Getting Better Acquainted

In GBA 301 we get better acquainted with Dr Nira Chamberlain. He talks about the history of black mathematicians, his personal journey from being a child told by his careers adviser that he couldn't be a mathematician to getting a PHD in maths and becoming the first black mathematician to be included in the Who's Who, how the women from Hidden Figures could have been his role-models, the real world maths of mathematical modelling and so much more.

I sat down with Nira in a quiet room at University of Greenwich where he was giving a talk. We met each other for the first time at a Spark London fundraiser for the Steve Sinnott Foundation.

Content note: Racism, slavery

Nira plugs:

Success Looks Like You: Saturday 29th July: 1pm-4pm https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/success-looks-like-me-tickets-34548932788

@ch_nira: https://twitter.com/ch_nira

His website: http://nirachamberlain.com/

Black Heroes of Mathematics: http://www.mathscareers.org.uk/article/black-heroes-mathematics/

http://nirachamberlain.com/the-black-heroes-of-mathematics/

We mention:

Steve Sinnott Foundation: www.stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk/

Spark London: http://stories.co.uk/

Nira on Spark: https://www.acast.com/sparklondon/notaboxer-nira

Greenwich University: http://www2.gre.ac.uk/

Babcock International Group: https://www.babcockinternational.com/

Ronaldo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo

Messi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Messi

Science Council: http://sciencecouncil.org

Who's Who: http://www.ukwhoswho.com/

Professor Phakeng: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamokgethi_Setati

Black History Month: http://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

Black Heroes Of Mathematics: http://nirachamberlain.com/the-black-heroes-of-mathematics/

Hidden Figures: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_Figures

Thomas Jefferson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson

Target Oxbridge: http://www.targetoxbridge.co.uk/

Aston Villa: https://www.avfc.co.uk/

JFK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy

Euler: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonhard_Euler

Paul Erdos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Erd%C5%91s

Thomas Fuller 1710 - 1790, Slave and Mathematician

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To celebrate the 300th episode of GBA I'm putting out a season of 3 special episodes, which ends with today's GBA Extra.

Most of today's episode was produced, performed and arranged by Martin Zaltz Austwick: http://www.martinzaltzaustwick.com/

The sample used in today's episode was taken from GBA 38 Karl James: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-38-karl-james

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To celebrate the 300th episode of GBA I'm putting out a season of 3 special episodes, which continues with today's conversation. In many ways this feels like a regular GBA episode and is a good example for new listeners of what the show is usually like. It's also a conversation with someone who it's taken 299 episodes to persuade to come on as a guest.

Part of the motivation for that is encourage people to donate to Refuaid which you can do here:

http://stories.co.uk/

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/sparkrefuaid

In GBA 300 we get better acquainted with Matt. We talk about forming a theatre company together as students, 16 years of friendship, the different collaborations we have had over the years, who is actually the hardest working person in UK podcasting, the different interests and experiences that have led to him becoming a major force in British podcasting and how experiencing and healing from a spinal injury caused by a carcrash has influenced his outlook on the world. This episode also features a cameo from previous guest (and Matt's wife) Louise and contains the moment I met their child for the first time!

He doesn't plug anything but you can find out about all the things he does via his website: https://rethinkaudio.wordpress.com/

I plug:

Donating to GBA: http://bit.ly/2szNgUN

The Family Tree: http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/

Freelance Stuff: http://www.davepickeringstoryteller.co.uk

Mansplaining masculinit: http://www.mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/

We mention:

Lancaster University: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/

Jen: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-jen-episodes

Zoe: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-zoe-and-gay-episodes

Richard: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-richard-episodes

Pink Floyd: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd

Iraq War: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War

Agitprop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agitprop

Proscenium Arch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proscenium_arch

Ged: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-31-ged

Ringworm: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringworm

Helen Zaltzman: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-live-9-helen-zaltzman

http://helenzaltzman.com/

Matt's true story at Spark London: http://stories.co.uk/podcasts/anatomy-of-a-road-traffic-accident-matt-hill-2/

Rethink Daily: http://archive.rethinkdaily.co.uk/

New York Times Daily: https://www.nytimes.com/podcasts/the-daily

Radio 4: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4

Kerrie: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-14-kerrie

Four Thought: Liberating Men: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07x5vsh

Louise: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-louise-episodes-1/

South Park: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park

Cbeebies: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies

Ministry of Stories: http://ministryofstories.org/

Private Eye Podcast: http://www.private-eye.co.uk/eyeplayer/podcast

BAFTA: http://guru.bafta.org/series/the-guru-podcast

Sachsgate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Russell_Brand_Show_prank_telephone_calls_row

British Podcast Awards: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/

Sony Radio Awards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Academy_Awards

Pete Price: http://ppmtelevision.com/

Crystal Maze: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crystal_Maze

Knightmare: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knightmare

Micheal Fenton Stevens: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-michael-fenton-stevens

Hackney Hear: http://www.hackneyhear.com/

Soho Stories: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/may/17/london-soho-stories-sex-drugs-rock-and-roll

Adam Curtis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Curtis

Spark London: http://stories.co.uk/

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To celebrate the 300th episode of GBA I'm putting out a season of 3 special episodes, starting with today's Episode 1 Revisited which is in some ways a conversation between two different versions of me, the 2011 Dave and the 2017 Dave. This episode contains the original audio from Episode 1 with a new commentary and reflection on that material. Episode 1 focused on introducing me, featuring audio pieces and performances. It contains the first two true stories that I ever told at Spark London. I found listening back to the past version of me a difficult thing to do and doing so inspired lots of different emotions in me.

