Stork Talks

This week we talk fungi with Annelies Goedbloed, sole founder of vertical farming initiative, Haagse Zwam, (Hague Fungi) and social entrepreneur. Annelies is passionate about using coffee grounds as fertile soil for growing oyster mushrooms. Five years ago she started this small initiative in the spare room of her home and she now has a thriving business that employs more than a dozen people and makes use of large amounts of unwanted coffee waste.  

Intro music provided by: Artlist.io

Freedom is something for which many have given their lives. This week, we look ahead to Liberation Day here in the Netherlands and take the opportunity to celebrate the fight for freedom of a number of brave men and women from around the world, whom we have interviewed on our programme. We hear from Raki App (West Papua), Mila Kilam (Poland), Tey El Rjula (Lebanon) and Czarina Musni (the Philippines) on what motivates them to continue their struggles in the face of significant obstacles. 

Intro music provided by: Artlist.io

As we prepare to celebrate King's Day here in the Netherlands again, Stork Talks digs into a little Dutch history with art historian Wendy Fossen. We hear about the work of famous female portrait painter, Thérèse Schwartze, who captured three generations of the Royal family on canvas and discuss the future of the monarchy in modern Europe. We finish off by filling you in on the sillier side of Kings Day as Wendy and Thom tell us about their favourite Kings Day games and why the colour orange really is best appreciated en masse!  

Intro music provided by: Artlist.io

Stork Talks this week to co-founder of the Give a Bike Foundation, Martin Trcka, about how the humble bicycle is transforming lives from Sierre Leone to Palestine and, of course, right there in the Netherlands. Fostering bike culture has huge benefits for the environment and individual well being, both mental and physical, especially in cities and urban spaces. Let's spread the bike love! 

Intro music provided by: Artlist.io

Stork Talks gender this week, specifically, the difficulty of getting justice for survivors of gender and sexual crimes and what the International Criminal Court (ICC) here in the Hague is doing to tackle this problem. We speak with Senior Advocacy Advisor, Alix Vuillemin of the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice, who advocates directly for this issue at the ICC. 

Intro music provided by: Artlist.io

It's spring and the bees and other insects are very busy pollinating plants everywhere! This week, we speak with beekeeper and self-confessed honey thief, Eveline De Heij, about why bees and pollinators more generally, are so important to us. We focus particularly on urban environments where green spaces can be hard to find. Eveline shares some tips on how everyone can be a gardener and get their green fingers working to contribute to making our cities more resilient and our city dwellers a little happier. 

Intro music provided by: Artlist.io

This week we talk about the Red Light district of the Hague. We hear from long-time lobbyist, Shireen Poyck, who has campaigned for over 20 years to get the Red Light district moved from her neighbourhood in the old town. She talks about her doubts about the effectiveness of legalising sex work as they have done here in the Netherlands and we discuss alternative solutions to an age-old problem that continues to go hand-in-hand with crime and poverty. 

Intro music provided by: Artlist.io

The art of wine making and drinking dates back thousands of years in ancient Persia. This week we talk with philosopher, poet and wine dealer, Ofran Badakhshani, about the special relationship between wine, poetry and philosophy in Persian culture. Originally from Afghanistan, Ofran shares some of the myths, traditions and beliefs of this ancient culture and its love of wine.  

Intro Music provided by: Artlist.io

This week we talk upcycling with one of a new generation of designers who are using both art and science to find wholistic solutions to waste. Nienke Hoogvliet explains how she uses seaweed, fish skins and even used toilet paper to create fabric, furniture and leather! We also learn about the importance of imagination in the upcycling process and why it may be even better than recycling. 

Intro Music provided by: Artlist.io 

As we head towards the national elections in the Netherlands, Stork Talks with Nilüfer Gündoğan of the Volt Netherlands party. Volt is one of very few pan-European parties that is running in the Dutch national elections. We speak with Nilüfer about what it means to be able to vote at both national and European level, simultaneously and how this might help address Europe's democratic deficit. 

Intro Music provided by: Artlist.io