Creating The North

Creating The North is a podcast from Gatto Nero Media. We talk to the North's creatives, find out what makes them tick, and discover their part in our region's future. From entrepreneurs, playwrights and photographers to public figures, business leaders and authors, all of Northern life is here. In this month's episode, we chat to Isabelle Kenyon and Rob Martin.

In 2018, Isabelle Kenyon founded Fly on the Wall Press, a political publisher of fiction and poetry, achieving Small Press finalist status at the British Book Awards for the past four years and winning Small Press of the Year for the North of England in 2024. Fly on the Wall also won Promotion of Environmental Sustainability at the Manchester Culture Awards 2024. Based in Manchester, she is the author of psychological thriller The Dark Within Them and various poetry collections including Growing Pains.

Rob Martin is a freelance writer, author and marketing consultant. He’s worked for Time Out, Manchester International Festival and a variety of arts organisations, used to teach film at MMU, and also works with several community interest companies concerned with social justice. During lockdown, he published a children’s book about an autistic boy and his carer dog saving the work from aliens by teaching them what fun, kindness and love are, only then to be diagnosed as autistic himself. Rob is now convinced that art imitates life more than ever.

Creating The North is a podcast from Gatto Nero Media. We talk to the North's creatives, find out what makes them tick, and discover their part in our region's future. From entrepreneurs, playwrights and photographers to public figures, business leaders and authors, all of Northern life is here. In this month's episode, we chat to artists Jen Orpin and Nan Collantine.

Creating The North is a new podcast from Gatto Nero Media. We talk to the North’s creatives, find out what makes them tick, and discover their part in our region’s future.

From entrepreneurs, playwrights and photographers to public figures, business leaders and authors, all of Northern life is here.

In our second episode, we chat to Carl Austin-Behan and David Catterall.

A former member of the Royal Air Force, Carl was the first openly gay Lord Mayor of Greater Manchester and also Mr Gay UK. He is currently LGBTQI+  Adviser to Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham. In addition, Carl set up Fighting With Pride, a military charity created on the 20th anniversary of the complete lifting of the ban on LGBTQI+ service – the ‘gay ban’.

David is Head of Commercial Services at Bury Council and is responsible for the 'world-famous' Bury Market. David is the lead for Bury Pride and Co-Chair of Bury LGBTQI+ Forum. He is also Vice-Chair of The Met in Bury.

In our first episode, we chat to Simon Buckley and Dean Kirby. Simon's photography focuses on transition and regeneration during the twilight of dawn and dusk in our urban and rural areas, often in Manchester and Salford. As Not Quite Light, he also produces work with imagery, film, text, audio, music and performance.

Dean Kirby is a journalist and historian who specialises in telling stories from the streets of Northern England. His journalism roles included Northern Correspondent for The Independent and he is the author of non-fiction books about working class lives in the North. He also runs walking tours in Angel Meadow, Manchester.