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Can games be art? We're back from a long hiatus with our first Hack Circus podcast interview about videogames! Introducing Jonas Antonsson, founder of Sweden-based games publisher Raw Fury. Raw Fury turns out games that make you feel, and Jonas believes the quest for emotion is just as important as the quest for knowledge. Find out what makes him and his company tick in this long, wide-ranging chat. 

Remember Hack Circus is on Twitter @hackcircus – and check out the website for all the episodes: hackcircuspodcast.com

Direct download: JonasRF.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:54pm EST

What does it mean for creative people to be motivated? Is there a secret to getting more motivation, or is the drive too mysterious to neatly unravel? What are the three reasons people aren't motivated, and what happens to highly driven people when they run out of motivation altogether?

In this very personal episode, I talk to digital artist Seb Lee DeLisle, play impresario Emma Bearman, business director Sarah Allard and performance coach Maria Jacobsen Holmes.

Empathy, creativity and motivation come together in this, the last in the trio of special documentary-style episodes investigating the forces that power the creative mind. 

Direct download: hcmasterclassmotivation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:11am EST

What is creativity? How does it relate to things like problem-solving, risk-taking, impulsiveness and excitement?

I talk to some highly creative individuals in this special episode, part of a series of three 'Mastering' documentaries.

This little documentary, part of the Mastering Creativity strand of the HC Masterclass series (hcmasterclass.com), introduces three successful, creative individuals taking very different paths in life, and tackles these questions – and more.

Direct download: masteringcreativity.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:16am EST

Is empathy important in business? Is it possible to have too much empathy to be successful? What's the connection between empathy and power? 

This little documentary, part of the Mastering Empathy strand of the HC Masterclass series, introduces three successful, creative individuals taking very different paths in life, and tackles these questions – and more.

Direct download: hcmasterclassempathy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Alex McLean is a well-known artist, musician, researcher, and coder based in Sheffield. He is the creator of Tidal Cycles, free software for writing music, and is one of founders of live coding and the algorave phenomenon.

Alex actively builds communities in the areas that interest him, and in this episode we talk about some of the events, festivals and groups he's been instrumental in developing, including Algomech and Dorkbot London.

He's also an academic researcher on the Penelope Project, and we discuss his particular interest in the seldom-acknowledged connection between weaving and modern technology. Alex explains the loom punch cards aren't the interesting bit – it's the interference patterns we should be focussing on.

This episode includes a live-coding demo. If you want to download TidalCycles and try it yourself, the code Alex was working with is: d1 $ jux rev $ chunk 4 (hurry 2) $ n "0 .. 7" # sound "cpu1" d2 $ jux rev $ off 0.25 (|+ n 12) $ n (off 0.125 (+ 7) $ "<c7(3,8) e7*2 [f8(3,8) g8*2] e8*2>") # sound "rash"

 

Alex's website

Algorave

The Penelope Project

iTunes link

HC on Spotify

HC on PlayerFM

Direct download: alexmclean.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

The world has changed since I last talked about motivation. More than ever, we're addicted to devices, addicted to YouTube, addicted to interrupting and derailing our thoughts – addicted scuppering our plans in favour of a quick hit!

For those in a motivational rut, here I lay out four simple ways to get you back on track.

1) Pretend you've got a boss

2) Childlike rewards, tiny changes

3) Set the scene for the activity

4) Focus on the now, not the future

 

Direct download: CreativityClinicMotivation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:36am EST

I used to think that branding was about coming up with the story we'd like to tell, but now I think it's more about uncovering the story that's already there. In this special extra-long Creativity Clinic, I talk about a practical technique that has helped me to work on the Hack Circus podcast brand in the run-up to the next series of this show, and give some hints of what's in store. 

Direct download: CreativityClinicBranding.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Nathan Geering is a dancer, teacher and innovator known for his work with visually impaired people. He has created dance that's accessible for visually impaired people to both watch and participate in, and has begun to develop a beatbox shorthand system as an alternative form of audio description for movement. Nathan was the Artistic Director for the Special Olympics in 2017, and has a great TEDx talk online which I recommend watching as a follow-up to this podcast.

In this chat, we discuss how Nathan's kung-fu background helped him get up to speed when he started out dancing for the first time in his twenties. We also talk about his projects and achievements, the importance of presentness, how to create your own success, how technology contributes to depression and anxiety, and how an awareness of the body has helped him to overcome fears through developing a physical curiosity about them.

Nathan's website

Nathan's TEDx talk

iTunes link

HC on Spotify

HC on PlayerFM

Direct download: nathangeering.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

The world is a rough place at the moment. One easy way we can improve it for ourselves and those around us is by upping the quality of our interactions with people. If we really listen, if we really read emails, if we really look for the meaning in the messages we receive from the people who communicate with us, we will set ourselves apart from most others. The trend is towards not reading long messages, not clicking links, missing details, not bothering to reply, and imagining we'll just fill in the blanks later if we need to. It creates a global paucity of interactions, with everyone imagining they've got the measure of the next person, and don't need to bother listening anymore. Give quality time and you'll get quality time back.