Content note: Mental Health Issues, violence against children, sex and sexuality, toxic masculinity and Christmas.

The 300th season will continue on Wednesday with GBA 300. In that episode a friend who has resisted being a guest for 299 episodes finally comes on the show, and it will finish on Friday with a special musical GBA Extra.

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In part 2 of this two part GBA special we join my 93 year old dad on the second day of a two day trip to some of the places where he grew up. My dad had wanted to take this trip for a while and me and my little sister (technically my half sister) managed to arrange to take him in February 2017. My 12 year old niece is the last member of the team on this roadtrip adventure. In this episode we visit the Bristol Museum, Bristol Zoo and The Downs. My dad learns why he was attracted to the Museum as a child and how much the city has transformed since he moved through it as a little boy, and bumps into a Gorilla that he used to know. It also includes an interesting moment involving an icecream van, a lack of appropriate ice-cream options for a 12 year old with very specific ice-cream tastes and a spontaneous outburst of Italian. Day 2 of the journey takes us through time, space, memory, dementia, old age, love, family and the ways places and people change.

Next week will feature more podcast episodes than usual as I release some audio pieces that celebrate Getting Better Acquainted hitting 300 episodes.

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In part 1 of this two part GBA special we join my 93 year old dad on a two day trip to some of the places where he grew up. My dad had wanted to take this trip for a while and me and my little sister (technically my half sister) managed to arrange to take him in February 2017. My 12 year old niece is the last member of the team on this roadtrip adventure. In this episode we travel from London to my dad's childhood home in Sea Mills which is now a suburb of Bristol. Day 1 of the journey takes us through time, space, memory, lost branches of the family tree, dementia and old age and the ways places and people change.

Next week in part two of episode 299 of Getting Better Acquainted we travel into Bristol to the Bristol Museum and other places my dad visited as a child.

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In GBA 298 we get better acquainted with Juliet Meyers and the flipping rescue dog that ruined her life, otherwise known as Homer. We talk dogs, wolves, comedy, dogs, storytelling, dogs and more dogs as we swap dog stories and consider the complexities of getting a dog and the love and anxiety dogs can bring to dog owners.

Juliet plugs:

Her show Juliet Meyers - This Flipping Rescue Dog Has Ruined My Life

Edinburgh: Southside Social 2.30pm 3rd-22nd August https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/juliet-meyers-this-flipping-rescue-dog-has-ruined-my-life

Buxton: http://www.buxtonfringe.org.uk/descriptions2017.html

Oxford: https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/whats-on/all-shows/this-flipping-rescue-dog-has-ruined-my-life/

Ludlow: TBA

Leyton: June 5th: https://www.facebook.com/events/1367130813376431/

I plug:

The Family Tree: http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/

We mention:

Nugget: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-247-nugget

Sam: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-extra-the-partition

https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-extra-out-of-the-window/

Sajeela: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-203-sajeela-kershi

Spark London: http://stories.co.uk/

Proud Archivist: http://www.theproudarchivist.co.uk/

Immigrant Diaries: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/immigrant-diaries-sajeela-kershi-and-guests

Borrow My Doggy: https://www.borrowmydoggy.com/

Odyssey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey

Simpsons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpsons

Lack of touch for men article and podcast: http://upliftconnect.com/how-lack-touch-destroying-men/

http://www.cracked.com/podcast/why-our-society-engineered-to-make-us-feel-lonely/

Meadows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Meadows_(park)

Arthur's Seat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%27s_Seat

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In GBA 297 we get better acquainted with Andre. He talks about transformation and change in his life and work. Our conversation covers education, dialogue, theology, writing, psychology, acting and so much more. He shares the "origin story" of how he exchanged his adopted name for the original one on his birth certificate, how he became a Priest finally (after being rejected first time round) only to find himself on a different path to the one he'd expected, what he does when practicing systemic therapy, and the relationship between therapy, spirituality, performance and narrative.

