THE SPACESHIP EARTH PODCAST

In this episode I’m in conversation with Andy Cato, an award-winning mixed arable and livestock farmer and co-founder of Wildfarmed Grain.This was a treat on many fronts. Not just because Andy is a fascinating human doing extraordinary work to regenerate our planet but this conversation connects up many of my own deep interests. Before forming Wild Farmed Grain Andy was one half of music act Groove Armada and started his journey with music in the early nineties going on to become a massive global artist and DJ, releasing over 8 albums, touring all over the world and next year will celebrate 25 years of music. But Andy’s story continued to evolve as he learnt about the impacts our industrial food systems are having on both planetary and human health which kickstarted his inquiry into food growing, farm ownership and his own stark experiences witnessing dying soils and the devastating impacts of industrial agriculture. His experimental nature and curious enquiring mind led him to the conclusion that regenerating soils for both climate and food is an urgent and pressing task for humanity and he has spent a decade developing farming methodologies where plants, animals and soils are all working in deep symbiosis, and farmers, bakers, millers and customers work together to create highly nutritious grains, flours and products in a value system that works for everyone. Cut to 2021 and Wild Farmed Grain is making noise and beginning to spread from the underground, fast becoming the flour of choice of chefs and bakers around the country. His original 100Ha farm in Gascony, where his farming journey began, was recognised as the most innovative farm in France when awarded the prestigious Lauréat National de l'Agro-Ecologie 2020. He is the first Englishman to be awarded the Chevalier L’Order Merit de Agricole - the equivalent of a knighthood for services to agriculture. Now on British soil, Andy is on a mission to take what he’s learned and help other farmers adopt his WildFarmed system so they can produce wheat that is not only more tasty and nutritious, but that eats up huge quantities of CO2 and restores soil health and biodiversity. This was a wide ranging conversation, Andy has lived an extraordinary life and his knowledge, energy and dedication to building a new regenerative and community led food system is incredible - and for me to have a conversation which included raving , house music, the symbiosis of plant and animal relationships, soil health, complexity, human health, climate action and sourdough was an absolute treat. I hope you enjoy it. Available on all podcast platforms. Community and LinksAn Agricultural Testament - Albert Howardhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Agricultural_Testament The One Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/976905.The_One_Straw_RevolutionKiss the groundhttps://kisstheground.com/Groove Armadahttps://www.groovearmada.com/We Are Growhttps://wearegrow.org/Connect:www.instagram.com/wildfarmedhttps://wildfarmed.co.uk/—————Play out track:Sasha - Corner shophttps://sasha.bandcamp.com/album/luzoscuraThanks for listening to The Spaceship Earth Podcast.Host: Dan Burgess @dansolo__Edit: Charlie ShreadShownotes: Vicki TurnerMusic: Escape Goat by Soren LorensonJoin us on Instagram: @thespaceship.earthSubscribe to monthly newsletter: becomingcrew.substack.com/welcomeIf you wish to support The Spaceship Earth podcast, please leave us a review or share your favourite episode on social media, as this helps others find the podcast. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

“When I lived in the Netherlands, even when you work on a project that you hope fixes something, like plastic recycling, at the end of the day you go to a supermarket to buy something, like a banana, shipped from Columbia. Then you sleep in a house that’s built from concrete, then you take a car somewhere, then there’s the roads, the lights that are always on, just to keep that Dutch system going. Or not necessarily a Dutch system, a western system. They leave big footprints, way more than people in other countries in the world. So I felt very much like, ‘Damn you are trying to fix problems, but you are here part of the problem by living here in this world.’ How can we structure life that you can still work on these things, but you don’t make a mess somewhere else.”Dave Hakkens is an award winning and disruptive designer from the Netherlands. Graduating and launching two projects, Phone Bloks and Precious Plastic in 2013, he continued to develop open-source projects that address global environmental problems. Dave is a maverick in his field, and continues to learn and develop the skills to build communities around interconnected problems, in the hope for a better world. Listen to Dan and Dave discuss: - The journey from a design graduate to an army of change makers - Phone Blocks: A modular phone design where parts, not the whole device, can be upgraded - Precious Plastic: Open-source plastic recycling machines for all- Evolving team, community, funding and awards for Precious Plastic - One Army: Interconnected communities that solve global problems - Developing skills in how to build a community around a problem - Project Kamp: Prototyping a way of living that’s least wasteful - Observing land to see what she and the community needs- Full time van life; is it cheating? - Intentional living and our interdependence with the natural world - Power of the internet, simplicity and playfulness to communicate with the world - Fixing Fashion: Using the power of fashion to dictate what is cool, especially repaired clothes. - Building software to help build effective communities - It’s time to serve the environment on Spaceship Earth Community and Links Projects:Fixing Fashion - https://fixing.fashionOne Army - https://www.onearmy.earthPrecious Plastic - https://preciousplastic.comPhone Bloks: https://www.onearmy.earth//project/phonebloks Places: NetherlandsPortugal Connect:https://www.instagram.com/davehakkens/ ————— Play out track:Glimmer in the Dark by Trilucid & Esquehttps://www.beatport.com/track/glimmer-in-the-dark-extended-mix/14389742 Thanks for listening to The Spaceship Earth Podcast. Host: Dan Burgess @dansolo__Edit: Charlie ShreadShownotes: Vicki TurnerMusic: Escape Goat by Soren LorensonJoin us on Instagram: @thespaceship.earthSubscribe to monthly newsletter: https://becomingcrew.substack.com/welcome If you wish to support The Spaceship Earth podcast, please leave us a review or share your favourite episode on social media, as this helps enormously. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

“The truth of it seems to me that it’s not that the more than human world is something which some people have a particular affinity for and other people don’t, we all do. It’s something from childhood. Children adore animals, they dream of animals so often. Their sense of curiosity and comfort is often from animals. Their companions are very often from the more than human world. I think, in a sense that maybe that’s part of the clue to why so many people lose it, is because it’s treated as if it’s something that we grow out of. As if we move from that, living beautiful, welling-up word, of zest, of spirit, of vitality, as if we move out of that, into this concrete enclosed world and that is what growing up is about and that is what this so called real world is about.”Jay Griffiths is a courageous and award winning writer and author. Her writing feels crucially important to these times we are living in.Along with her books including, Why Rebel, Wild: An Elemental Journey and Kith: The Riddle of the Childscape, she also writes for The Guardian, The Idler and Orion Magazine. Jay is a fierce advocate for wild places, the landscapes we belong to and our relationship to the more than human world. Listen to Dan and Jay explore her new book - Why Rebel, which she reads from in this podcast, as they discuss: - Early threads of interest in a writer’s life - Awakening to what we all know - Why Rebel. Letter to an Endling- From silence to speech - Non violent protests evolving culture - Extinction Rebellion. Knowledge, understanding, devotion, service and disciplined fury - The danger of lies and the importance of truth - Integration of the ancient and the modern - Children carrying the burden of responsibility - Indigenous philosophy; Seven Generations and Who Speaks for Wolf - Recognising english history and the celtic connection to land - Land knowledge rather than land ownership - Insects and tears - Stupidity and genocidal capitalism - It’s not about speaking better. But speaking differently - The wonder and life beneath our feet. Not on Mars - Court statement that brought judge to tears Community and Links People:Nick Hayes (Author, The Book of Trespass)Guy Shrubsole ( Author, Who owns England) Projects/Books:Extinction Rebellion - https://extinctionrebellion.ukWhy Rebel - http://jaygriffiths.com/books/why-rebel/ Places: WalesIrelandCornwallEnglandWest PapuaBristol (Enslaver, Edward Colston) Connect:Jay Griffiths - http://jaygriffiths.comBuy Why Rebelhttp://jaygriffiths.com/books/why-rebel/ ————— Play out track:The Waves - Waterboyshttps://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-waterboys/541457 Thanks for listening to The Spaceship Earth Podcast. Host: Dan Burgess @dan__burgessEdit: Charlie ShreadShownotes: Vicki TurnerMusic: Escape Goat by Soren LorensonJoin us on Instagram: @thespaceship.earthSubscribe to monthly newsletter: https://becomingcrew.substack.com/welcome If you wish to support The Spaceship Earth podcast, please leave us a review or share your favourite episode on social media, or donate a price of a cuppa for an episode you enjoyedhttps://ko-fi.com/thespaceshipearthThis all helps enormously. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

“So when we start looking into ideas like regenerative cultures, you can see the ways we’ve learned to treat one another, which starts to link to the social justice element, of ways of using each other, abusing each other, and treating each other like s**t, to be quite honest. And what we’ve done is taken that same energy to the earth, but the earth is kicking us out like we’re bad tenants; and that’s what’s happening with climate change. And the only way we can really resolve the issues with the environment and climate, is by solving the ways that we treat one another and puting love, duty and care at the heart of everything we do and this is where I feel that Covid has really began to highlight that for us; what can society look like when we help each other?”Daze Aghaji is a climate justice activist and a history and politics student at Goldsmiths University. In 2019, she became the youngest person to run as a MEP candidate at just nineteen years of age. Her advocacy for radical systemic change has seen her work with major NGOs, leading charities and grassroots change makers all across the globe. She’s currently a member of Extinction Rebellion and a trustee at Belgrave Trust, championing regenerative cultures, intersectionality, environmental justice, youth political engagement and funding social change.Listen to Dan and Daze discuss: - Formative years and the journey into climate activism - Reflections as a European member of parliament candidate - Covid lifting the veil upon systemic injustice - Finding and raising our voice as a collective - Resilience, self belief and community care - Identifying blind spots and inviting marginalized voices to help find solutions - Encouraging and supporting young dreamers to envision new futures - Overcoming conditioning and human constructs to make change - Uncovering the hidden consequences of destructive actions - How to support and empower those suffering eco-anxiety - Healing; an inside job. - Mixed feelings for COP26. When will something be done? - Community solutions. No-one is forgotten - Involvement creates change. How can you better this world? - We’re all crew upon Spaceship Earth! Community and Links People:Roger Hallam (Co-founder of XR)Greta Thunberg Projects:Extinction Rebellion - https://extinctionrebellion.ukForce of Nature - https://www.forceofnature.xyz/COP26 - https://ukcop26.org Places: LondonLincolnshireSkegnessEuropePhoto: Amber PinkertonConnect Instagram: @dazeaghaji ————— Play out track:People Help the People - Birdie https://music.apple.com/gb/album/people-help-the-people-ep/473981658 Thanks for listening to The Spaceship Earth Podcast. Host: Dan Burgess @dan__burgessEdit: Charlie ShreadShownotes: Vicki TurnerMusic: Escape Goat by Soren LorensonJoin us on Instagram: @thespaceship.earthSubscribe to monthly newsletter: https://becomingcrew.substack.com/welcome If you wish to support The Spaceship Earth podcast, please leave us a review or share your favourite episode on social media, as this helps others find it. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

“I think we’ve had to move from teacher to student. On environmental work and on outdoor experiences, for a long time we’ve been in a position of authority, if that’s the right word, but at least a voice that people looked to or listened to when we’ve wanted to talk about outdoor sport, great product, and environmental work. But with regards to climate justice, social justice and anti-racism, we’ve had to really step into the seat of the student. And that is humbling, but it’s what’s needed.”Alex Weller is the Marketing Director for Patagonia in Europe. With a bold company mission, ‘We’re in business to save our home planet’, Alex builds communities in outdoor sport through environmental activism and participates in