/
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
01:00 - Introducing Natalia and the work do Belarus Free Theatre
05:36 - Natalia joins the conversation
06:44 - Natalia on Belarus Free Theatre
11:20 - Natalia on generations of resistance
16:12 - Natalia on a lifetime of fighting for democracy
21:50 - Natalia on western democracy and dictatorship
29:24 - Natalia on 2020 in Belarus
41:11 - Natalia on theatre as protest
49:07 - How to support Belarus Free Theatre
51:36 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Natalia
1:05:40 - Coming up next week
1:06:09 - How to get in touch with us
1:06:56 - Thank you’s
1:07:29 - Hidden track
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In the third episode of our second podcast series, Katherine and Paul welcome Bristol-based poet, theatre-maker and powerful storyteller, Muneera Pilgrim.
We hear about Muneera’s experiences growing up as a black woman in Bristol – and what it means for her to finally see the statue of you-know-who toppled. We also talk about Muneera’s unexpected faith journey: from repeatedly falling in and out of love with her Caribbean Christian roots, to eventually finding her home in Islam.
Above all else, Muneera’s infectious belief in the ability for art and storytelling to transform our lives gives us a much-needed shot of hope.
Meanwhile, Katherine and Paul can’t help but laugh over the absurdity that is ‘Four Seasons Total Landscaping’, and we find out what Shakespeare, crosswords and scripture have in common.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT MUNEERA
Muneera Pilgrim is a poet, cultural producer, writer and broadcaster, as well as co-founder of the Muslim female spoken word and hip-hop duos Poetic Pilgrimage and Nana Collective. Muneera conducts expressive-based, purpose-driven workshops, shares art, guest lectures, hosts and finds alternative ways to educate and exchange ideas. She regularly contributes to Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2, and she is currently an Associate Artist with The English Touring Theatre where she contributed to The Othello Project, and is writing a project that will be revealed in 2020.
Instagram: @muneera_pilgrim
Twitter: @MuniPilgrim
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Edward Colston statue toppled in Bristol https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/14/the-day-bristol-dumped-its-hated-slave-trader-in-the-docks-and-a-nation-began-to-search-its-soul
Unicorns Have Nothing On Us by Muneera Pilgrim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpJjWGcCUqU
Marlon Thomas https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/marlon-thomas-family-bristols-stephen-2735642
Amal http://amal.org.uk/
Othello Creative Response https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/talks/othello-creative-response/
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:20 - Katherine and Paul catch up
09:35 - Introducing Muneera Pilgrim and her work
10:24 - Muneera joins the conversation
10:35 - Muneera on Bristol
15:00 - Muneera on lockdown and inequality
18:13 - Muneera on storytelling
20:40 - Muneera on her influences
24:10 - Muneera on creativity
25:35 - Muneera on Marlon Thomas
29:18 - Muneera on faith and race
34:33 - Muneera on Islam
38:05 - Muneera on spirituality
40:40 - Muneera on Greenbelt
44:26 - Muneera on Othello
47:18 - Muneera on art
51:58 - Muneera on hope and motivation
55:00 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Muneera
01:05:39 - Coming up next week
01:06:18 - How to get in touch with us
01:06:55 - Thank you’s
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week on the podcast we’re beyond excited to welcome the hilarious comedian and all-round lovely person, Josie Long.
We hear about Josie’s unique journey into comedy, beginning aged just 14. And how she’s determined to extend the olive branch of opportunity to the next generation of young creatives. Needless to say, we talk about the current government's support (or lack thereof) for the creative industries and why she’s decided she’s had enough and is moving to Scotland.
Plus, Paul and Josie have a fan-girl moment over our unofficial resident Geographer, Danny Dorling. While Katherine gives you her two cents about how to be a successful dictator.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT JOSIE
Often described as a unique voice in comedy, Josie is one of the most respected comedians of her generation. She started stand-up at age 14 and went on to win the BBC New Comedy Award. She has continued to perform stand-up around the world and her eighth solo stand-up show, Something Better, had a sell-out two weeks at the Soho Theatre in London, followed by a two-week run at the Barrow Street Theatre New York. Josie has been nominated for the coveted Best Show award at the Edinburgh Fringe three times. Her latest show, Tender, is touring the U.K. in 2020. On TV and radio, Josie has appeared on The News Quiz, Just A Minute, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Skins, 8 out of 10 Cats, and Drunk History. Josie has also worked extensively in factual areas including The Culture Show on BBC2 and as the presenter and writer of Radio 4’s Short Cuts. Josie wrote and starred in the film Super November, directed by Douglas King. The film was nominated for The Discovery Award in the 2018 BIFAs.