Andre plugs:

The book he is writing about transformation and change

His website: http://www.andreradmall.co.uk

@radmallandre: https://twitter.com/radmallandre

The Shapeshifters: https://www.theshapeshifters.org/

I plug:

The Family Tree: http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/

We mention:

Spark London: http://stories.co.uk/

Azariah: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-243-azariah

Andre and Azariah on The Family Tree Cuttings:

http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/cuttings/cutting-1-podcasts-and-priests/

http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/cuttings/cutting-6-the-big-questions/

http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/cuttings/cutting-8-stories-and-more-stories/

My show about masculinity: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-what-about-the-men-mansplaining-maculinity

Shock and Care - Harry Giles: https://harrygiles.org/2016/04/24/shock-and-care/

Stanislavski: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Stanislavski

Stand Up Tragedy: http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk/

Theatre de complicite: http://www.complicite.org/

CS Lewis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis

Narnia Books: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia

Church of England: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_England

Wind in the Willows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_in_the_Willows

Mr Toad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Toad

Guardians of the Galaxy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_Vol._2

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In GBA 296 we get better acquainted with Susie. She talks about financial systems, international trade, the influence of empire, Adam Smith, comedy, walking tours of capitalism, dualism, class, Simon Amstell, awkwardness and so much more. It's a fun and awkward conversation about a whole range of really big topics containing a description of meeting me where I give the most On Brand first impression ever and one of my favourite goodbye to the audience moments.

Susie plugs:

Walking Tour of Capitalism - Heroes: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/susie-steed-money-walks-the-unofficial-story-of-capitalism

@SussStead: https://twitter.com/sussteed

I plug:

The Family Tree: http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/

We mention:

Stand Up Tragedy: http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk/

Brixton Pound: http://brixtonpound.org/

David Graeber: https://twitter.com/davidgraeber

Debt: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Debt-First-5-000-Years/dp/1612191290

Adam Smith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith

Keynes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Maynard_Keynes

Churchill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill

Marxism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism

Militant Labour / Socialist Party: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/militant/

Quakers: https://www.quaker.org.uk/

Unitarians: https://www.unitarian.org.uk/

Lee Mack: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Mack

Simon Amstell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Amstell

SA's Mockumentary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnage_(2017_film)

Eddie Izzard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Izzard

The Office: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Office_(UK_TV_series)

Ricky Gervais: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Gervais

Simon Amstell - bbc breakfast: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-11811548/why-did-simon-amstell-quit-buzzcocks

Ghandi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi

Occupy Movement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_movement

Louis CK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_C.K.

Susie @ SUT: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/selected-tragedy-vol-9-tragicomedy

50 Shades of Grey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey

Citizen's Income: http://citizensincome.org/

WTF with Simon Amstell: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_465_-_simon_amstell

Marc Maron: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Maron

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In GBA 295 we get better acquainted with Joseph. He talks about acting, anti-bullying advocacy, impostor syndrome, sexuality, vulnerability, social commentary and so much more. We also spend a good chunk of the beginning of our conversation talking about activism and action within the current political climate, which includes a potted history of my own (pretty inactive) activism, the rise of modern fascism, the triggering of Article 50 and the importance of defending migrant rights and showing solidarity.

Joseph plugs:

His just launched podcast: I Want To Be https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/i-want-to-be/id1223801760?mt=2

I plug:

The Family Tree: http://thefamilytreepodcast.co.uk/

We mention:

Podcaster's Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=571436979623574

Felix Trench: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-258-felix-trench

London Attack: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Westminster_attack

Militant Labour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militant_(Trotskyist_group)#The_Open_Turn

Iraq March: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_February_2003,_anti-war_protests

TUC Demo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_London_anti-cuts_protest

UK Uncut: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Uncut

Fortnam and Mason: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-12871359/protesters-occupy-fortnum-mason

Green and Black Cross: https://greenandblackcross.org/

Martin Austwick: http://www.martinzaltzaustwick.com/

Helen Zaltzman: http://helenzaltzman.com/

Owen Jones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Jones_(writer)

Article 50 being triggered: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/29/theresa-may-triggers-article-50-with-warning-of-consequences-for-uk

Anti-Deportation protest: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/29/arrests-as-stansted-anti-deportation-protesters-lock-themselves-to-plane

Black Lives Matter - airport protest: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/06/climate-change-racist-crisis-london-city-airport-black-lives-matter

Focus E15: https://focuse15.org/

Housing March: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/31/march-for-homes-focus-e15-mums-london-homelessness-priced-out-area

Josie Long: http://www.josielong.com/

Palestine - Joe Sacco: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Palestine-Joe-Sacco/0224069829

Page One: http://www.pageonepodcast.com/

Joseph on Page One: http://www.pageonepodcast.com/season4/#/page-one-116-joseph-paterson/

Charles Adrian Gillot: http://www.charlesadrian.co.uk/

Paul McCartney: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_McCartney

East 15: http://www.east15.ac.uk/

Saved: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saved_(play)

Edward Bond: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bond

Hope Theatre Islington: http://www.thehopetheatre.com/

Two Short Plays About Gays: http://www.thehopetheatre.com/productions/two-short-plays-gays/

Louise Jameson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Jameson

Tragic Beginnings: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sets/tragic-beginnings

Stand Up Tragedy: http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk/

Straight Jacket - Matthew Todd: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Straight-Jacket-Matthew-Todd-x/dp/0593069781

Answer Me This! http://answermethispodcast.com/

CBT: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cognitive-behavioural-therapy/Pages/Introduction.aspx

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