Getting Better Acquainted

In GBA 346 we get better acquainted with Matt. I visit him at his new venture, Alt-Space, in Morcambe and we talk about how he washed up in this North West seaside town, how the lack of a comedy club in the town inspired him to create an arts venue, community centre and a fringe there, his own work which spans spoken word, theatre and comedy, and lots more. Matt plugs: Alt-space, 21c Yorkshire Street, Morecambe: https://www.facebook.com/altspacemorecambe/ Call out for submissions: morecambefringe@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/altspacemorecambe/posts/2220165701541560 Alternative Space Programme: https://twitter.com/morecambespace Open Mic Fireside Tales Story Telling (2nd Thursday of the month) Fringe Friday (last Friday of the month): Next one on 30th November I plug: My recent writing about consent and gender: https://medium.com/@goosefat101/what-about-the-women-3237e4155f2c Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Ma

In GBA 345 Pt 2 we get even better acquainted with Andrew. In part two of our two part conversation Andrew talks working in music radio, making podcasts before anyone had said the word podcast, the history of podcasting and his place within that history making the show Podcast Squared, talking about the concept of online downloadable radio with the Hanson Brothers and lots more. I talk about some of my concerns for where podcasting may be heading post Serial and Andrew suggests what has happened on YouTube may show us what will happen with podcasting. Then after an advert break we go off on a tangent about #MeToo, both within podcasting, and within wider society. Content note post advert break: sexual assault, rape, violence, harassment, abuse Part 1 of this conversation which came out last Wednesday is here: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-345-andrew-2-pt-1 This was our first GBA: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-291-andrew Andrew plugs: Keeping an eye on his website

In GBA 345 Pt 1 we get even better acquainted with Andrew. In part one of our two part conversation Andrew gets into the history and geography of Maryland USA and we compare our experiences of living in London, moving from country to city, our accents changing and evolving, recording and having conversations and so much more. Part 2 which will come out next Wednesday will get fully into Andrew's particular position within the history of podcasting as well as lots of other things. This was our first GBA: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-291-andrew Andrew plugs (although you won't hear this till part 2 next week): Keeping an eye on his website for when he releases his new podcast: https://www.andrewdjohnstone.com I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ Dow

In GBA 344 we get even better acquainted with Rita. She talks about how her life has changed since we last recorded a conversation, how trying to work as a freelancer in the arts can affect your mental health, the relationship between trying to make things for yourself and trying to make money to pay rent and bills, her different experiences of day-jobs and so much more. Recorded just before I moved to Lancaster - partly due to the difficulty of trying to be a freelance artist in London - there is a lot of cross over between our experiences and concerns as we reflect on how stress can mean that a day job can be a better way of being able to make the work you want to make (and may be better for your mental health), trying to establish your work when you are a jack of all trades and a master of some, how many great creators don't have the admin and hustling chops needed to get their work out to people and the roles of luck, privilege, power, work ethic in trying to "make it". This was our first GBA: https://

In GBA 343 we get better acquainted with Nik. He talks about children's entertainment, making podcasts for children, his journey "off island" from Guernsey - through lots of different jobs and parts of the country - ending up as an audio producer in London, why being a teacher wasn't for him and lots more. Nik makes Nik Lettuce Clubhouse which is a brilliant podcast for children. Before we recorded this conversation we had just recorded my guest appearance on his show which you can hear here (and most other places you can hear podcasts): https://niklettuceclubhouse.com/2018/08/19/the-dave-pickering-episode-flo-writes-a-story/ Nik plugs: Nik Lettuce Clubhouse: https://niklettuceclubhouse.com/ I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ Down to a sunless sea: memories of my dad

In GBA 342 we get better acquainted with Banke. In a conversation recorded in an Eat at Liverpool Street Station she talks about living in lots of different parts of the world, true storytelling as a way to overcome fear of public speaking, following in her father and grandfather's footsteps and becoming a lawyer, being a middle class black woman from Nigeria living in London and so much more. Banke plugs: Spark True Stories: http://www.stories.co.uk Spark Brixton: 3rd Monday of the month (next one on 15th October) Sanaakasuwa on Instagram: Bringing African Art to the West https://www.instagram.com/sanaakasuwa/ I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ Down to a sunless sea: memories of my dad: https://medium.com/@goosefat101/down-to-a-sunless-sea-memories-of-my-dad-d1d2d3a61