Website: https://www.josielong.com/
Instagram: @josielong
Facebook: @josie.i.long
Twitter: @josielong
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Arts Emergency https://www.arts-emergency.org/
Book Shambles with Robin Ince and Josie long https://www.josielong.com/podcast/book-shambles/
Josie & Jonny Are Having a Baby (With You!) https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stitcher/josie-jonny-are-having-a-baby-with-you
Jonny & The Baptists https://www.jonnyandthebaptists.co.uk/
Josie at Greenbelt https://youtu.be/pJjzuJQwf_M
Tender https://www.josielong.com/josies-shows/tender/
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:22 - Katherine and Paul catch up
06:41 - Introducing Josie Long and her work
08:23 - Josie joins the conversation
08:23 - Josie on lockdown
11:34 - Josie on performing online
14:49 - Josie on productivity
15:46 - Josie on government arts funding
18:03 - Josie on how she got into comedy
20:10 - Josie on her inspirations
21:36 - Josie on learning from others
24:28 - Josie on Arts Emergency
26:57 - Josie on the value of art
29:12 - Josie on anger and despair
34:56 - Josie on politics
36:43 - Josie on small venues vs stadiums
40:45 - Josie on offence
45:44 - Josie on religion
46:25 - Josie on Greenbelt Festival
50:03 - Josie on hopefulness
52:11 - How to support Josie
55:43 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Josie
01:03:42 - How to get in touch with us
01:04:23 - Thank you’s
____
A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
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https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Welcome to the second series of Somewhere To Believe In! We’re back by popular demand(ish). This time around we’re coming together to celebrate and hear from artists we love – and we hope you’ll love them too.
Who better to kick things off than Lee Bains of Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, a self-proclaimed ‘deep-south wide-open far-left liberation gospel’ Rock-N-Roll band from Alabama, USA. Lee and his band are on a mission to fight against white supremacy, xenophobia and systems of power, all while bringing their southern hospitality and charm to the table.
With the US elections looming, we hear what it’s like being Christian living under a government that so regularly weaponises the Bible to justify inhuman behavior. Lee gives us a much-needed reminder about the power of the people, making us wonder if the election results matter as much as we think they do. We also get introspective and hear how slowing down has made Lee tackle some big questions about who he really is and what he’s trying to do with his music.
Meanwhile, Katherine and Paul talk about our plans for the 2021 festival and - and we can’t stress the importance of this enough - how happy Katherine’s mum will be that we’re back with a second series of the podcast.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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SUPPORT LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES
Website: http://www.thegloryfires.com/
Merch: https://store.thegloryfires.com/
Bandcamp: https://leebainsiii.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: @gloryfires
Facebook: @thegloryfires
Twitter: @TheGloryFires
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Angela Davis https://time.com/5793638/angela-davis-100-women-of-the-year/
Arundhati Roy https://www.facebook.com/ArundhatiRoyAuthor
Linn Park statue https://bhamnow.com/2020/06/02/a-history-of-the-confederate-monument-in-birminghams-linn-park/
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires http://www.thegloryfires.com/
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:42 - Coming up in this series
02:32 - Katherine and Paul catch up
05:26 - Katherine and Paul on Greenbelt Festival 2021
06:17 - Introducing Lee Bains and his work
08:34 - Lee joins the conversation
09:06 - Lee on Greenbelt Festival
12:56 - Lee on this year and Covid-19
15:42 - Lee on government support in America
20:37 - Lee on independent music venues
24:38 - Lee on not being able to tour
27:47 - Lee on activism and burn out
33:13 - Lee on people, systems and policing
36:10 - Lee on church and power
38:09 - Lee on the power of music
42:49 - Lee on success
51:00 - Lee on the US election
52:15 - Lee on anti-racist rallies and activism in Atlanta
56:00 - Lee on how to support Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
57:13 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Lee
01:02:58 - Katherine and Paul on the future of music venues
01:06:20 - Katherine and Paul on church and power
01:08:50 - How to get in touch with us
01:09:42 - Thank you’s
01:10:24 - Hidden track ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
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A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
____
https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Greenbelt Festival is proud to be taking part in Everybody Now.
We’ve caused a turning point in the Earth’s natural history. Everybody Now is a podcast about what it means to be human on the threshold of a global climate emergency, in a time of systemic injustice and runaway pandemics. Scientists, activists, farmers, poets, and theologians talk bravely and frankly about how our biosphere is changing, about grief and hope in an age of social collapse and mass extinction, and about taking action against all the odds.
On 19th October 2020, Everybody Now is being released by podcasters all over the world as a collective call for awareness, grief and loving action.