bringing forth a new paradigm of regenerative business. A passionate snowboarder, a trustee of Protect our Winters and an advisor for Creatives for Climate, Alex’s relentless devotion to planetary health is both impressive and inspiring.Listen to Dan and Alex discuss: - His transformative journey to Patagonia - Working with an intimidating yet empowering company mission statement - The intersection and complexity of brand building in outdoor sports and environmental activism - Supporting employee activism - Patagonia’s foundation, One Percent For The Planet - Films to increase awareness of environmental issues and lead people into action - Dark truths, corporate and political powers behind extractive industrial systems and the importance in sharing these stories - Drawing attention, excitement and participation in community owned clean renewable energy with new campaign We the Power - Meaningful ideas distorted into polarised politics - Intersectional crises of climate justice, social justice and anti-racism - Consumerism; the elephant in the room - Repair, recycle, recommerce and regeneration - Patagonia Worn Wear- A new philosophy; design for repair (not obsolescence) - Vjosa Forever campaign- Global justice Links: We the Powerhttps://www.patagonia.com/stories/we-the-power/video-97465.htmlPower For The People: https://powerforpeople.org.ukBlue Heart: https://blueheart.patagonia.comVjosa Forever: https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/films/vjosa-forever/Artifishal: https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/stories/artifishal/video-79192.htmlPublic Trust: https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/films/public-trust/Worn Wear https://wornwear.patagonia.com/Action Workshttps://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/actionworks/Dream Spacehttps://thedreamspace.co.uk/exhibition/ BooksLet My People Go Surfing: https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/product/let-my-people-go-surfing-revised-paperback-book/BK067.htmlhttps://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/product/the-responsible-company-what-weve-learned-from-patagonias-first-forty-years-paperback-book/BK233.htmlhttps://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/family-business/ Connect: https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/home/ Instagram: @alex_weller@patagoniaeurope@patagonia ————— Play out track:Max Cooper - Perpetual Motion https://maxcooper.bandcamp.com/track/perpetual-motion Thanks for listening to The Spaceship Earth Podcast. Host: Dan Burgess @dansolo__Edit: Charlie ShreadShownotes: Vicki TurnerMusic: Escape Goat by Soren LorensonJoin us on Instagram: @thespaceship.earthSubscribe to monthly newsletter: https://becomingcrew.substack.com/welcome If you wish to support The Spaceship Earth podcast, please leave us a review or share your favourite episode on social media, as this helps enormously. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

This is episode 3 of a 3 episode series from Dream Space hosted via The SpaceShip Earth podcast.“There has been a shift globally in the way in which racial disparities are spoken about. This is no longer a conversation happening ‘off the record’ for fear of backlash, this is a conversation happening out in the open. I truly believe that having conversations, listening to stories, and recognizing the experiences of members of our community creates space for healing, growth, and change. Hopefully, this episode will be an opportunity for you to learn something or confront an uncomfortable topic or maybe this episode will allow you to realize you’re not alone if you have also experienced racism in Bath.”Ruqia Osman is an Anti-Racism activist and Dream Space crew member, and hosts this episode ‘Life in Bath and experiences of racism,’ bringing together some of the powerful and moving personal stories shared with Dream Space in Autumn/Winter 2020. Through poetry, spoken word, reflections and ramblings, these stories give us a unique insight into what it’s like to experience racism in the city, the challenges but also opportunities for change, and how together, we can create a kinder and more inclusive Bath.Stories shared in October 2020, and podcast episode recorded in February 2021 - Listen to this selection of stories and discover:The different forms racism can take, from direct abuse to microaggressions, and how these impact people’s lives in the city every dayThe positive change happening in Bath to address racismWhy now is the time to address the culture