This Getting Better Acquainted Extra is a talk I gave as part of the Maker Sessions at the London Podcast Festival 2018 at King’s Place. The title of the talk was: Passion Projects The blurb was: For better or worse, Dave Pickering has been working on passion projects since he can remember. In 2008, he wrote a drama series for a friend, which was nominated for a Sony Radio Award in 2009. He’s made podcasts in a variety of genres at the same time as working full time jobs and part time jobs, and for the last 4 years, around the paid freelance work that the passion projects have just about generated for him. His passion projects have won podcast awards, been recommended by the Guardian, Time Out and the Financial Times and have been featured on Radio 4, Radio 5 Live, Cbeebies Radio and Resonance FM. In this workshop, Dave will explore why you should follow your passions, why you should definitely not follow your passions, and how to find the perseverance to keep following your passions when no one else seems

In GBA 341 we get better acquainted with Jonathan. Surrounded by packed boxes in an echoey flat the day before my move began we finally meet each other after years of hearing about each other. Jonathan has worked very with my partner Jen for three years as the class teacher to her teaching assistant for year 6 classes in a primary school. We talk about the way that working with Jen has changed how he thinks of teaching assistants, his journey from class clown to sports coach to learning mentor to class teacher to senior management, his interest in street fashion which has developed into the successful menswear fashion blog Street Clobber (11K followers on Instagram), developing and creating a menswear label and brand, becoming a new father, and about juggling all these parts of his life. Jonathan plugs: GFTD: https://gftdldn.com/ Streetclobber: https://streetclobber.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetclobber/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/streetclobberuk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/street

In this last minute GBA Extra Dave takes you on a short tour of a house full of boxes. It's completely live and unedited due to life getting in the way a bit this week. But next week things should be back to normal! I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ The Family Tree: http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/ https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-family-tree/id1113714688 Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. This is the last of a four episode GBA Replayed season replaying some of the live episodes recorded at previous Edinburgh Festival Fringes. The original shownotes: This recording is unedited and posted in a no frills way due to the intensive workload of the festival, and for that reason these shows will also not have shownotes attached to them. Ms Samantha Mann: http://www.mssamanthamann.com/ I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ Down to a sunless sea: memories of my dad: https://medium.com/@goosefat101/down-to-a-sunless-sea-memories-of-my-dad-d1d2d3a61360 The Family Tree: http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/ https://itunes.apple.com/gb

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. This is the third of a four episode GBA Replayed season replaying some of the live episodes recorded at previous Edinburgh Festival Fringes. Find Tamer here: https://twitter.com/TamerKattan He has a comedy album called Brown Sheep here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/brown-sheep/1122642310 The original shownotes: A live recording of a GBA recorded at #edfringe 2014 at the Royal Oak as part of the PBH Free Fringe. CONTENT NOTE: The conversations touches on child abuse, drug use, violence and bullying. This recording is unedited and posted in a no frills way due to the intensive workload of the festival, and for that reason these shows will also not have shownotes attached to them. 21st August: Tamer Kattan: http://www.tamerkattan.com/ Tamer Kattan was born an outsider and that's where he stayed. This Egyptian-born American was born into a family of Muslims, Christ

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. This is the first of a four episode GBA Replayed season replaying some of the live episodes recorded at previous Edinburgh Festival Fringes. Rosie has turned one of the shows that we talked about into a book: Is Monogamy Dead? Rethinking relationships in the 21st century: https://www.accentpress.co.uk/is-monogamy-dead And she also has a new podcast: The Breakup Monologues with Rosie Wilby: https://www.acast.com/thebreakupmonologues The original shownotes: A live recording of a GBA recorded at #edfringe 2014 at the Royal Oak as part of the PBH Free Fringe. This recording is unedited and posted in a no frills way due to the intensive workload of the festival, and for that reason these shows will also not have shownotes attached to them. Rosie Wilby: http://www.rosiewilby.com/ Rosie Wilby is a comedian, musician, writer and broadcaster based in London. As a comedian, s

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. This is the first of a four episode GBA Replayed season replaying some of the live episodes recorded at previous Edinburgh Festival Fringes. Fay has show's happening at Edinburgh 2018: The Selkie: A Song of Many Waters: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/selkie-a-song-of-many-waters Other Voices: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/other-voices-spoken-word-cabaret The original shownotes: A live recording of a GBA recorded at #edfringe 2014 at the Royal Oak as part of the PBH Free Fringe. This recording is unedited and posted in a no frills way due to the intensive workload of the festival, and for that reason these shows will also not have shownotes attached to them. 20th August: 20th August: Fay Roberts: http://www.fayroberts.co.uk/ Fay Roberts is a performance poet and peripatetic percussionist. By day she pokes projects and by night she projects across a micr