Direct download: CreativityClinicPayAttention.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

It's the summer... no one's replying to email, everyone's busier – or more on-holiday – than I am. In this episode, I talk about my current situation, which right now is all about waiting. 

If you've had some success in the past, it's not because you kept gambling on high stakes gigs, it's because you kept producing quality stuff. If you find yourself waiting back on a load of promises, I recommend putting the things you can't work on yet out of your mind, and using the time to develop yourself positively. It's the tiny changes you make to yourself and your life that will have huge effects down the line.

Direct download: CreativityClinicGamblingYourLife.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:36pm EST

Maggie Nolan is a consultant and trainer, bringing techniques from improvisation practice into businesses. She launched her agency Start With A Yes over a year ago, combining years of experience of teaching and performing and applying them in a fresh context – to business.

In this chat we discuss the improv scene in the UK, how long-form improv works, and the range of reactions to 'applied improv' – particularly when it turns up unexpectedly in your office.

We also chat about the differences between teaching children and adults to "yes, and", some of the many problems improv can solve in corporate workspaces, the triumphs and struggles of women in the comedy world, and more. 

Start With A Yes (Facebook)

Start With A Yes (Instagram)

Applied Improvisation (Wikipedia)

iTunes link

HC on Spotify

HC on PlayerFM

Direct download: maggienolan.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

This week I take on a listener's question about prioritising ideas: how do we decide what's most important? Is it better to do dig into one big thing or skim lots of little ones? In this short episode, I suggest it might be all about values, explain why I'm not really an artist, and consider how long-term working can be complimented by 'slight' ephemeral work. I also draw on the wisdom of previous HC podcast guest, Nadia Kamil.

Get in touch if you have any questions around creativity, process, inspiration etc, and I'll give them a go in these weekly monologues.

hackcircuspodcast.com

Direct download: CreativityClinicPrioritisingIdeas.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Sara Green is a dancer, choreographer, movement director and film-maker. She's collaborated with artists and other performers across theatre, film, fashion and dance. Her recent work includes Richard Ayoade’s vignette for Radiohead, short film The Entertainer starring Toby Jones, and Anita & Me, a world premiere for the Birmingham Rep.

In this chat, Sara talks about the differences between working with dancers and non-dancers, and explains how she communicates movement to actors who don't have a dance background. We also ponder ways of embodying science through movement, discuss Sara's history and unique physicality, and talk in particular about the Manchester International Festival commission she's created, Superposition.

This is a bit of a Manchester International Festival special. Sara's commission is a response to an MiF installation by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Atmospheric Memory.

 

Sara's website

Superposition video

Libsyn link

iTunes link

HC on Spotify

HC on PlayerFM

Direct download: SaraGreen.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

This week's question was about how artists deal with time: do we let the available time decide how 'big' a project is; is that a valid constraint? How do we understand the value we place on time, outside of the monetary value our society attaches to it? And what about our lifespan, health-span and energy-span? How do these incredibly persuasive influences affect things?

I have a go at tackling some of these issues in this short episode. Look out for the interview episode as usual on Thursday, and do send in any questions or ideas for Creativity Clinic episodes: editor@hackcircus.com

Hackcircuspodcast.com 

 

Direct download: CreativityClinicArtandTime.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Ben Moor is a seasoned and innovative storyteller with multiple Edinburgh shows under his belt – mostly one-man shows. Ben's work is sensitive and often surreal, as he challenges the audience to follow him on journeys through worlds peppered with delightful ideas.

We chat about Ben's shows, the benefits of doing Edinburgh runs, how the Fringe has changed between generations, where ideas really come from, how to learn lines, and more. We also leaf through his enormous file of ideas.

Ben's website

Ben's showreel

Libsyn link

iTunes link

PlayerFM

Direct download: BenMoor.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Making and wellbeing are linked. While it's known that making things improves your mood, I argue here (entirely unscientifically) that you can't make yourself make stuff until you feel like you have some energy to spend. So: getting creative can improve an already OK mood, but it's hard to get off that first block, especially if you've been battling mental or emotional problems that drain all your energy and make any kind of extra activity seem absolutely out of the question. The good news is that, I think, creativity expresses itself in everything we do. If we can make the decision to get up, to talk to someone, even just to push ourselves to think slightly differently, we're building new pathways in our brain and exercising the possibility of hope.

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_15_Wellbeing_and_Making.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Sophie Rochester is a creative entrepreneur of significant standing, appearing on numerous lists of top business people in her industry. She is known for always being one step ahead of industry trends, and taking her ideas in bold and ambitious directions. 

Sophie has a background in publishing, and founded The Literary Platform: a consultancy and online magazine that bridged digital and storytelling, and investigated the lessons of this union.

An advocate of both making and learning, Sophie's latest venture is Yodomo.co, a start-up committed to delivering the joy of making through online video.

