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9. Why Ireland Once Made Dancing Illegal | Edwina Guckian | The Devil's in the Dance Hall
59:15||Season 2, Ep. 9In 1935, dancing became illegal in Ireland unless you had a licence.You couldn’t simply organise a dance in a barn. You couldn’t dance at a crossroads. And in rural Ireland, you couldn’t even hold a dance in your own home.The Public Dance Halls Act was part of a much wider attempt to control Irish social life — with the Church and authorities deeply involved in deciding where, how and even whether people could dance.But what happens when a community refuses to accept that control?Edwina Guckian is a dancer, choreographer and community organiser who has spent years exploring Ireland’s lost dance culture and the forces that shaped it. Her work on The Devil's in the Dance Hall brings this history back to life through music, dance and storytelling. The project explores a time when jazz, dancing and new forms of socialising were seen by some as a threat to Irish society — even being described as the work of the devil.We also get into the extraordinary story of Jimmy Gralton, who reopened a community hall in 1932 as a space for dancing, music, education and gathering. The hall quickly attracted people from beyond the local community, but the conflict surrounding it escalated dramatically. Shots were fired at dancers, and on Christmas Eve 1932, the hall was attacked and burned down.Nearly a century later, Edwina is helping bring the story full circle.A campaign is now underway to rebuild Gralton’s Hall on its original site — not simply as a monument to the past, but as a new community space where people can gather, dance and connect across generations.We talk about why Ireland has lost many of its natural spaces for social connection, why people can feel so inhibited about dancing today, and what it takes to create a genuinely safe space where people feel comfortable getting onto the dance floor.Edwina also shares the thinking behind the Rambling Project, her work bringing different generations together, and why she believes that if something is missing from your community, you shouldn’t wait for someone else to create it.Sometimes, you just have to build it yourself.Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardnerCONNECT WITH MEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardnerWebsite: https://www.harrisongardner.net/Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOODhttps://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-foodFollow EdwinaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinaguckian/Support the Rebuild of Gralton’s Hall:https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-graltons-hallThe Devil’s in the Dance Hall:https://www.edwinaguckian.com/the-devils-in-the-dance-hall/00:00 They Once Made Dancing Illegal in Ireland02:37 Meet Edwina Guckian05:01 The Devil in the Dance Hall06:00 How Dancing Became Illegal in Ireland12:10 How Women Were Policed and Shamed16:20 Why We’ve Stopped Dancing19:28 How to Create a Safe Space to Dance20:50 Inside The Devil in the Dance Hall25:00 The Story of Jimmy Gralton32:45 Gralton Reopens the Hall34:35 The Hall Is Attacked and Burned Down37:25 Why Edwina Is Bringing It Back38:35 Dancing Brings Generations Together40:20 The Rambling Project42:43 Why We Need New Social Spaces46:25 Bringing Generations Together47:10 Rebuilding Community50:50 If You See the Gap, Build It52:00 Rebuilding Gralton’s Hall57:20 How to Support Edwina’s Work
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8. The Young Irish Farmer Revolutionising Farming | Sophie Bell
01:16:07||Season 2, Ep. 8What does the future of farming in Ireland look like?Sophie Bell is a young farmer from County Cavan who took on the running of her family farm at just 17, while finishing her Leaving Cert.Today, she’s balancing farming with a career in social media, speaking about agriculture across Ireland and Europe, and rethinking what it means to build a sustainable life from the land.We talk about the pressure on farmers to have a second income, why farming can feel more like a culture than a career, and the barriers facing the next generation.Sophie also shares what she learned from researching the impact of bovine TB on farmers, what it's like being a young woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry, and how social media has opened doors she never expected.And then we get into what she's changing on the farm — moving away from commodity pricing and towards a model where she has more control over what the farm earns, how it operates, and where it goes next.A conversation about farming, money, gender, social media, and what happens when you stop accepting that things have to be done the way they've always been done.Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardnerCONNECT WITH MEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardnerWebsite: https://www.harrisongardner.net/Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOODhttps://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-foodFollow Sophie: https://www.instagram.com/sophie_bell__?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&stkn=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==00:00 – Teaser00:55 – Introduction02:47 – Sophie’s 56-Acre Farm in County Cavan05:25 – Why Do Farmers Need a Second Income?07:50 – The Next Generation of Farmers10:10 – Passing the Farm to the Next Generation13:15 – Who Gets Taught to Be a Farmer?18:35 – Is Farming a Career or a Culture?23:25 – How Social Media Changed Sophie’s Farm26:35 – The Hidden Cost of Bovine TB33:10 – “I Thought I Wasn’t Allowed to Be a Farmer”35:47 – Taking Over the Farm at 1738:42 – Being Taken Seriously as a Young Woman45:37 – Advice for Young Women in Farming48:08 – Why Farming Needs More Alternative Ideas56:30 – Sophie’s Work With the EU and UN01:03:19 – A Different Way to Make Farming Pay01:06:10 – For the First Time, the Farm Isn’t Struggling01:08:35 – The Future of Wool in Ireland01:12:30 – Taking Back Control01:14:10 – What Sustainable Farming Should Look Like01:15:11 – Outro