of whitenessHow allies can become actively anti-racist How, we as a community, can create a more inclusive BathLinks:The Dream Space Website: https://thedreamspace.co.uk The Dream Space exhibition: https://thedreamspace.co.uk/exhibition featuring a series of short films, podcast episodes and stories gallery and all of the stories shared with Dream Space, which revealed the lived experiences of the pandemic, racism and the climate & ecological crisis in Bath.Thanks for listening to The Dream Space Bath podcast Host: Ruqia Osman @itsruqiaa (instagram) @ruqiaOsm (twitter)Edit: Charlie ShreadShownotes: Bex FoxJoin us on Instagram: @the_dream_space #DreamSpace BathDream Space is a collaboration with Good for Nothing and Wild Labs supported by the Emerging Futures fund from the National LotteryOrganisations / Resources mentionedBath Against Racism - https://m.facebook.com/Bathonelove (organisers of the Blacks Lives Matter peaceful protest)Black Families Education Support Group - https://www.educationequals.org.uk/ Privilege Cafe - https://twitter.com/privilegecafeUniversity of Bath Amnesty Society - https://www.instagram.com/bathuniamnesty Good for Nothing - https://www.goodfornothing.com Wild Labs - https://wildlabs.is/https://www.emergingfuturesfund.com/ Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

This is episode 2 of a 3 episode series from Dream Space hosted via The SpaceShip Earth podcast.“2020 was the hottest year on record, I mean, we’re just breaking records left, right and centre, is a terrifying reality, particularly when most of the world’s population didn’t go anywhere, and life as we know it was on hold. However, despite this huge huge challenge ahead of us, I do feel hopeful, and genuinely the reason I feel hopeful, is by hearing stories like this, whether it’s knowing there’s a way through climate grief, or hearing about all the brilliant work happening on a local level, which is being led by grassroots community organisations, you know we’re not waiting for change to happen elsewhere, we’re taking that and owning it….”Dream Space crew member, Bex Fox has been involved in the climate movement since moving to Bath five years ago, and hosts this episode ‘Life in Bath and the climate & ecological crisis,’ bringing together some of the fascinating and inspiring personal stories shared with Dream Space in Autumn/Winter 2020. Through poetry, reflections and ramblings, these stories give us a unique insight into Bath’s climate movement, and encourage us all to imagine what a city in balance with nature could look like in the future. Recorded in February 2021 - Listen to this selection of stories and discover:The different paths a green journey can take What it means to be an activist or ‘actively’ involved in the climate movement on a local level How communities are leading climate action in Bath The challenges of working / gifting time in this space, and how we can overcome themThe opportunities for change here in BathLinks:The Dream Space Website: https://thedreamspace.co.uk The Dream Space exhibition: https://thedreamspace.co.uk/exhibition featuring a series of short films, podcast episodes and stories gallery and all of the stories shared with Dream Space, which revealed the lived experiences of the pandemic, racism and the climate & ecological crisis in Bath.Thanks for listening to The Dream Space Bath podcast Host: Bex Fox @bexbexfoxfox (twitter + instagram) Edit: Charlie ShreadShownotes: Bex FoxJoin us on Instagram: @the_dream_space #DreamSpaceBathDream Space is a collaboration with Good for Nothing and Wild Labs supported by the Emerging Futures fund from the National LotteryOrganisations / Resources mentionedBath & North East Somerset Green Party https://bath.greenparty.org.uk/ Blooming Whiteway https://www.bloomingwhiteway.com/ Extinction Rebellion Bath https://xrbath.org.uk/ Extinction Rebellion Bath Youth https://xrbath.org.uk/event/bath-xr-youth-130820/ / https://www.instagram.com/xryouth.bath/ FACE (Families Acting on Climate Emergency) http://www.familiesactingonclimateemergency.org.uk/ Greenpeace Bath - https://greenwire.greenpeace.org.uk/s/group/0F94H000000CHkxSAG/bath-greenpeace Liveable Neighborhoods - https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/liveable-neighbourhoods The Work That Reconnects - https://workthatreconnects.org/ Tufa Field Campaign - https://tufafield.ddns.net/ Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