 

https://yodomo.co/

Sophie's LinkedIn

The Literary Platform

Direct download: SophieRochester.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Katie Day is the Director of Birmingham-based theatre company, The Other Way Works. She creates exciting and innovative experiences for small, highly-engaged audiences, and often deploys technology in interesting ways. Her work often uses the real world as the set, with productions set in hotel rooms, car parks and even the audience member's home. Katie's latest production, A Moment of Madness, will be showing at Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) from the 2-4 August.

Amongst other things, we discuss her lifelong love of making experiences for others, the role of imagination, the therapeutic effects of theatre, how games fit in, and why it makes sense to overlap performance with reality.

Direct download: KatieDay.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 7:58pm EST

What kinds of books give us ideas? Do we even get much emotional inspiration from books at all?

This first Creativity Clinic of the new series is a personal reflection on some of the things I've read that I've have influenced my work, and which, sometimes many years after reading, I still draw strength and inspiration from today.

Please send in your questions or ideas for Creativity Clinics to @hackcircus on social media or editor@hackcircus.com – remember they don't need to be direct questions about my own habits (though those are welcome); I'll happily look into any area you're interested in hearing about.

Interview episode coming as usual this Thursday. 

 

Direct download: CreativityClinicBooksandInfluences.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am EST

Adam Tandy is a TV producer, director, writer and much more, working on some of the best shows and with some of the top stars of our era. We discuss some of the joys and challenges of making the hugely successful Reece Sheersmith/Steve Pemberton series Inside Number 9, as well as The Detectorists and the League of Gentlemen anniversary episodes. We also ponder what the tone of comedy is, in the late 2000s, and the impact of social media on storytelling.

Libsyn feed (browser)

iTunes link

PlayerFM

Spotify coming soon!

Direct download: AdamTandy.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Luke Jennings is the creator of the hit TV series Killing Eve, about the mutual obsession between an MI6 agent and a female assassin. He was also, until recently, the dance critic for The Observer newspaper, and worked as a professional dancer in his youth. 

We discuss the process of writing Killing Eve, sexism and bias in the dance world, and how seeing women empowered through dance has inspired his writing.

Luke on Twitter

Luke's Wikipedia page

Watch Killing Eve on iPlayer

Libsyn feed (browser)

iTunes link

PlayerFM

Spotify coming soon!

Direct download: LukeJennings.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Hazel Findlay is a top professional climber, constantly touring the world in search of new adventures and breaking records. In recent years she has been working as a coach, helping climbers of all abilities to overcome their fears and progress to the next level. 

Some of the subjects covered in this chat include idea of mastery (as opposed to competitiveness), the mental health benefits of climbing, coaching as a kind of giving back, how climbing is similar to public speaking, and how training an awareness of the body helps to increases one's awareness in general. 

This episode was recorded at an arts organisation called Access Space in Sheffield. Access Space supports those developing skills and interests in creative technology and is well worth checking out.

Hazel's blog

Hazel's Wikipedia page

Watch her climb

 

Libsyn feed (browser)

iTunes link

PlayerFM

Spotify coming soon!

 

Direct download: HazelFindlay.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EST

The Hack Circus podcast is back with a bang after an enormous break of two years!

The star guest this episode is Tom Tobia – a creative entrepreneur based in Sheffield. We cover the origins of an organisation he helped to found, Makerversity, his principled drive, and the way he approaches consulting with the range of businesses he works with. We also exchange some thoughts about creativity – how it arises from constraints, its relationship to failure, and why people should embrace a more open-ended approach to planning.

Tom's website: http://www.tomtobia.com

Tom's new project: https://www.anewfield.org/

Direct download: TomTobia.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 12:28pm EST

If you want to get stuff made regularly, get your duty on and work out who you're doing it for.

In this episode, Leila addresses the common misconception that creative work always has to follow on from an urge, or desire. She explains why you can never put your hopes in motivation – it won't stick around. Get a routine, and do it for someone else, and you'll stand a chance of getting to done.

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

And remember to check out Hackcircuspodcast.com

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_13__How_to_make_things_frequently.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

How do you get inspired in the least inspiring circumstances? I answer a listener's question about staying creative even when exhausted and miles from home, this week – bringing in a mixture of my own experience and reading, as ever.

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_12__How_can_you_be_creative_on_the_road.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Emma Bearman founded Playful Leeds – now Playful Anywhere, and is the proud proprietor of the Playbox, a shipping container full of surprises, entertainment and imaginative potential that turns up in public spaces all over Yorkshire. Emma also founded The Culture Vulture, the very successful magazine site rounding up the best of the Leeds arts scene.

In this chat, we find out about the challenges of facilitating a vision of this scale on your own, how play relates to disobedience, and where the drive to create playful spaces comes from in the first place.

https://vimeo.com/68169045 (Urban Mischief video, with the diving board etc)

https://twitter.com/PlayfulAnywhere

http://www.playfulanywhere.co.uk

https://theculturevulture.co.uk/

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/emmabearman

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/why-robots-are-set-to-take-over-leeds-1-6037956

Direct download: Emma_Bearman_The_Willy_Wonka_of_Leeds.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:53pm EST

A short but packed episode where I explain why you should create, rather than simply drink up experiences; why you may not be using your community to the full (but feel like you are) and why our constraints really do set us free.