7. Irish Fiddle Player Clare Sands on Bringing Politics Into Folk Music
54:57||Season 2, Ep. 7What can music do when the world feels divided?For Clare Sands, it can be a way of bringing people together.Clare is a sixth-generation fiddle player, singer and composer from Ireland. In this conversation, we talk about Irish culture, activism, Palestine, and the role music can play in starting difficult conversations.Clare shares the story of swimming across the Bosphorus from Asia to Europe and raising around €12,000 for two Palestinian organisations with her sister. We talk about the pushback she has experienced when sharing Palestinian folk songs, and why she continues to use music to connect people across cultures and traditions.We also explore the story behind the flag on Clare’s album artwork, her relationship with Irish history and folklore, and the importance of reclaiming symbols that can become divisive.Along the way, we get into a bigger question: how do you get people to engage with difficult ideas in a way that feels welcoming? Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardnerCONNECT WITH MEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardnerWebsite: https://www.harrisongardner.net/Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOODhttps://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-foodClare SandsWebsite: claresands.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/claresandsceol/?hl=enSubstack: https://claresandsceol.substack.com/00:00 Teaser — Why Was a Folk Song Too Much?00:41 Introduction03:00 Irish Music, Culture & Clare Sands’ Roots07:20 Climate Change & Adapting to a Changing World09:10 Irish Traditional Music & Creative Independence12:35 Music, Activism & Palestinian Folk Songs14:45 Irish Identity, Folklore & Siding With the Underdog21:10 Swimming, Community & Connection25:20 Swimming From Asia to Europe for Palestine33:05 Using Music to Open Difficult Conversations38:10 Irish Flags, Irish History & Reclaiming Identity41:05 Music, Community & Connecting Across Borders46:15 Bringing Music to Rural Communities47:35 Small Audiences, Community & Connection52:05 Clare Sands’ Music, New Album & Song of a Gael
6. I Traded Photography for Food & Shelter to Travel the World | The Pixel Trade | Shantanu Starick
01:06:18||Season 2, Ep. 6What happens when you decide to travel to all seven continents without spending any money?That was the challenge Shantanu Starick set himself after stepping away from a career in architecture. Trading nothing but his photography skills for food, shelter and transport, he created The Pixel Trade — a three-and-a-half-year journey built entirely around exchange, trust and the people he met along the way.But living without money comes with its own challenges. What does it actually cost to rely on other people? And what happens when the journey ends and you have to reintegrate into a world that still runs on money, responsibility and bills?In this conversation, we explore the value of trade, the relationships that grow from it, and why the best exchanges are the ones where both people feel they’ve come away with the better end of the deal.Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardnerCONNECT WITH MEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardnerWebsite: https://www.harrisongardner.net/Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOODhttps://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-foodExplore the Pixel Trade Project and discover the trades that made this journey possible: http://thepixeltrade.com/tradesChapters00:00 — Teaser & Introduction 02:22 — The Pixel Trade: Trading Photography for Food, Shelter & Transport 19:33 — The Squarespace Hosting Trade 20:40 — New York, Tumblr & Inter-Trading 29:12 — What Makes a Great Trade? 40:40 — Burnout & Reaching Antarctica 41:41 — How He Got to Antarctica 48:40 — The Pixel Trade as a Life Apprenticeship 50:00 — What He Learned About Money 51:40 — Returning to a World That Runs on Money
5. From Sailing to Antarctica to Becoming a Polar Bear Guard | Sarah Schwimmer
01:28:38||Season 2, Ep. 5Sarah Schwimmer is a naturalist, ecologist and polar expedition leader who has spent the last decade guiding more than 125 expeditions around the world.In this conversation, Sarah talks about her upcoming expedition to Svalbard aboard a first-of-its-kind solar-powered polar expedition vessel, how she dropped out of university to sail across the Atlantic at 19, and how following her curiosity shaped the life she built.We also talk about Antarctica, the realities of working in the polar regions, the experience of coming out later in life, creating safer and more inclusive spaces in expedition travel, and what it means to become a polar bear guard.Sarah's approach to life comes back to a simple idea: you don't need to know exactly how to do something before you start. Sometimes you have to trust that you'll figure it out along the way.Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardnerConnect with Harrison:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardnerWebsite: https://www.harrisongardner.net/Books: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOODhttps://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-foodFind Sarah and learn more about her expeditions: https://www.instagram.com/the_vagabondist/https://www.the-vagabondist.com/pages/aboutChapters00:00 — Teaser & Introduction04:00 — Solar-Powered Ship to Svalbard & the North Pole18:00 — Sustainable Travel & the Future of Exploration24:00 — Childhood, Nature & the Dream of Exploration30:00 — Dropping Out of University to Sail Across the Atlantic43:00 — Dyslexia, Dyscalculia & Learning to Trust Yourself56:50 — Becoming a Polar Expedition Leader58:50 — Antarctica, Sailing & the Drake Passage01:08:00 — Coming Out, LGBTQ+ Inclusion & Expedition Travel01:18:40 — Freedom, Wilderness & Being Yourself01:20:00 — What Does a Polar Bear Guard Do?01:26:20 — Talking to Bears & Sarah's Next Adventure
4. Paul Noonan & Brian Crosby: From Bell X1 to Pilgrims, Music Therapy & Breathwork
56:48||Season 2, Ep. 4Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby have been making music together, in one form or another, for decades.From Juniper and Bell X1, through 16 years of separate creative journeys, they eventually found their way back into a room together. What started with Brian’s solo piano record Imbrium and a voice note from Paul during COVID became Pilgrims — a new project built from everything they had learned and experienced in the years apart.In this conversation, we talk about what it means to return to a creative partnership after so much time, the vulnerability of making something new with someone you have a long history with, and how Pilgrims grew from remote recordings into a live project.We also get into the very different paths they took along the way. Brian talks about leaving Bell X1, moving to Berlin, composing for film, building recording studios from scratch, and training in holotropic breathwork. Paul talks about his work as a music therapist, working with people with dementia, brain injuries and children, and what music can make possible in those settings.And underneath all of it is a bigger question about creativity: what happens when we stop trying to be perfect, become willing to be vulnerable, and allow other people to change what we're making?This is a conversation about music, collaboration, fear, connection, and finding your way back to making things.Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardnerConnect with Harrison:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardnerWebsite: https://www.harrisongardner.net/Books: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOODhttps://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-foodExplore Pilgrims and their music:https://www.pilgrims.music/ Chapters00:00 – Teaser 00:51 – Intro: Creating Something People Are Ready to Receive 03:50 – From Bell X1 to Pilgrims 05:42 – The Voice Note That Sparked Pilgrims 07:31 – Finding a New Musical Voice 08:17 – Two Very Different Journeys 09:17 – Why Brian Left Bell X1 16:40 – Building a Creative Scene in Berlin 19:28 – What Is Holotropic Breathwork? 23:45 – Fear, Self-Doubt & Creativity 30:55 – Paul Noonan on Music Therapy 32:00 – Music & Brain Injury 32:45 – Creating a Safe Space 34:20 – From Performer to Facilitator 40:55 – Building the Wicklow Studio 45:00 – Why Small Venues Matter 52:34 – What's Next for Pilgrims? 55:37 – Outro
3. Why Education Keeps Preparing Kids for the Wrong Future | Owen Losse
01:08:20||Season 2, Ep. 3What if we're preparing young people for a future that will never exist?After more than 15 years working across education systems and helping schools improve outcomes for students, Owen Losse has reached a surprising conclusion: we spend too much time trying to predict the future, and not enough time understanding how people actually learn.In this conversation, Owen draws on his experience as an education leader to explore one of the biggest questions facing education today:How do we prepare people for a future we can't predict?From AI and the surprising history of the chalkboard to confidence, practical skills, and why learning has to be hard, this conversation challenges many of our assumptions about education, technology, and what it really means to prepare people for an unknowable future.Whether you're an educator, parent, leader, builder, or lifelong learner, you'll walk away with a different perspective on learning—and why the most important skills may be the ones that never go out of date.Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardnerConnect with Harrison:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardnerWebsite: https://www.harrisongardner.net/Books: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOODhttps://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-foodConnect with Owen:https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenlosse/Chapters00:00 Learning Has to Be Hard02:45 Owen's Journey Through Education09:06 Why Education Doesn't Work the Same Everywhere12:20 What Should Schools Actually Teach?15:45 Why Schools Keep Chasing the Future24:50 Why Schools Are Always Behind27:33 The AI Education Debate Happened 100 Years Ago34:35 How Build School Teaches People to Learn39:30 How Schools Can Stop Chasing Society50:15 What 15-Year-Olds Really Think About Home58:00 Is Confidence a Skill?59:20 What Cooking 100 Chickens Teaches Us About Learning01:03:20 Learning From Failure01:05:05 What a Good Learning Environment Looks Like