With contributions from:
Dr. Gail Bradbrook - scientist and co-founder of Extinction Rebellion
Prof. Kevin Anderson - Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the University of Manchester
Dámaris Albuquerque - works with agricultural communities in Nicaragua
Dr. Rowan Williams - theologian and poet, and a former Archbishop of Canterbury
Pádraig Ó Tuama - poet, theologian and conflict mediator
Rachel Mander - environmental activist with Hope for the Future
John Swales - priest and activist, and part of a community for marginalised people
Zena Kazeme - Persian-Iraqi poet who draws on her experiences as a former refugee to create poetry that explores themes of exile, home, war and heritage
Flo Brady - singer and theatre maker
Hannah Malcolm - Anglican ordinand, climate writer and organiser
Alastair McIntosh - writer, academic and land rights activist
David Benjamin Blower - musician, poet and podcaster
Funding and Production:
This podcast was crowdfunded by a handful of good souls, and produced by Tim Nash and David Benjamin Blower
Permissions:
The song Happily by Flo Brady is used with permission.
The song The Soil, from We Really Existed and We Really Did This by David Benjamin Blower, used with permission.
The Poem The Tree of Knowledge by Pádraig Ó Tuama used with permission.
The Poem Atlas by Zena Kazeme used with permission.
The Poem What is Man? by Rowan Williams from the book The Other Mountain, used with permission from Carcanet Press.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In our final episode of season one, Katherine and Paul are joined by human rights lawyer, founder of Reprieve and all-round international justice powerhouse, Clive Stafford Smith.
Clive candidly discusses his work representing prisoners facing the death penalty, those held in secret prisons (including Guantanamo Bay), and the victims of assassination by drones. He also shares his less-than-glowing views on the criminal justice system, our treatment of criminals and forensic science.
He even uses his incredible mind-melding abilities to interrogate Katherine and Paul (not like that) and poses a series of head-scratchers. Would you send someone you love to prison? What’s the worst thing Paul’s ever done? Is Katherine a marxist? All this and much more...
It’s an important conversation to hear, but be aware it occasionally features some strong language and there are descriptions of torture. Possibly not one for the kids.
Links, resources and episode timestamps (for all you skippers out there) below.
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ABOUT CLIVE STAFFORD SMITH
CLIVE STAFFORD SMITH JD OBE is the founder of Reprieve, a London based human rights charity that focuses on the direct representation of prisoners facing the death penalty around the world, those held in secret prisons, and the victims of assassination by drones. Born in Cambridge, he is a dual UK-US national. He was educated at Radley College, where he studied science and mathematics. His law degree comes from Columbia Law School in New York. He worked for nine years at the Southern Center for Human Rights, a charity in Atlanta; in 1993, he founded the Louisiana Crisis Assistance Center, a non-profit law office in New Orleans specializing in the defence of capital cases at the trial level; he founded Reprieve in 1999. In early 2002 he was one of three lawyers who filed the initial litigation in Rasul v. Bush, to force the Bush administration to respect the rights of Muslim prisoners in Guantánamo Bay and other secret prisons. In 2000, he was awarded the OBE by Queen Elizabeth II for “services to humanity”. He has been involved in more than 300 death penalty cases in the US and around the world, and has helped secure the release of 80 detainees in Guantánamo Bay, where he continues to represent a further 7 detainees. He lives in Dorset.
Twitter: CliveSSmith
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LINKS AND RESOURCES
Reprieve https://reprieve.org.uk/
Kris Maharaj https://reprieve.org.uk/update/kris-maharaj-turns-80/
Ahmed Raabbani https://reprieve.org/cases/ahmed-rabbani/
‘The World of Reprieve’ by Clive Stafford Smith https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/talks/the-word-of-reprieve/
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TAKE ACTION
https://reprieve.org.uk/take-action/
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00:00 - Welcome to Somewhere To Believe In
00:30 - Katherine and Paul catch up
03:00 - Feedback from listeners
04:40 - Introducing Clive Stafford Smith and his work
05:49 - Clive joins the conversation
06:00 - Clive on covid and human rights
09:50 - Clive on how he got into law
11:00 - Clive on the British legal system
14:14 - Clive on innocence and fair trials
15:50 - Clive on forensic science
16:50 - Clive on prison
19:00 - Clive on the criminal justice system
24:10 - Clive on rehabilitation
25:30 - Clive on secret executions
26:20 - Clive on doing better
28:20 - Talk Snippet from GB2017 ‘The World of Reprieve’
37:30 - Clive on Guantanamo Bay
42:20 - Clive on hunger strikes
44:30 - Clive on what we can do to help
47:00 - Clive on violence and pacifism
50:40 - Clive on faith
54:00 - Clive on passion
58:36 - Katherine and Paul reflect on the conversation with Clive
01:07:00 - How to get in touch with us
01:08:10 - Thank you’s
____
A huge thanks to the Greenbelt Volunteer Talks Team for all their hard work on editing this episode. Our podcast music is ‘I Can Change’ by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
____
https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
#SomewhereToBelieveIn
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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