OffScript

Clare Farrell, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion and advocate for free speech, teams up with artist Ian Bruce, known for his vivid portraits and active role in grassroots movements. They delve into how art fuels activism and redefines protest aesthetics. Clare reflects on XR's visual identity, while Ian shares how activism reshaped his artistic purpose. They also explore the importance of community in challenging systemic barriers and the power of creative collaboration in addressing the climate crisis. Their engaging dialogue inspires listeners to imagine radical change.

In part 2 we’re looking at the impact of politics on the most recent productions from Dash Arts. We explore our 2025 production of The Reckoning, which brought real-life testimonies from Ukraine to the stage, and the upcoming 2026 production of Our Public House, inspired by speeches from people across England. Marina Pesenti, former Director of the Ukrainian Institute, looks back at how more than a decade of artistic research, events and productions deepened our understanding of the Ukrainian context and enriched the work. Similarly, playwright Barney Norris reflects on the challenges of continuing to navigate the shifting political and social landscape in the UK and its influence on Our Public House.Go to the Dash Arts website for your tickets to We Are Free To Change The World; a new series of three Dash Cafés exploring how artists and creative activists respond to the urgency of our times. Through performance, film and conversation, each event will bring together creative voices to consider how we act and how we do this together. Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi And you can hear audio taken from Dash Arts’ production of The Reckoning at Arcola Theatre in May-June 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special two-part series, we're celebrating Dash Arts' 20th birthday by looking back at how politics has impacted our work over the past two decades.In episode one, join Josephine Burton as she explores how artists and creative activists respond to the urgency of our times. Hear from storyteller Sophie Austin on our production of One Thousand and One Nights, which challenged preconceived notions of Arabic culture, and from musician Sasha Ilyukevich who performed in our Dash Arts Dachas, some of which were covertly visited by the Russian Embassy. Discovering how our mission to challenge the way we see the world is woven into our DNA, and how life and global politics have consistently broken down the walls into the theatre.With music from Sasha Ilyukevich & The Highly Skilled Migrants entitled KOLYA - КОЛЯ.Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From working with rappers in Beiruti basements to gathering musicians from all the conservatoires of ex-Soviet Republics in the mountains of Georgia and wild late nights in a tent with the Dash Arts Dacha, this episode celebrates the music and sounds woven through the last 20 years of Dash Arts.Josephine Burton acts as a guide across Dash Arts’ many musical projects, sharing stories and music from Dash’s multi-year seasons of artistic work. We hear about Dash’s journeys in the Arabic world, former Soviet States, Europe and its current season exploring Englishness, with Albion. This episode is an invitation to listen in on two decades of music that continues to challenge, delight, and change how we hear the world.In the podcast, we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash Arts Marie Horner - Podcast Producer, Dash ArtsWe also hear from and celebrate these incredible artists:Sto Let - Iva Bittová and Vladimír VáclavekMy Show - Lyrical Alliance (Rabah Donquishoot (Algeria), Shadia Mansour (Palestine), Rayess Bek (Lebanon), Samm (Jordan), Tamer Nafar (Palestine) And DJ MK (UK))  Shadia + Johnny Juice for Lyrical AllianceQuata3et - Lyrical AllianceAmy Kakoura at a Dash Cafe at Warwick Arts Centre - February 2020  Maspindzeli Choir at a Dash Cafe at Rich Mix, July 2014 Hilda Lansman & Tuomas Norvio - VizarditZugzwang - Langham Research Centre Olesya Zdorovetska at a Dash Cafe at Rich Mix, January 2017  Song About a Friend - Vladimir VysotskyIryna Muha at a Dash Cafe at Rich Mix, April 2017The Renegade Orchestra (Evelina Petrova, Slava Guyvronsky, Matyakubov Shavkat, Misha Alperin, Reso Kiknadze, Zoltan Almashi, Natasha Pshenitschnikova, Vladimir Volkov, Kryukova Marina, Sergei Starostin and Petr Glavatskikh and composer Alexander Manotskov, playwright Natalia Vorozhbyt and director Galina Pyanova) Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants at the Dash Arts Dacha at Latitude Festival July 2017 One Hundred Moons from Dido’s Bar - (recorded by Samira Brahmia and Marouf Majidi with Hattie Naylor, Tuukka Leppänen, Riku Kantola and Josephine Burton).The cast and house band of Dido’s Bar (Gemma Barnett, Priscille Grace, Tuukka Leppänen, Lola May, Lahcen Razzougui, Georgina White, Marouf Majidi, Ben Sutcliffe and the Dido’s Bar House Band)  Songs for Babyn Yar - Music composed and arranged by Yuriy Gurzhy, Svetlana Kundish and Mariana Sadovska.Ey, Güzel Qırım sung by the cast from Crimea 5am.Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 32 performances, more than 1,700 bowls of salad and a clutch of four and five star reviews; our 5 week opening run of The Reckoning has drawn to a close. In this episode we wanted to share with you some of the incredible voices and stories who joined us at Arcola in Dalston in calling for justice for Ukraine.Written by Anastasiia Kosodii and Josephine Burton, and directed by Burton, The Reckoning is a vivid and powerful new play about war, survival and the fragile trust between those who uncover the truth and those who must live with it.This is our last episode before we have a summer holiday so we’ll be back in September!In the podcast, we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash Arts Marie Horner - Podcast Producer, Dash ArtsJanine di Giovanni - Journalist and Executive Director of The Reckoning ProjectAnd reflections and performances recorded live at the Arcola TheatreDr Olesya Khromeychuk - Writer and Director of Ukrainian Institute, LondonPeter Pomerantsev - Journalist, Author and Executive Editor at The Reckoning ProjectTsvetelina van Benthem - Senior Legal Advisor at The Reckoning Project and Lecturer at Oxford UniversityViv Groskop - Author and JournalistLuke Harding - Journalist and AuthorOlia Hercules - Chef, Food Writer and AuthorDr Yulia Ioffe - International Lawyer & Associate Professor of Humanitarian Law and Human Rights at University College LondonNataliya Gumenyuk - Journalist and CEO of Public Interest Journalism LabTom Godwin - Actor, The ReckoningMarianne Oldham - Actor, The Reckoning Olga Safronova - Actor, The Reckoning Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi Music from The Reckoning by Anton Baibakov We’d like to that the following supporters; The Reckoning Project, AHRC Impact Acceleration Account Award from the University of Cambridge, Public Interest Journalism Lab, Open Society Foundations, Nick Tranter in the name of 4Ukraine Humanitarian Aid, Fritt Ord Foundation, Goethe-Institut in Exile, Goethe-Institut London, SAV Group, Royal Victoria Hall Foundation, The Golsoncott Foundation, and the many individuals who have made this possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month Dash’s brand new production, The Reckoning, opens at The Arcola Theatre in Dalston. Co-Writer and Director Josephine Burton gives you a taste of what to expect from this vivid and powerful new play about war, survival and the fragile trust between those who uncover the truth and those who must live with it.Book your tickets for The Reckoning on the Arcola Theatre’s website.Based on real events within The Reckoning Project’s verified archive of witness testimonies of the Russian war in Ukraine, The Reckoning is playful and unsettling, blending storytelling with movement, music and cooking.As the performance ends, the conversation continues in Food for Thought. Audiences will be invited to hear reflections from expert speakers, journalists, lawyers, and those with lived experience of the conflict. Written by Anastasiia Kosodii and Josephine Burton, and directed by Burton.In the podcast, we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash Arts Tom Godwin - The Man from StoyankaMarianne Oldham - The JournalistOlga Safronova - Olga / Echo Simeon Kylsyi - Sam / EchoMarie Horner - Podcast ProducerOur intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi Music from The Reckoning by Anton Baibakov We’d like to that the following supporters; The Reckoning Project, Royal Victoria Hall Foundation, AHRC Impact Acceleration Account Award from the University of Cambridge, Public Interest Journalism Lab, Open Society Foundations, Nick Tranter in the name of 4Ukraine Humanitarian Aid, Fritt Ord Foundation, Goethe-Institut in Exile, Goethe-Institut London, SAV Group, The Golsoncott Foundation, and the many individuals who have made this possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the role of the artist when faced with social and political unrest? This month as protests take place across the world, we’ve been thinking of the long history between art and protest. Every day this month Georgians, Turks, Americans and Serbians are on the streets speaking out against the country’s ruling governments. At Dash Arts we make art that challenges the world we all live in and this month we open our new theatre production, The Reckoning; based on witness testimonies from the Russian war in Ukraine.  Join Dash’s Artistic Director, Josephine Burton, as she revisits our 2024 interview with critically acclaimed journalist Peter Pomerantsev and catch up with Georgian Artist and Activist Ana Riaboshenko on what it’s been like since the Georgian Dream party, widely seen as pro-Russian, maintained its majority in last year’s elections. Professor Alan Finlayson also shares his insights from his new book - Our Subversive Voice: The History and Politics of English Protest Songs, 1600–2020.Book your tickets for The Reckoning on the Arcola Theatre’s website.In the podcast, we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash Arts Peter Pomerantsev - Journalist and AuthorAna Riaboshenko - Artist & one of the Initiators of Culture for DemocracyProfessor Alan Finlayson - Professor of Political and Social Theory at the University of East AngliaOur intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us round the kitchen table with acclaimed Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules and Dash’s Artistic Director Josephine Burton as they weave together cooking and storytelling in our latest production.Dash’s new production, The Reckoning, is a vivid and powerful new play about war, survival and the fragile trust between those who uncover the truth and those who must live with it.Co-writers Anastasiia Kosodii and Josephine Burton created the play from The Reckoning Project’s verified archive of witness testimonies of the Russian war in Ukraine. Find out why Olia’s insights and beautiful cooking is so vital to our staging of these experiences.To book tickets or to read more about The Reckoning see the Dash Arts website.If you haven’t already, you can hear the other episodes of this podcast mini-series on The Reckoning where we explore our process towards production, speaking to author and journalist Peter Pomerantsev on why he shared the testimonies with Dash as well as Rory Finnin, Professor of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Cambridge.In the podcast, we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash Arts Olia Hercules - Chef & The Reckoning Food ConsultantZoë Hurwitz - The Reckoning Set Designer Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi and throughout you can hear Tykho feat Syoda by composer of The Reckoning, Anton Baibakov. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to be at loggerheads with reality?"If a person who is at loggerheads with reality possesses an artistic gift... he can transform his phantasies into artistic creations instead of symptoms."— Sigmund Freud, Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis (1910)In this episode of the Dash Arts Podcast, Artistic Director Josephine Burton dives into two powerful exhibitions that challenge how we understand women, art, and mental health:🖼 Women & Freud: Patients, Pioneers, Artists – curated by Lisa Appignanesi and Bryony Davies🎨 Charlotte Johnson Wahl: What It Felt Like – at Bethlem Museum of the MindBoth exhibitions showcase art that reframes women’s stories and reclaims narratives of mental wellbeing.Josephine is joined by writer and long-term Dash Arts collaborator Hattie Naylor to discuss these themes in the context of their latest project, The Degenerates—a new production that will explore the overlooked female artists of Dr. Hans Prinzhorn’s groundbreaking collection.From 1919 to 1922, Prinzhorn gathered extraordinary artworks from psychiatric patients across Europe, publishing The Artistry of the Mentally Ill—a book that profoundly influenced 20th-century art. But while his collection celebrated creativity beyond the bounds of convention, many female artists were left out of the story. The Degenerates seeks to set the record straight.Listen as we uncover hidden histories, challenge perceptions, and explore the intersection of art, mental health, and power.See pictures from the two exhibitions on the Dash Arts podcast page. And you can follow our research towards The Degenerates on the Dash Arts blog: https://www.dasharts.org.uk/blog/our-artistic-director-on-research-for-a-new-dash-production In this episode we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director of Dash ArtsHattie Naylor - Writer & Visual ArtistLisa Appignanesi - Writer and Curator Colin Gale - Director of Bethlam Museum of the MindRebecca Raybone - Collections and Exhibitions Officer Bethlam Museum of the MindMarie Horner - Podcast Producer of Dash Arts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us in the rehearsal room as we craft a new epic - an origin story that celebrates and redefines the migration experience. Songs of Solidarity (the current working title for Dash Arts and Projekt Europa’s new project) brings together artists, researchers, and refugees to co-create a powerful music-theatre performance.In this episode we look at what makes epics, epic. We explore ancient epics like Kalevala, Gilgamesh, and the Odyssey with academics and then, with migrant artists, asylum seekers and refugees, investigate how we can create new ones rooted in solidarity, displacement, and friendship across time.You can see more in our short film and there’s more to come throughout 2025. In this episode we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director of Dash ArtsProfessor Fiona Macintosh - Emeritus Professor of Classical Reception, University of OxfordMaria Aberg - Artistic Director of PROJEKT EUROPAMarouf Majidi - composer and musicianSabrina Mahfouz - writer and poet  Luca Macchi - actor and musician Namvula Rennie - actor and musicianChen Xu - actor and musician Natalia Kakarkina - actor and musicianSurya Chandra - actor and musicianSongs of Solidarity is a PROJEKT EUROPA and Dash Arts co-production. This first phase of R&D was co-produced with the Cultural Programme at Oxford University, in partnership with the Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama at Oxford University, Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, and Asylum Welcome. We're particularly grateful to Fiona Macintosh for her support and encouragement. Our gratitude goes to all the wonderful international artists, academics and participants who enriched our project.Find out more at:www.projekteuropa.orgwww.dasharts.org.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.