This is episode 1 of a 3 episode series from Dream Space hosted via The SpaceShip Earth podcast.“The pandemic has touched every single person in our city, but although we’re in the same storm, we’re all in very different boats. Life in Bath has changed forever. So, with the UK Government's big reveal of the roadmap onto the other side of the pandemic, I feel its increasingly important to take some time to reflect on what we’ve been through, to understand the things within Bath that absolutely have to change as and when we go forward, and explore the possibility of creating a brighter, kinder and more compassionate future here.”Bex Fox is a Bath resident and member of the Dream Space crew, and hosts this episode ‘Life in Bath and the Pandemic,’ bringing together some of the incredibly powerful and moving personal stories shared with Dream Space in Autumn/Winter 2020. Through spoken word, poetry, songs, reflections and ramblings, these stories give us a unique insight into how Covid-19 has changed life in the city we call home, and encourage us all to imagine what life could be like in Bath in the future. Stories shared in November 2020, and podcast recorded in February 2021 - Listen to this selection of stories and discover:Bath citizens’ reflections and observations - what changed, the challenges, and the good that emerged How people managed, in their own ways, to cope - from music, poetry, wild swimming, to gifting time How the landscape in Bath has changed - from independent businesses, the arts scene, to sustainability in the city The beautiful spirit of the Bath community - initiatives that popped up to help those most in needThe opportunities for positive change, the desire for connection and collaboration Links:The Dream Space Website: https://thedreamspace.co.uk The Dream Space exhibition: https://thedreamspace.co.uk/exhibition featuring a series of short films, podcast episodes and stories gallery and all of the stories shared with Dream Space, which revealed the lived experiences of the pandemic, racism and the climate & ecological crisis in Bath.Thanks for listening to The Dream Space Bath podcast Host: Bex Fox @bexbexfoxfox (twitter + instagram) Edit: Charlie ShreadShownotes: Bex FoxJoin us on Instagram: @the_dream_space #DreamSpaceBathDream Space is a collaboration with Good for Nothing and Wild Labs supported by the Emerging Futures fund from the National LotteryOrganisations / Resources mentionedBA1 Radio - https://ba1.radio/ Bath & North East Somerset 3rd Sector Group - https://www.3sg.org.uk/ Compassionate Community Hub - https://www.compassioncb.org.uk/wellbeing Bath Open Water Beauts - https://www.instagram.com/bathopenwaterbeauts/ Foldall - https://twitter.com/foldalluk (please note this project has now completed its mission and is closed)I Am We Are - Jamie Colston (the host of our Dream Space Pandemic gathering) http://www.iamweare.co.uk/ Theatre Bath - https://theatrebath.co.uk/ Good for Nothing - https://www.goodfornothing.com www.wildlabs.ishttps://www.emergingfuturesfund.com/ Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

“Really the best way to understand blue mind is to start with what I call, red mind, and that is our new normal, we’re stressed, we’re anxious, we’re falling behind in many aspects of our lives. We’re distracted. We’ve got this technology everywhere we look. I’ve got technology in my face and in my ears, and that’s our new normal. We dive into a melee of input of sensory overload. And it takes it’s toll on us. Red mind is very useful, it’s the reason why we have that mind state because it’s powerfully useful, it’s where we get things done, it’s where we drive for advancements, it’s where we compete. But if you stay in red mind too long, you will end up in grey mind, which is burnout, and breakdown and disconnect.”Dr Wallace. J Nichols is a renowned marine-biologist, wild water advocate and author of the bestselling book - Blue Mind: How Water Makes You Happier, More Connected and Better at What You Do. His experiences as a field research scientist, government consultant, teacher, mentor, public speaker, parent, founder and director of businesses and nonprofit organisations, all support his quest to build a stronger and more diverse global blue movement.Listen to Dan and Dr Wallace. J discuss: - Intersection of the personal and professional - Shades of mind. Red, grey and blue - Water, a conversation enhancer - Humans as aquatic creatures - Water as therapy and transformation - What’s your water story? - Access to water in times of ‘progress’ - Blue mind intersecting with sustainability - Activating our blue mind- The blue marble Links: Blue Mind Book Club: https://www.facebook.com/wallacejnichols Blue Marbles: https://www.wallacejnichols.org/130/blue-marbles.htmlThe Blue Mind challenge: https://www.wallacejnichols.org/116/1428/the-blue-mind-challenge.html Connect: Web : https://wallacejnichols.org/Twitter : https://twitter.com/wallacejnicholsPlay out track:CJ Mirra - Everglade Parade - Original Surf Soundtracks Vol 1https://cjmirra.bandcamp.com/album/static-original-surf-soundtracks-vol-1 ————— Thanks for listening to The Spaceship Earth Podcast. Host: Dan Burgess @dansolo__Edit: Charlie ShreadShownotes: Vicki TurnerMusic: Escape Goat by Soren LorensonJoin us on Instagram: @thespaceship.earth If you wish to support The Spaceship Earth podcast, please leave us a review or share your favourite episode on social media, as this helps enormously. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

“The fact that other people were trying to save my life, I can’t give up. I’ve been given a second chance, I can’t stop or not try. It makes you think how precious life is, and really any second, any moment, you can be put at risk, which I was. I was on the edge of living and dying. And I was so grateful to be given a chance again.” - Olive BurgessI wasn’t sure I could continue with my podcast after my daughter Olive fell critically ill in November. I have struggled to find the point of it for the last couple of months. But with perspective I’ve concluded that the podcast is important to me, a regenerative practice that makes me a better human through the process of making them. So I’m committing to trying to record each week now in year 3(!) and release two a month. To mark this transition is this very personal episode 43, a conversation with my 13 year old daughter Olive Burgess - which took place early January, a couple of weeks after she came home from nearly 7 weeks in Bristol Royal Children’s hospital after emergency brain surgery following a sudden seizure one night in November. In some ways this conversation represents a part of Olive’s and my own sense making and processing of what was a hugely traumatic and terrifying experience, it tries to document what happened that night and the following days and weeks and then focusses in on Olive’s reflections on the whole experience and coming to terms with how this and the cause of it is impacting her life. Ultimately it’s a story of a courageous, determined, resilient and very humble teenager dealing with an enormous physical and mental trauma, it’s a story of learning to live with uncertainty and the flipside of that, of trying to be here now, living in the present of everyday. It's a story of the extraordinary NHS humans who treated and cared for her. It also reveals the tremendous power in the love and support of community, family, friends - known and unknown - who emerge, reach out and self organise in times of crisis to hold us through the darkest of times.I hope you take something from the listen. Peace and Out.__________Olive Burgess, daughter of host Dan Burgess is a thirteen year old dancer and surfer who loves to cook. However on the evening of 12th of November 2020 she suffered a sudden and major stroke. Listen to Olive speak with great clarity as she reflects upon her life threatening experience:- Olive’s unexpected seizure, paralysis and emergency ambulance trip- Five hour brain surgery at Bristol Royal Children’s Hospital- Regaining consciousness and learning she had a stroke- Experience of confusion, tiredness, yet no fear- Deep connections made with nurses, patients and the rehab’ team- Six weeks of scans, tests and ward rounds- Unexpected difficulties of returning home with FOMO, frustration and sadness- Craving her thirteen year old life prior to the stroke- Living with an AVM condition- Expressing all the emotions as a form of medicine- Overwhelming support from family, friends and strangers across the world- Limitations, fears and invisibility whilst in a wheelchair- What got Olive through her experience? Percy Pigs and much more.Special thanks to the NHS, family and friends, old and new, who showed support, love and community to the Burgess family—————Thanks for listening to The Spaceship Earth PodcastHost: Dan Burgess @dansolo__Edit: Charlie ShreadShownotes: Vicki TurnerMusic: Escape Goat by Soren LorensonJoin us on Instagram: @thespaceship.earth_____Linkshttps://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/OliveBurgesshttps://www.grandappeal.org.uk/Florence & The Machine - Spectrum ( Say my name) Calvin Harris Remix Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe