Born and bred in Cwmtyleri in the valleys, David was a research molecular biologist for many years and Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University Medical School before deciding to change career to get involved in community regeneration. He is passionate about using  creative approaches in working with communities to help (re)connect people and place. His focus in recent years has been addressing health and wellbeing challenges. He currently works as the Nature and Wellbeing Lead for RSPB Cymru. Music and drumming are amongst his main interests outside work.

This was a really enjoyable conversation with Paul,  who helps communities and organisations turn local knowledge into practical solutions without the slow, top-down consultation process. 

TEDx Speaker | 2025 Institute for Collaborative Working Winner.

I love Paul's passion for helping communities.

This is a lovely one! When I first started lecturing, in 1994. One of my students was a young man called Gavin Porter. We caught up for a conversation, a mere 31 years later!

Gavin is a film/documentary/theatre maker from Butetown in Cardiff. He's also a Clore Fellow and have won a BAFTA Cymru award. Most recently, I directed a theatre piece called Circle of Fifths which explores the connection between grief, loss, music and celebrates the tradition of Butetown funerals. Circle of Fifths toured Wales and London.

Gavin  has also directed, produced and been an Associate Producer on documentaries for TV such as Glenn Webbe - Rugby Rebel, Steve Robinson - Cinderella Man, Black Welsh Music and A Killing In Tiger Bay.

Previously, he created a participatory theatre project called The Big Democracy Project with NTW working across Wales, ending in a ‘Festival of Democracy’ at the Senedd.

Euron Griffith (aka Ayres) has lived in Cardiff since the early 80s. Originally from North Wales via Canterbury he has played in various bands notably The Third Uncles and Six Sided Men (the latter still an ongoing concern). He is the author of 8 books in both English and Welsh and his poetry has appeared in various publications including Poetry Wales, Ambit, the New Welsh Review and The Spectator.

Dr Rachel Claire Morris is an editor, writer, creativity coach, and collage artist. She was formerly an international programme manager and educator, and before that ran a Human Rights Award-nominated research unit at Cardiff Law School offering activist expertise on law and policy affecting the GRT communities. Her writing appears in Byline Times, Red, Womankind, and the Honno anthology of Welsh women writing crime, Cast a Long Shadow, among others. She was Editor-in-Chief and founding editor of Bylines Cymru and Travellers’ Times magazine. 

***For more info about Rachel, PLEASE click on this link: https://linktr.ee/rachelclairemorris

Delighted to chat about creativity and the importance of sound with award winning sound designer, Vijay Rathinam. Vijay studied at the University of Glamorgan about 20 years ago and has never looked back.  He runs the Audioville studio in Chennai, India and works with his production team on a huge range of TV and film content for India, Hollywood and the rest of the world.  It was a real joy to sit down and chat with him about his fascinating career and how creativity is central to his working and personal llfe.

Having left my university position, I'm now in the joyous situation of talking to whoever I want to, not just  'academics' at my former place of work. This is one of my favourite ever interviews and i've done loads, over the years!  I'm not even a rugby fan but I loved chatting with Leigh about what he does and why he does it. He has an extraordinary tale to tell. It's been quite a journey, to say the least...

Here's a Creatrium Special, as we welcome back Thania Acaron, to talk about a forthcoming event.

Dr Thania Acarón, is a lecturer and researcher in Arts Health & Wellbeing at the University of South Wales. She is also founder and director of The Body Hotel CIC, which specialises in providing bespoke movement for wellbeing for NHS staff and for marginalised communities. Her practice is informed by dance movement psychotherapy research and she explains some of the key principles behind her work in burnout prevention and occupational health.

In this podcast she talks about her latest project, Moving Self-Compassion, funded by Arts Council Wales and Health Education & Improvement Wales, and provides a sneak peek into her upcoming culmination event and short film screening, which will be held online and in person on Wed 21st February, 6:30pm at USW Cardiff Campus. The project brought movement-for-wellbeing sessions across all NHS Wales, and created videos and online content for everyone to take part in creating a better relationship with the body.

More information on The Body Hotel and event details can be found via: https://linktr.ee/thebodyhotel

Social media (Instagram / Facebook / Youtube LinkedIn): @thebodyhotel

Website: www.thebodyhotel.com

Here's an interesting and enjoyable interview, as we head for Christmas, 2023 with Dr Aylwin Yafele Associate Dean, South Wales Business School,· Faculty of Business and Creative Industries. We discuss his career so far, his self-confessed competitive spirit and his new role, at the University of South Wales.

‘Beth Jenkins is a Lecturer in Digital Forensics and former Forensic Quality Specialist. She has worked in an operational, policing laboratory and has dedicated her career to ensuring accreditation is an achievable ‘task’ within policing. Beth has spoken at prestigious conferences such as Europol’s Forensic Experts Forum, CityForum’s Digital Forensics Summit, Forensic F3 Forum, The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and Magnet’s Virtual Summit about ISO/IEC 17025 both in the laboratory and at-scene. She was awarded Cyber Newcomer of the Year in 2022, The Alan Turing Award in 2023, and is a finalist for the Cyber Personality of the Year Award.  Beth has since moved into lecturing and is now dedicating her energy to enthusing the next generation of Digital Forensic Examiners about accreditation and governance.’