To discuss any of these ideas and more, get in touch via editor@hackcircus.com, or on social media (@hackcircus and hackcircuspodcast on Facebook). You should also check out the weekly Creativity Clinic newsletter: leilajohnston.com/newsletter which delivers tips like these straight to your inbox every Monday, bringing actionable advice for your creative week ahead.

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_11__Why_you_should_create_Experiences.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

This week I meet showmen and fairground archivists at the National Fairground & Circus Archive in Sheffield, and learn about the fascinating and community-minded history of travelling show people of the UK.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/nfca

Lionel Bathe's photos of fairgrounds

https://patcollinsfunfairs.co.uk/

Anthony Harris (Youngest wall of death rider in the world, in the 1940s)

 

Direct download: National_Fairground_and_Circus_Archive_meeting_the_showmen.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:02pm EST

We need to look closely at what we're trying to protect, about ourselves, whenever we feel fearful of making big steps in our creative lives. When we really examine the anxiety, it often turns out to be a case of building a wall around a part of us that is in fact, totally dispensable. There's plenty more of us where that came from! We can take a few hits! 

Find out what we should really be protecting instead, in this short Creativity Clinic episode.

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_10__whats_worth_protecting.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Neil Mullarkey is known as one of the Comedy Store Players – the famous long-running improv troupe with their own theatre in central London.

He also works with brands and businesses, helping the corporate environment to benefit from the agility of improvisational thought.

In this fun chat we discuss (among other things) Neil's creative background, a comedy career that started as President of the Cambridge Footlights, his old double act with Mike Myers, the benefits of improv, and the careful systems put in place to make improv work in a theatre – and on TV.

http://neilmullarkey.com/ 
http://twitter.com/neilmullarkey

 

Direct download: Neil_Mullarkey_Improv_for_everyday_life.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:50pm EST

To share your work and reach a wider audience, you have to be prepared to relinquish some of it. Leila explains the problem and suggests some ways to do this more effectively, in this short episode.

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook(hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_9__why_you_cant_care_and_share.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Mike is a mindfulness teacher based on the Isle of Man.

Mindfulness and meditation are portrayed as serene but it can also be a serious confrontation with the self which brings a raw, often brutal, truth to the surface.

We discuss the reality of mindfulness – processing negative emotions that rise up, the positive breaking down of the self, how to properly watch your self, and how to find the courage to let go. 

Mike has had his own fundamental consciousness-expanding experience, which we also discuss in this episode.

Mike's website is: MyFreeMind.org and you can find him on twitter at MyFreeMind_IOM

 

Direct download: Mike_Kewley_mindfulness_and_the_self.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Valentina Fois – creative in business

We all have our dreams – run a gallery, open a cafe, do a Masters degree, learn a language... Most of us are lazy and distracted and never quite seem to get off the blocks, but serial entrepreneur, curator and marketing guru Valentina Fois has made all these dreams come true, and more. 

Valentina's new cafe, Lele's (in Clapton, East London) is open throughout the festive period and has various seasonal offers HC listeners should check out – including panettonne (of course!) and original art and design work from independent creators, in a specially curated pop-up shop.

We talk about that, plus the future of consumer tech, wake-up calls, being the boss, and more, in this special festive episode.

It's always great to talk to someone who actually does things rather than just talks about doing themHopefully this chat will give us all a much-needed boost as we go into 2017.

You can follow Valentina on Twitter, and check out her cafe, Lele's, next time you're in the area. If you’re enjoying Hack Circus, give us a quick iTunes rating or tell a friend about the show. You can also find us on Facebook, TwitterInstagram, Snapchat, IRC etc.

 

Direct download: Valentina__creative_in_business.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Sometimes it seems like we have the wrong number of ideas: too many or not enough, and the flow is totally beyond our control.

This week Leila has some tips for keeping your neverending stream of brain gunk in check, and answers a listener question about notebooks and sketchbooks. How do you use yours?

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_8__too_many_ideas_and_notebooks.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:03am EST

Rhodri Marsden has his finger in many creative and media pies.

A journalist for publications including The Independent, writer of talks and books, keyboardist in Scritti Politti and Dream Themes, musical saw player, and prolific and entertaining tweeter with a huge following, he's constantly generating new material and surrounded by creative people – but interestingly, doesn't classify himself as 'creative'. 

Rhodri knew Chris Sievey the man behind Frank Sidebottom, and played in the band supporting Frank's act. We talk about Rhodri's musical background, his current projects, the importance of just making stuff, and what it's like to be someone who likes an efficient system, yet who seems destined, like an inspirational Midas, to make creativity happen wherever he goes. 

You can follow Rhodri's antics on Twitter and Instagram

Direct download: Rhodri__facilitating_creativity.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:44pm EST

This week we tackle some issues around turning your hobby into a more serious enterprise. How to think about 'turning professional' in a way that will prepare you for the realities of it, plus the most important skill you'll need to learn when trying to get into full time creative work. Plus a note on failure and confidence as applied to your business.

