Dash Arts Podcast

On 4th July millions of UK voters will take to the polls. Candidates are vying for our attention through speeches and debates. In this special episode Artistic Director, Josephine Burton, catches up with four former speech-making workshop participants across the country on how they are experiencing the election campaign, and analyses our political candidates and the quality of their speechmaking with Alan Finlayson, Professor of Political and Social Theory at the University of East Anglia, and collaborator on our national workshops.To find out more about our plans for the theatre production go to www.dasharts.org.uk/our-public-house Our Public House is funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England, National Theatre’s Generate Programme, Three Monkies Trust, The Thistle Trust, and individual giving.In the podcast we’re grateful to hear from:Kate, Max, Devika and Jonathan - Workshop ParticipantsJosephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash ArtsProfessor Alan Finlayson - Professor of Political and Social Theory at the University of East Anglia

Whilst the country builds up to a general election, we’re in the midst of creating Our Public House, Dash Arts’ state-of-the-nation theatre production.Hear from Artistic Director Josephine Burton and playwright Barney Norris on how our play weaves together the ideas and speeches of over 150 voices from across England and the ever shifting political landscape. Plus catch us in the rehearsal room at Theatre Royal Stratford East, performing some of the draft script and songs on stage at HOME in Manchester and in a speech-making workshop with Manchester Deaf Centre as we reflect on the long research and development process behind a Dash Arts production. Our Public House is funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England, The Thistle Trust, Three Monkies Trust, and individual giving.In the podcast we’re grateful to hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash ArtsBarney Norris - Writer, Our Public HouseProfessor Alan Finlayson - Professor of Political and Social Theory at the University of East AngliaCristina Catalina - Senior Producer, Dash ArtsJonathan Walton - composer and musicianNick Pynn - composer and musicianMina Anwar - actor & singerMatt Hill - composer and musicianAnd the participants from the speech-making workshops around the country. 

“In many ways, I owe everything to the band.”It’s been over 25 years since two students ran into each other on a street corner in Oxford and decided to set up a band. Oi Va Voi, rooted in Jewish and Eastern European musical traditions, would eventually reach hundreds and thousands of people across the world. Dash’s Artistic Director Josephine Burton and Jonathan Walton, also known as Lemez Lovas, knew they needed more people and more instruments. Soon after Sophie Solomon, Steve Levi, Leo Bryant, Nik Ammar and Josh Breslaw joined the band and they began fusing together klezmer, jazz, funk and drum and bass.Last summer, their breakout album, Laughter Through Tears, turned 20 and the band marked it with a celebratory reunion gig at EartH in Hackney. In this episode we hear from the original members of the band and moments from last summer’s reunion.As with all enduring families - there have been many moments when both life inside and outside the band got really tough, but Oi Va Voi lives on and this podcast celebrates these stories, the music and the people who made it. Josephine also shares why Dash Arts delayed releasing this episode back in October 2023.In the podcast, we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash Arts and former Singer, Oi Va VoiJonathan Walton/Lemez Lovas - former Trumpeter, Oi Va VoiJosh Breslaw - Drummer, Oi Va VoiLeo Bryant - former Bassist, Oi Va VoiSophie Solomon - former Violinist, Oi Va VoiNik Ammar - former Guitarist, Oi Va VoiSteve Levi - Clarinetist, Oi Va VoiKT Tunstall - former Singer, Oi Va VoiMusic:Recorded live at EartH, Hackney on 22nd July 2023. Used with permission of Oi Va Voi.Intro: Fakiiritanssi by Marouf MajidiArtwork:Album Cover taken from an early ep, Odessa, recorded in early 2000. Photo credit lost in the mists of time!

In this second episode on the journey towards our production, The Reckoning, we hear from journalist and author, Peter Pomerantsev who co-founded The Reckoning Project and who first shared with Dash the hundreds of witness testimonies from survivors of the Russian war in Ukraine. Dash’s Artistic Director, Josephine Burton and Podcast Producer, Marie Horner hear about Peter’s motivations for starting the project and why he asked Dash to bring these stories to the stage. The Reckoning Project trains journalists to work with lawyers and analysts to collect stories of the horrors of war, detentions, torture and shelling that can be submitted as evidence in court. Peter and Josephine explore the relationship between the lawyers, journalists and witnesses, and how this has influenced Dash’s production. We also hear from Peter’s colleagues at The Reckoning Project, Nataliya Gumenyuk and Kostiantyn Korobov, on what has changed since the war began two years ago and what justice could look like for the people they speak to.Peter joined us while he was in London to promote his new book, How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler. To find out more visit Faber’s website.Josephine will be sharing more about the production in Cambridge on Wednesday 20th March alongside Rory Finnin, Professor of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Cambridge. Get your tickets here.In the podcast, we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash Arts Peter Pomerantsev - Journalist and AuthorNataliya Gumenyuk - JournalistKostiantyn Korobov - ArchivistMarie Horner - Podcast ProducerMusic by Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi

We’re in the pub for the next stage of Our Public House, a state-of-the-nation theatre production. Hear the show take shape in the studio and how Artistic Director Josephine Burton and playwright Barney Norris are being led by the speeches and writing of extraordinary individuals and communities from across the country. How do you pull together over 120 voices, ideas and stories to lock in a play that will resonate with our audiences?Our Public House is funded by the National Theatre's Generate Programme, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England, Three Monkies Trust, and individual giving.In the podcast we’re grateful to hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash ArtsMarie Horner - Podcast Producer, Dash ArtsBarney Norris - Writer, Our Public HouseActors Alex Austin, Ed Gaughan, Syreeta Kumar, Mark Quartley, Saroja-Lily Ratnavel, and Sophie Stone Musician - Nick PynnAnd the participants from the speech-making workshops around the country.

“Finding a way to keep the darkness but continue to keep the joy so that there’s moments of relief in the theatre, that the actors feel it, that the audience feel it too. That’s really the challenge for me - how to make powerful theatre.” Josephine Burton, Artistic Director, Dash ArtsThis year Dash Arts is developing a new theatre production, The Reckoning; based on personal accounts of survivors of the Russian war in Ukraine from the vast testimony archive shared by The Reckoning Project, who has been gathering testimony from survivors of detentions, torture and shelling. Journalists are working with lawyers and analysts to collect these stories that can be submitted as evidence in court. Josephine will be in Cambridge on Wednesday 20th March to share excerpts from the latest version of the production and will be speaking with Rory Finnin, Professor of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Cambridge, about our research on the war in Ukraine for The Reckoning. Get your tickets here.In the podcast, we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash Arts Anastasiia Kosodii - Playwright Lou Platt - Psychotherapist and Artist Wellbeing practitioner Cristina Catalina - Senior Producer, Dash Arts Cristina Catalina, Vadym Golovko, Sam Kyslyi, Yulia Litvinenko, Mark Quartley and Olga Safronova - Cast of The Reckoning Research and Development Week (December 2023)Music from The Reckoning by Anton BaibakovOutro music : Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi

As 2024 arrives we look back on a year of new beginnings for Dash Arts. Join Artistic Director Josephine Burton and Dash’s Podcast Producer Marie Horner as they explore what we’ve learnt and what we haven’t learnt…yet. From the persecution of the Crimean Tatars in Crimea 5am, touring England to support the writing and delivery of over 120 speeches with communities in Our Public House and our first steps to create The Reckoning, a theatre show based on personal accounts of the Ukrainian war.  In the podcast we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash ArtsMarie Horner - Podcast Producer, Dash ArtsMaria Romanenko - Journalist and Performer in Crimea 5amBoris Dralyuk - Poet and TranslatorAnastasiia Kosodii - Playwright and DirectorProfessor Alan Finlayson - Professor of Political and Social Theory at the University of East AngliaHenriette van der Blom - Reader in Ancient History at the University of BirminghamCristina Catalina - Senior Producer, Dash ArtsKayley - Participant and Speech WriterMichael - Participant and Speech WriterIntro music : Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi

“Grasp the subject, the words will follow.” Attributed to Cato The Elder Artistic Director, Josephine Burton and Podcast Producer, Marie Horner regroup in the studio to reflect on a series of live events in Manchester and London that were the 2023 culmination of this year’s Public House project. We heard from speechwriters, activists and academics as we explored the ingredients of a great speech, the power of activism and words, and their ability to change people’s minds and lives, along with passionate speeches given directly by some of our extraordinary cohort of individuals from communities across England.Coming in 2024, we’ll be creating Our Public House, a state-of-the-nation theatre production, inspired by the speeches and writing of participants from across the country.Our HUGE thanks to all the participants from Underground Lights, Coventry; St Hilda’s Community Centre, Tower Hamlets; HMP Styal; The Writers' Block, Redruth; Citizens UK, Brighton; Arbourthorne Men’s Social Club, Sheffield; Manchester Deaf Centre and Deaf Explorer; Banbury and Bicester College, Bicester; individuals through Theatre Royal Stratford East, Newham, St Hilda’s Community Centre in Tower Hamlets, and residents of Mile Cross, through The Common Lot, Norwich.Our Public House is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England, Three Monkies Trust, and individual giving.In the podcast we’re grateful to hear from:Kayleigh Roach - Participant and Speech WriterMaral Mamaghanizadeh - Participant and Speech WriterCharlie Caine- Participant and Speech WriterEdith Hall - Professor of Classics, University of DurhamRinkoo Barpaga - Artist and Stand-up comedian Zara Manoehoetoe - Youth worker and community activistJosephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash ArtsMarie Horner - Podcast Producer, Dash ArtsAlan Finlayson - Professor of Political and Social Theory at the University of East AngliaCristina Catalina - Senior Producer. Dash Arts