In GBA 340 we get better acquainted with Graham. He talks about cutting hair at Open Barbers, his new book The Shock Doctrine of the Left and developing London Radical Mindfulness. Which in some ways are all linked together in the deeper personal experiences, concepts and politics that thread the conversation together: change, complex systems, permeability, power, mental health, accessibility, theory, practice, healing, care, fluidity, left wing political tactics, and so much more. Graham plugs: The Shock Doctrine of the Left: http://politybooks.com/jones10052018/ Open Barbers: http://openbarbers.com/ London Radical Mindfulness: https://www.facebook.com/LondonRadicalMindfulness/ I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ Down to a sunless sea: memories of my dad: https://m

In GBA 339 we get even better acquainted with Lucy. She talks about the process of creating her debut novel One More Chance; the writing process, getting it published and promoting it. She also talks about how skills picked up performing in spoken word Edinburgh Fringe shows have helped with all this, her journey as a writer and novelist, her interest in stories about mermaids, and lots of other things. One More Chance is "Perfect for those who love gripping, contemporary, voice-driven drama and contemporary commercial women's fiction and suspense with an unusual edge." Lucy plugs: One More Chance:Trade Paperback/Digital/Audiobook: https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/books/detail.page?isbn=9780349700212 https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-More-Chance-Lucy-Ayrton/dp/0349700214 Dialogue Books: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/18/sharmaine-lovegrove-if-you-dont-have-diverse-workforce-wont-exist-dialogue-books-interview https://www.thebookseller.com/news/lovegrove-lead-new-inclusive-lbbg-imprint-dialogue-bo

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. ------------ In GBA 19 and GBA 43 we get better acquainted with Louise. We compare childhoods and confidence levels and talk about the death of Louise's stepdad and how his life and death have influenced her. We move out from there into a broader conversation about the death of people you love. Which makes it all sound very heavy, but there is plenty of light and warmth in this conversation. I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ Down to a sunless sea: memories of my dad: https://medium.com/@goosefat101/down-to-a-sunless-sea-memories-of-my-dad-d1d2d3a61360 The Family Tree: http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/ https://itunes.apple.com/gb/p

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. ------------ In GBA 78 we get better acquainted with Louise. She talks mostly about dance. But that doesn't mean the conversation is limited. We cover the experience of dancing, following and leading, the politics of dancing, a potted history of blues music, the relationship between types of dance, the connection between social struggle and dance, the etiquette of dance, the social value and demographics of dance, and even the science of dance! I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ Down to a sunless sea: memories of my dad: https://medium.com/@goosefat101/down-to-a-sunless-sea-memories-of-my-dad-d1d2d3a61360 The Family Tree: http://thef

It's another episode of GBA Replayed which showcases some of the conversations recorded in the early years of Getting Better Acquainted. ------------ In GBA 74 we get better acquainted with Mervyn who is still technically my Step Dad. He talks about growing up in Belfast during The Troubles, working in factories, teaching Physics in Dubai, teaching English in China, living in a tent on a roundabout and lots more. This was a complicated conversation for me, for many reasons, and it moves from personal history to social and political analysis and back. A lot of ground is covered. It is also the first podcast I've recorded while drinking Guinness. Mervyn doesn't plugs anything, but I mention a history of Genghis Kahn that I've been listening to. That history is made by the excellent podcaster Dan Carlin as part of his Hardcore History show: http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hharchive/Show-43---Wrath-of-the-Khans-I/Mongols-Genghis-Chingis http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hharchive/Show-44---Wrath-of-the

This Getting Better Acquainted Extra features my last true story as the host of Spark Hackney. It's really the story of how Spark and true storytelling came into my life and helped to change how I see my life. Spark True Stories: http://stories.co.uk Spark True Stories Podcast: https://www.acast.com/sparklondon TONIGHT: Awkward Age: A special night of stories: https://www.facebook.com/events/162825314413460/ Mentioned: Mansplaining Masculinity: https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ http://www.mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity The Family Tree: http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 338 we get better acquainted with Jessica. She talks about how she discovered reading and how she discovered audio, doing radio as a way to get into podcasting, unlearning and challenging values learnt in childhoods, the complex political situations we are experiencing and the history that has formed them, and so much more. Jessica Stone presents Dear Reader, "the no-review book show about what we read, and why it matters" which is currently in the process of transitioning from a community radio show into a podcast. Jess plugs: Dear Reader: https://www.mixcloud.com/DearReaderShow/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DearReaderShow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DearReaderShow/ I plug: Mansplaining Masculinity: The Book https://unbound.com/books/mansplaining-masculinity/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ Down to a sunless sea: memories of my dad: https://