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_7__Going_pro_and_defining_failure.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

This week we meet Alex Heminsley, or "Hemmo" – author, reviewer, wit and champion of women in sports. 

We discuss a life of challenges, sportiness, glamour, creativity and humour in this entertaining chat.

Alex is incredibly inspiring; she sets herself goals and goes for them. She is the author of the best-selling Running Like A Girl, the true story of a seemingly impossible challenge – catapulting herself from nothing to running marathons in a short space of time, fuelled by willpower alone.

Alex's forthcoming book, Leap In, chronicles her recent adventures in outdoor swimming. And she's now co-writing the story of tennis player, trainer and mother of champions, Judy Murray.

She is also tremendously witty and insightful on social media, and you can follow her on twitter or instagram

Direct download: Alexandra_Heminsley_The_Female_George_Plimpton_-_23112016_17.39.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:17pm EST

Self doubt is one of the most common things I get asked about, and it comes in all kinds of disguises. I think anxiety about presenting your work to the public is often about self-consciousness, and getting rid of thoughts of oneself is often the key to overcoming nerves. 

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircuspodcast), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus), IRC #hackcircus (on freenode) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_6_overcoming_self_consciousness.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

This week we meet Simon Munnery, who you've probably come across on TV, radio or the live circuit doing his characters The League Against Tedium or Alan Parker Urban Warrior, or one of his experimental shows.

Simon is a distinguished comic, highly acclaimed for his original wit and outlandish performances. He's also a maker, a fixer and a former computer programmer!

If you enjoy Hack Circus please rate or review it on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

Hack Circus goes up every Monday and Thursday, and you can peek behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircuspodcast), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat. It’s also a magazine.

Enjoy!

Direct download: Simon_Munnery_-_creative_comedy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:52pm EST

Leila addresses a couple of positivity paradoxes this week. When it comes to getting on with a creative project, we might have been trained rather unhelpfully to think about our audiences, and think about ourselves.

These tips are intended to help you get something done this week.

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_5_-_positive_thinking_paradoxes.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

This is the second half of a long chat I had with the incredibly inspiring Mary Turner Thomson; check out part 1 first, if you haven't already.

Mary’s tale of living with a sociopathic liar is unlike anything you've heard before – but the way she has overcome this appalling experience makes her the true star of the story.

Raising children without their dad, writing books, giving talks – Mary is fuelled by a determination to help others. Find out how she has turned her experiences into 'gold clouds' in this episode; we could all take a leaf out of her book.

You can check out Mary’s story on her website maryturnerthomson.comand buy her book on Amazon. She’s also on Twitter and Facebook and always up for chatting to anyone who wants to talk about, well, anything really. She replies to all emails.

If you enjoy Hack Circus please rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

Hack Circus goes up every Monday and Thursday, and you can peek behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircuspodcast), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat. It’s also a magazine.

Enjoy!

Direct download: Part_2_Mary_Turner_Thomson__I_married_a_psychopath.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:51pm EST

This week's Creativity Clinic looks at the importance of telling your own story and occupying your own space, and explains why failing big is an important rite of passage for any creative.

hackcircuspodcast.com

Tune in again on Thursday for the interview episode! And remember you can subscribe to the Creativity Clinic newsletter, here: leilajohnston.com/newsletter

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook(hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_4_-_Own_your_story_and_your_failures.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

This is the first half of a long chat I had with the incredibly inspiring Mary Turner Thomson; tune in next week for the second episode.

Mary’s story of living with a psychopathic con artist is truly extraordinary, but not as extraordinary as the way she has overcome this appalling experience. She emanates positivity and dignity, determined to help others who have been affected by trauma and heighten awareness of the psychopaths and sociopaths in our midst.

You can check out Mary’s story on her website maryturnerthomson.com and buy her book on Amazon. She’s also on Twitter and Facebook and always up for chatting to anyone who wants to talk about, well, anything really. She replies to all emails.

DON’T FORGET TO COME BACK NEXT WEEK FOR PART 2 OF THIS CHAT!

If you enjoy Hack Circus please rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

Hack Circus goes up every Monday and Thursday, and you can peek behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircuspodcast), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat. It’s also a magazine.

Enjoy!

Direct download: Mary_Turner_Thomson_I_married_a_psychopath.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:36pm EST

Most of us are experts at blaming things, people or situations for our misfortunes. Sometimes this is justifiable, but just because it sometimes proves true, Leila argues, doesn't mean that we shouldn't suspect every argument against our creative progress for being a potential excuse. 

Additionally, one of the reasons we are so quick to blame is because we fear responsibility. Leila explores why this might be, in this third Creativity Clinic episode of the Hack Circus podcast.

Hackcircuspodcast.com

Get in touch anytime with questions or comments on twitter @hackcircus, snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, IRC, or by email: editor@hackcircus.com

 

Direct download: Creativity_Clinic_3_The_blame_game.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Does making stuff all the time feed your energy or sap it? 

In this week's Creativity Clinic, Leila takes a question about the Hack Circus project itself, and talks publicly for the first time about some of the joys and drawbacks of taking on something so ambitious over the last three years.

If you're enjoying these episodes, please rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about the show.

We're also on Facebook (hackcircuspodcast), Twitter, Instagram and IRC. Hack Circus now has a phone number. Leave questions or comments for Leila on the messaging service here: 

0203 322 8867

Subscribe to the weekly Creativity Clinic newsletter to get subversive tried and tested tips to increase your output and motivation, here: leilajohnston.com/newsletter

Direct download: Creativity_and_energy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Sarah Smizz is an artist, medic and PhD student, based in Sheffield. Sarah was recently awarded Radiography Student of the Year, and has just begun a PhD all about creative practice in medical care.

Sarah is a creative across the board, with experience as a writer, rapper, graffiti artist, cartoonist, comedian and poet. She has an amazing work ethic and is committed to changing the system from the inside, and using creative practice to address inequality wherever she finds it.

Her approach to life is incredibly inspiring, and it was a privilege to spend some time talking to her for this episode.

You can find Sarah on Twitter @smizz and her blog is smizz.wordpress.com

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook(hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

 

 

Direct download: Art_and_medicine_with_Sarah_Smizz.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:14pm EST

A slightly different kind of episode this week. I've decided to try a 'creativity clinic', answering listeners' questions submitted online. If you have something you'd love to know, or an area you'd like me to tackle, get in touch by email – editor@hackcircus.com, on twitter @hackcircus, facebook hackcircuspodcast, or instagram @hackcircus. 

This week questions range from favourite colours to world domination. 

I have a lot of experience of making all sorts of different kinds of things, and if I don't know something, I probably know something who does. So send your questions in! I would love to help people out if I can.

 

Enjoy!

Direct download: Boredom_and_leadership_creativity_clinic.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:30pm EST

Flamenco dancer Rosamaria Cisneros Kostic discusses her craft, how to stay grounded, calm and physically aware in a hectic world, and the fascinating dance/tech research she's involved with at C-DaRE in Coventry. Rosa grew up in the U.S. but has lived and worked all over the world.

She's a professional dancer, dance historian and critic, Roma scholar, Flamenco historian and peace activist. If you want to check out her beautiful Flamenco skills for yourself, Rosa's dance film Saeta: The Mourning is online here

See Rosa's website to find out more about her. She's on Twitter too.

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus),Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

Direct download: Rosa_Flamenco_and_tech.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:30am EST

This week I chat to Sheffield-based leadership coach and award-winning close-up magician, Steve Faulkner. Steve advises businesses and individuals, helping them to find their direction, and build good habits into their lives.

Steve is also a highly accomplished performer whose fascinating background spans circus training, street performing in Covent Garden, cruise ships and even dance. 

Find out more about Steve's work and training on his website getgoodatstuff.com

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it.

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: Steve_Faulkner_get_good_at_stuff_-_12102016_18.45.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

iTunes link

Direct download

This week Leila is in Finland, investigating Helsinki's creative technology community. You'll meet Rambo of the Helsinki Hacklab, Ashish Mohite – a designer 3D printing with ceramics at the Aalto University Digital Design Laboratory, and Erik Parr, an artist working with all sorts of cool stuff, including glass-smashing audio tones.

If you enjoy Hack Circus, don't forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it.

We're also on Facebook (hackcircus), Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?). Enjoy!

Direct download: Helsinki_Makers.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

This week we chat to writer and editor Simon Ings. Simon has just written a non-fiction book about science research under Stalin's regime. We talk about the plight of the scientists, the problem of metricised governing, and why Russia's plans were often far more rational than they later seemed.

These complex issues are brought to life brilliantly by Simon – who is also a science fiction author, and the culture editor of New Scientist magazine. You can order Stalin and the Scientists on Amazon

Remember to subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, to ensure you don't miss many other equally interesting episodes which will be uploaded weekly from now on.

Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series. See hackcircuspodcast.com for more about the show, hackcircus.com for the magazine, and @hackcircus on Twitter. We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

Direct download: Hack_Circus_Stalin_and_the_scientists.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

Download this episode

This week we meet friend of Hack Circus, science comedian Helen Keen! You may know her from her Radio 4 series It Is Rocket Science. As well as being an established comedy writer and performer on the circuit, Helen is the author of The Science of Game of Thrones, which is out today. Helen is a highly experienced writer and performer. We chat about performing, audiences, comedy influences, the Edinburgh festival, the challenges of writing a book and more, in this half-hour episode recorded on the fly between meetings. Hope you enjoy it!

Direct download: Hack_Circus_Performance_Helen_Keen_-_26082016_20.39.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

This week I chat to Dr Sean Power, a philosopher based in Ireland. Sean has a keen interest in the study of time, and how it relates to presentism and eternalism. He often collaborates with artists, scientists and hackers, and knows a lot about sci-fi movies too! 

Sean is on Twitter @jdepaor and you can find out more about him and read some of his essays on his blog or his academic webpage on the Trinity College site.

