My Creative Space

In this episode, we sit down with the Dublin-born DJ DIEBYVEG, who is taking the Irish underground electronic music scenes by storm.

We dive into her rise through the club circuit, sharing stages with heavyweight acts like Interplanetary Criminal and Prozak, and closing out festival stages like 'Someplace Else' at Dublin’s Forbidden Fruit. DIEBYVEG opens up about her signature mix of deep house, garage, and multi-genre high-energy sets, her distinctive creative voice, and what it’s like controlling dance floors across major venues from Wigwam to Index.

Plus, she tackles our standard weekly questions to share what art really means to her, where she finds her inspiration, and how she keeps her energy high behind the decks.

Connect with DIEBYVEG & Listen:

• Instagram: @diebyveg

• SoundCloud: DIEBYVEG on SoundCloud

In this episode, we sit down with Calum Stevenson, the award-winning painter and youngest-ever winner of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year. We dive into his journey of how he started out and who inspires him to painting world-renowned violinist Nicola Benedetti.

Plus, he tackles our usual questions to share what art means to him, where he finds his spark, and how he keeps going when the canvas fights back.

• Official Website: calumstevenson.co.uk

• Instagram: @calum_stevenson

• Scottish National Portrait Gallery: Calum Stevenson at NGS

We are back with Part 2 of my conversation with abstract painter Niamh McFarlane. Sit back, walk, run or whatever you do when listening to a podcast.

Connect with Niamh:

Instagram: @niamhmcfarlaneart

In our next episode, we sit down with Niamh McFarlane, the multi-talented abstract painter, former nursery teacher, and Art Teacher who uses vibrant, intuitive colour to transform fleeting personal memories into powerful visual diaries.

We dive into her winning "Most Promising Student" at Forth Valley College, and having her painting Freshscape purchased by the Stirling Smith Art Gallery while she was still a student.

Plus, Niamh shares what she thinks art actually is, where her creative energy comes from, and what keeps her going when she steps up to a blank canvas. Sit back and enjoy part 1 of our conversation about her artistic journey.

PART 2 OUT THIS FRIDAY

Connect with Niamh:

Instagram: @niamhmcfarlaneart

In this bonus episode, Siobhan Argyle performs her beautiful rendition of Robert Burns’ iconic poem, "On a Scotch Bard, Gone to the West Indies."

Written in 1786 when Burns himself was contemplating a life-altering voyage to the West Indies, this performance brings a fresh, musical life to the Bard’s famous mix of self-deprecating wit, melancholy, and poetic swagger.

Sit back, pour a dram, and enjoy (or sway and stamp your feet).

In our next episode, we sit down with Siobhan Argyle, the multi-talented artist, composer, and healer who uses the transformative power of music and theatre to navigate the deepest parts of the human experience.

We dive into how she reframes trauma and loss into a journey of resilience through hits like her Edinburgh Fringe show Auld Lang Sing and the acclaimed musical The Little Iceberg. We explore her work as a Director of Anam Alba CIC, her deep belief in the "science of connection," and what happened when she challenged herself to write a song every single day during lockdown.

Plus, we find out how she balances being a writer, teacher, Spanish speaker, and "ukelaliast" while keeping heart and passion at the absolute centre of everything she creates. Sit back and enjoy our conversation about community wellbeing, ancestral storytelling, and the incredible art of healing.

Connect with Siobhan and Anam Alba:

• Website: www.anamalba.co.uk

• Instagram: @anam_alba_cic

This episode, we sit down with Etienne Kubwabo, the visionary filmmaker and comic book creator who is putting Scottish storytelling on the global map.

We dive into the creation of Beats of War, the comic book series featuring Scotland's first Black superhero, how he weaves together his love for cinema, music, and graphic design, and why he's so passionate about using art to inspire and empower the next generation.

Sit back and enjoy our conversation about representation, the universal language of comic books, and the pure magic of storytelling.

Connect with Etienne:

• Websites: www.etianverse.com | www.mileawayfilms.com

• Instagram: @dir.etiennek

In this bonus episode, Amy Devlin reads her acclaimed poem, "My Semicolon is an Abandoned Nature Reserve."

She wrote it after spending time walking through Palacerigg Country Park in Cumbernauld, Scotland, exploring themes of continuation, memory, and nature.

The poem gained widespread attention after she discussed it on BBC Radio Scotland, and earlier this year, it inspired Amy to create and host her own festival called Cumbernauld Creates. Using her poem as inspiration, artists from Cumbernauld created works of art to showcase at Palacerigg Country Park.

In our first episode, we sit down with Amy Devlin, the multidisciplinary Cumbernauld poet who is actively reshaping Scotland's creative landscape. 

We dive into her work with the Alasdair Gray Archive, how she brought the Cumbernauld Creates at Palacerigg festival to life, and why she believes the best art lives in the uncomfortable, nostalgic spaces of our world. 

Plus, we find out why she’s exactly the person you want nearby if a fire breaks out. Sit back and enjoy our conversation about art, community, and the beauty of the underdogs.