Kent Creative

Tony Witton is the Creative and Cultural Economy Manager for Kent County Council where he and his team support the creative sector. Ultimately, it is about identifying how creativity can make a difference in the county and help make things happen.

In this podcast, he recalls the journey his love of theatre took him on, from sound design on stage to management in a large organisation and local authority.

Watch the original video of this podcast here: https://youtu.be/rnvz64N3_8w

More about KCC/Arts: https://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/arts

Recorded in January 2023 in Maidstone.

Hosting and photography: Nathalie Banaigs

Peisley’s work is intense, highly charged with an emotional content that relates to the everyday drama of existing.

In this podcast she explores the depth of her own self and discusses the making of art.

Watch the original video of this podcast here: https://youtu.be/aR0gGWLvLcQ

More about Tracie Peisley: https://cultureinkent.org/profiles/tracie-peisley/

Recorded in December 2022 in Whitstable.

Hosting and photography: Nathalie Banaigs

Born in Hackney, London, in 1964, Simon Tyler spent some of his childhood in Mexico and the USA, attempted to write songs and play the guitar, enjoyed retail work in sport and curtain shops, worked as a support worker for people with disabilities, trained to become an actor, ran a theatre, moved around England a bit... and is now the owner of Creekside Vinyl, the record shop in Faversham.

Watch a video version on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/oT1ymGOSJhY

More about Simon and Creekside Vinyl: https://cultureinkent.org/profiles/creekside-vinyl/

Recorded in Faversham.

Hosting and photography: Nathalie Banaigs

Alexandra Campbell started her career as a journalist, went on writing books, blogging and is now running a remarkably successful Youtube channel on gardening: the Middle-Sized Garden (www.youtube.com/@TheMiddlesizedGarden). In this podcast, she explained how it all happened.

"I was writing one day about my experiences of the extraordinary fun I'd had not getting into advertising. I used to have my father's old typewriter, which had a typewriter ribbon and you could reuse the ribbon quite a lot. Then eventually it would all just become completely mangled and you'd have to go and buy another ribbon. So I went by another ribbon at W.H. Smith and handed over this mangled typewriter ribbon and said: "Do you have one like this?". A man standing next to an American said: " Oh, God, that typewriter ribbon is just completely mangled. You must be a writer!" I was going to say “No, not really. I want to be a writer, but, you know”... and I suddenly thought "No, I'm just going to say “Yes, I'm a writer.”

And it was like an effort will. I am now a writer.

And that article, which I went back and wrote after having said “I'm a writer”

was published in Campaign magazine. And it was also a finalist in the Journalism award. So that was really starting my career in journalism."

Watch a version with subtitles on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/ElbAC3rYSG4

Recorded in Faversham.

Host: Nathalie Banaigs

Richard Belfield is a documentary maker, producer, author amongst other things. In this podcast, he tells the stories around the investigation work he has been doing for many years around the world. He's learnt a few things along the way...

"The thing is, there was never a plan. When my mum was very old, she was in her 90s, I used to go and see her. We sat down and worked out what the most important lesson in life was. And we agreed that the most important lesson in life is always “take the interesting option”. Don't take the safe one; safe might make you money but, actually, if you take the interesting option, you'll have a much more diverse life. So that's what I've always done. I've always just chased whatever looks most interesting at the time. "

Watch a version with subtitles on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/P-I8AniYito

Recorded in Faversham.

Host: Nathalie Banaigs

Steve Melton is a sculptor and also a founding director of SPACER in Ramsgate.

His close connection to nature feeds through into his art practice where he expresses his concerns about the repercutions of human behaviour on wildlife.

"I deal with difficult subjects that people find uncomfortable but I personally feel that great art reflects periods that the artists lived in. Those are the issues that are most pressing to me, so that's the subject matter for a lot of what I do".

More about Steve: www.cultureinkent.org/profiles/stephen-melton/

Recorded at Spacer in Ramsgate.

Hosting and photography: Nathalie Banaigs

Sarah Craske is one of the founding director of SPACER, in Ramsgate, and an interdisciplinary artist.

In this podcast she talks about her own practice and her vision for SPACER as a creative studio developing a model for a sustainable practice where artists create artworks that speak to the ecological crises.

"What I strongly believe - and what drives me - is that interdisciplinary practice bringing expertise from multiple disciplines together is the only way that we will solve the current climate crisis that we find ourselves in. My work tends to be situated in projects where scientists, historians are also involved."

More about Sarah: www.cultureinkent.org/profiles/sarah-craske/

Recorded at Spacer in Ramsgate.

Host and photograph: Nathalie Banaigs

Jewellers Olivia Schlevogt and Joan Mac Karell are part of Precious Kent, set up by award-winning jewellery designers and makers.

They talk about their own journey and careers, how Precious Kent started and how it has evolved in organising exhibitions around Kent.

More details about the current Precious Kent exhibition here: https://cultureinkent.org/events/precious-kent-at-linden-hall-studio/

Recorded in Faversham

Host and pic: Nathalie Banaigs

Guest podcast. Artists Tracie Peisley and Clare Smith recorded a conversation between themselves, discussing Clare’s recent drawings , Lurking within, the process of starting new work, the lure of new materials, finding titles, ...

David Lilford opened his gallery - Lilford Gallery - in Canterbury in 2000 out of passion for art, giving up a career he had started in retail.

It has become one of the leading gallery in the South-East for modern and contemporary art.

In this podcast, David talks about his work with the range of artists he represents, as well as his position in the local art scene and in the art market in general.

Also available with subtitles on Youtube: https://youtu.be/BPewNZWZbHY

More about Liflord Gallery here: https://cultureinkent.org/profiles/lilford-gallery

Recorded at the Lilford Gallery, Palace Street, in Canterbury.

Host and pic: Nathalie Banaigs