Sean has also contributed regularly to the magazine version of Hack Circus, which you can peruse or buy from hackcircus.com.

Remember to subscribe and rate the show to ensure you don't miss many other equally interesting episodes, which will be uploaded weekly from now on.

Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series. See hackcircuspodcast.com for more about the show, hackcircus.com for the magazine, and @hackcircus on Twitter. We're also on Facebook and instagram.

 

Direct download: Hack_Circus_Philosophy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

This week we catch up with Welsh-Iraqi comedian, actor, writer and all-round supercreative Nadia Kamil who is now living and working in LA. She's known for her double act with Luke Roberts, 'The Behemoth', a string of hit Edinburgh shows, and 'The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society'. In 2014, Nadia played the petulant flight attendant in Starship Hack Circus, a live Hack Circus event in which we sent the audience into space to investigate an alien signal... and left them there.

Check out Nadia's website and twitter for a sense of the many arenas in which she has come to excel. 

We discuss international differences in the comedy scene, tactics for auditioning, whether women are ever recognised as polymaths, and more.

Remember to subscribe and rate the show to ensure you don't miss many other equally interesting episodes, which will be uploaded weekly from now on.

Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series. See hackcircuspodcast.com for more about the show, hackcircus.com for the magazine, and @hackcircus on Twitter. We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Direct download: Nadia_Kamil_Creative_in_LA.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:14pm EST

This is the second half of an in-depth two-part chat with Steve Punt. A well-known British comedy writer and performer, Steve is a regular on BBC Radio (especially The Now Show), and known for his comedy partnership with Hugh Dennis and work on phenomenally popular topical satire TV show, The Mary Whitehouse Experience, which he also starred in, back in the early 90s. 

The chat covers everything from how stand-ups translate to television, to crafting documentaries, to what makes a great sitcom.

Remember to subscribe and rate the show to ensure you don't miss many other equally interesting episodes, which will be uploaded weekly from now on.

Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series. See hackcircuspodcast.com for more about the show, hackcircus.com for the magazine, and @hackcircus on Twitter. We're also on Facebook.

Direct download: Hack_Circus_Writing_Comedy_Part_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:45am EST

This is the first of an in-depth two-part chat with Steve Punt. A well-known British comedy writer and performer, Steve is a regular on BBC Radio (especially The Now Show), and known for his comedy partnership with Hugh Dennis and work on phenomenally popular topical satire TV show, The Mary Whitehouse Experience, which he also starred in, back in the early 90s. 

The chat covers everything from how technology has affected performance styles, to Mary Whitehouse memories, to Steve's feelings about Big Brother.

Remember to subscribe and rate the show to ensure you don't miss Part 2, and many other equally interesting episodes which will be uploaded weekly from now on.

Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series. See hackcircus.com for more about the project, and @hackcircus on Twitter. We're also on Facebook.

Direct download: Hack_Circus_Steve_Punt_on_Making_Comedy_Part_1_-_25082016_05.12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:18am EST

In this episode, Leila talks to archivist and writer Arike Oke. Arike looks after the archive at Rambert, one of the UK's leading contemporary dance companies, where Leila completed a residency earlier this year. They talk storytelling, dance and the challenges of acting as the custodian of the invisible, and plumb some of the fascinating and unexpected depths of archive theory.

Direct download: Hack_Circus_Arike.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 6:39am EST

Earlier this year, your host was the first digital artist in residence at Rambert, one of the UK's leading contemporary dance companies. In this episode, Leila talks technology, learning, mastery, driving, injuries and more with two of the world class dancers she's been working with: Liam Francis and Hannah Rudd. Look out for more episodes featuring Rambert people as the season progresses. Hack Circus is also a magazine and an event series all about 'Fantasy technology and everyday magic'. See Hackcircus.com for more about the project.

Direct download: Hack_Circus_Dance.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:10pm EST

Currently in residence at Sheffield's Site Gallery, artists Anna Chrystal Stephens and Glen Stoker are interested in survival and empowerment. Their residency began with a 60 mile walk across town and country, living off the land and slowing down their thinking, before arriving at the door of the gallery full of inspiration and in need of a shower. In this first in this year's series of Hack Circus podcasts, we discuss building shelters, foraging, starting fires, using networks, birds nests, trees, fear and uncertainty...

An interview with the artists based on this podcast also features in the forthcoming issue of Hack Circus (hackcircus.com) which is all themed on Survival.

Direct download: Hack_Circus_Survival.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:05pm EST

My big project for September is called How To Live Forever. I've gone rogue as the Hack Circus Ringmaster and created a kind of "solo album..."

I've been reading a load of stuff about death (and life) and 'transhumanism' and talking to loads of interesting experts about longevity and technology, trying to get a few different sides of the issue and knock something decent together on not-very-much-money, in about a month. And the month when everyone's away, too.

One of the things I'm doing for it is making a short film. The camera conked out at the end of our last filming session, but every cloud has a silver lining, and sometimes when a camera dies, some interesting audio is born from its ashes.

