Episoder

  • 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.

    _


    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

    _


    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.

  • 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

    ____


    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


    ____


    FEATURED TRACKS


    ‘Lenten Psalm Tone’ by Soul Sanctuary

    ‘Heaven Shall Not Wait’ by WGRG, Iona Community

    ‘People Get Ready’ by Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir

    ____


    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


    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

    ____


    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

    ____


    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

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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 


    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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


    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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.

    ____


    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


    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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)

    ___


    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


    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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.

    ____


    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

    ___


    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

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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.

    ____


    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

    ___


    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


    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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.

    ____


    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

    ____


    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

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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.

    ____


    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


    ____


    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)

    -

    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 

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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.

    ____


    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

    ____


    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)

    -

    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)


    ____


    TAKE ACTION


    Donate to Abortion Support Network

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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.

    ____


    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

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

    ____


    https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/

    #SomewhereToBelieveIn


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • 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.

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

    ____


    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/ 

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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.

    ____


    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 

    ____


    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/ 

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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.

    ____


    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

    ____


    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/ 


    ____


    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.

    ____


    https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/

    #SomewhereToBelieveIn


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • 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.

    ____


    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

    ____


    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/ 

    ____


    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

    ____


    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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

    ____


    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

    ____


    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/ 


    ____


    TAKE ACTION

    https://reprieve.org.uk/take-action/

    ____


    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.