So, here's your unexpected podcast! You'll hear Alexander D. Ornella, Director of the Centre for Spirituality Studies at the University of Hull, Paul Graham Raven from the University of Sheffield and Eric Olsen, Professor of Philosopher at the University of Sheffield. They discuss cryonics, brain uploading, the soul, religious language in transhumanism, metaphors and more! Look out for the full documentary. Hope you like this short pod.

Direct download: HTLFpodcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:07pm EST

In this episode, Leila catches up with Heather Fenoughty at her home in Sheffield. For composer and sound designer Heather, everything from the bathroom fan to the dishwasher seems carefully placed: "To me, the world is sound designed".

Find out how to manipulate people's emotions with music, which came first – the lyricist or the composer, why we like particular chords, and what happened when she met Jean Luc Picard down the corridor from Doctor Who, in this extra-musical episode of the Hack Circus podcast!

Heather's excellent blog, with links to her work is here: heather-fenoughty.com

Hack Circus is a quarterly magazine, event series and podcast. Check out hackcircus.com and sign up to our newsletter to find up what we're up to next.

Direct download: Hack_Circus_8_Musical_manipulation_1_-_07042015_19.44.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:10pm EST

It's series two! This series of podcasts explore the magical in everyday life.

This time Leila meets Nick Davies, hypnotist and hypnotherapist, Director of the Warwickshire School of Hypnotherapy and creator of the BLAST therapy technique for resolving trauma. Learn how to put yourself into a more receptive state, and find out a little about the history and science of hypnosis in this fascinating extra-long episode of the show to launch our second season.

Nick even works his magic on Leila's fear of heights live on the show! More about him here and his training and workshops here

Hack Circus is also a quarterly magazine and a weird, immersive live show: hackcircus.com and hackcircus.com/underworlds for details of our next show – an immersive, hacky musical in London on March 23rd.

This episode of the show is sponsored by train-mad software development company Shedcode who tinker with arduino, tell stories with data, and drink plenty of tea. Get in touch if you'd like to contact them, or sponsor an episode of Hack Circus yourself! editor@hackcircus.com

Direct download: Hack_Circus_7_Hypnosis.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:48pm EST

LJ Rich is a classically-trained composer, music technologist and journalist who has recently started speaking publicly about her synaesthesia and perfect pitch. Everything in LJ's world is musical, and she shares some of her extraordinary experiences in this exclusive interview – which includes an original composition based on part of this conversation, and a 'glitching session' with Leila that transforms the streets of London into a gloriously strange living soundscape.

Direct download: Hack_Circus_synaesthesia_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:50pm EST

Leila meets the writer Warren Ellis, whose prolific output includes Transmetropolitan and Gun Machine. They talk comics, sleep patterns, scepticism, "wearable shirts", whisky, and this great age of technological boredom.

Direct download: Hack_Circus_Warren_Ellis.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:44pm EST

In this episode Leila meets magician Mike Stoner to talk weddings, podcasts, telepathy, making things interesting, choosing volunteers – and how magicians need to master the art of *selling* before they even pick up a pack of cards. Mike brings some tricks along, and needless to say, Leila's mind is blown. More about Mike at: www.magician-4-hire.co.uk and the Hack Circus project at hackcircus.com

Direct download: Hack_Circus_Magic.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:12am EST

In the third episode of the Hack Circus podcast, Leila Johnston meets Joe Banks from Rorschach Audio, a fascinating sound artist who has been researching acoustic illusions, EVP and everything to do with the psychology of sound, for many years. For more about the new issue & next event – see hackcircus.com. 

Direct download: 3_Transmission.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:58pm EST

In the first episode of the new Hack Circus podcast, Leila catches up with her friend Helen Zaltzman from the well-known podcast 'Answer Me This' (and many other things). They chat about making, painting, Jewishness, mirrors, driving and much more – and the Ludic Rooms pop in with some circuit-bending tips for beginners. For more about the new issue & next event see hackcircus.com.

Direct download: 1_Making_Things_Fast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:30am EST

Leila chats to Nick Drage, a former 'pentester' who reguarly donned disguises and false identities in order to test the physical security of organisations. This intriguing chat explores the psychology of infiltration, and Nick offers some advice for others aspiring to do this mysterious and exciting job. More from Nick in the new issue & next event – see hackcircus.com for info.

Direct download: 2_Access_All_Areas.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:29pm EST

Flamenco dancer Rosamaria Cisneros Kostic discusses her craft, how to stay grounded, calm and physically aware in a hectic world, and the fascinating dance/tech research she's involved with at C-DaRE in Coventry.

Rosa grew up in the U.S. but has lived and worked all over the world. She's a professional dancer, dance historian and critic, Roma scholar, Flamenco historian and peace activist.

If you want to check out her beautiful Flamenco skills for yourself, Rosa's dance film Saeta: The Mourning is online here. See Rosa's website to find out more about her. She's on Twitter too. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it!

In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you can glimpse behind the curtain by following us on Facebook (hackcircus),Instagram (hackcircus), Twitter (hackcircus) and Snapchat (can you guess?).

Enjoy!

Direct download: rosadancing.jpg
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EST

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