“Music is one of the most present mysteries that we have — in how it connects us and transforms us.”

“Living within two worlds showed me that if there are two possibilities, there are infinite ones.”

— Dani Larkin

In this episode, Scott Cassidy is joined by Irish folk artist Dani Larkin — a Belfast‑based singer‑songwriter and multi‑instrumentalist whose work bridges contemporary folk and ancient storytelling traditions. Her internationally acclaimed debut Notes For A Maiden Warrior brought her to stages at SXSW, WOMEX, and tours with Snow Patrol, Lisa O’Neill and Glen Hansard. She is a PRS Foundation Creator of the Year (2025) and RTÉ Folk Awards nominee whose collaborations include performances with both the Ulster Orchestra and RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

Dani’s new album Next of Kin (2026) has been praised as “a transformational experience” (MOJO) expanding her sound into a more cinematic, immersive world that sees her own songs hold space – and hold their own - alongside some traditional and well-loved tracks.

What We Discuss

* Growing up on the Irish borderlands and how liminal spaces shaped her creativity

* Music as connection: Dani’s experience using songwriting in peace‑building work in places like Palestine

* Intuition in artistry: why she trusts instinct over theory

* The making of Next of Kin — its cinematic scope, traditional influences, and emotional architecture

* Recent orchestral performances, including her appearance with the Ulster Orchestra and a 200‑piece choir

Connect with Dani

Website & tour dates: www.danilarkin.com Newsletter: Feather & Flint | Dani Larkin | Substack

Instagram: @dani_larkin_New album: Next of Kin — out now

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com

"I think it’s a beautiful kind of alchemy to turn something so shitty into something so positive... my metric of creativity, the metaphors I use, everything that I'm interested in comes from that excavation of the grieving process."

Kirsty Strang-Roy

For the first “on the road” episode of The Creative Resistance Podcast, I was joined by writer, bookseller and facilitator Kirsty Strang-Roy. I’m lucky to call Kirsty a friend and we recorded this in her beautiful writing cabin on the south side of Glasgow, sitting among the piles of kit that I’m yet to fully figure out!

As well as shining a light on Kirsty’s phenomenal writing, this conversation is a deep dive into creative practice exploring how we navigate personal trauma and the weight of a collapsing world by rooting ourselves in play and community. Kirsty shares her journey from a childhood in rural Aberdeenshire to becoming a trauma-informed practitioner who advocates for “learning through play.” We talk about why gathering to write and “chat absolute nonsense” isn’t just a hobby—it’s a vital act of survival in an age of empathy paralysis.

I hope you enjoy the chat.

Scott Cassidy

Inside the Episode

* The Radical Nature of Play: Kirsty discusses her “Froebel-informed” approach to adult creativity. We explore how Friedrich Froebel’s original kindergarten principles serve as a rebellion against a culture that only values the end product.

* Grief as Geography: A moving exploration of how the loss of her brother shaped Kirsty’s writing and her ability to hold “brave spaces” for others.

* Gathering: The impact of Write Like a Grrrl and why showing up for each other acts as a physical salve for the nervous system.

* Deep Time and Landscape: Using folklore and mythology to unearth our place in the world today, from the stone circles of the North East to the witch trial maps of Scotland.

About Kirsty

Kirsty is a writer, bookseller, and creative facilitator living in Glasgow. Her work explores a sense of place through seasonal shifts and excavations of deep time; unearthing themes of grief, connection, and the body. She teaches the Write Like a Grrrl course and leads creative writing and participatory workshops in collaboration with organizations such as Arkbound, The Barn, SMHAF, and Glasgow Life.

Resources Mentioned

* The Library: Louise Glück, Max Porter (Lanny), Lewis Grassic Gibbon (Sunset Song), Margaret Atwood, Anne Carson, and Samuel Beckett.

* The Framework: Froebel’s play theory, Deep Ecology, and the National Library of Scotland’s map archives.

* The Practice: Write Like a Grrrl, trauma-informed facilitation, and the “shitty alchemy” of the creative process.

Contact

* Write Like a Grrrl - www.writelikeagrrrl.org

* Kirsty's Instagram - www.instagram.com/kirstystrangroycreates/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com

A sit down chat between Scott Cassidy and the mighty Alan Bissett. If you’ve ever felt caught between worlds—too "working class" for the room you’re in, but too "middle class" to return home then come on in for a gander. And if not, then lend an ear anyway - this chat runs free.

Bio

Alan Bissett is a playwright, novelist and performer who was born and raised in Falkirk.  He is the author of four novels: Boyracers (2001), The Incredible Adam Spark (2005), Death of a Ladies' Man (2009) and Pack Men (2011), the latter two of which were shortlisted for Scottish Arts Council Fiction of the Year prize. His most well-known work for the stage is the award-winning Moira Trilogy (2009-2022).  He has also presented the television documentary Inside the Mind of Robert Burns for BBC Scotland, and his most recent work of non-fiction, Lads (2023) was the winner of the School Librarians Association Information Book of the Year.  He is currently touring his new solo show, When Billy Met Alasdair (2025), in which he plays both Billy Connolly and Alasdair Gray.

Key Topics

The "Trainspotting" Moment: How Scottish literature, and specifically Trainspotting's punk ethos, cracked the world open for Alan and gave him permission to write in his own voice.

The Middle-Ground Muddle: That strange, often lonely space of navigating social mobility and identity.

Reimagining the "Bro Code": Alan opens up about his work with young men, discussing consent, respect, and why he still "loves being male" while advocating for a healthier, more empathetic version of masculinity.

When Billy met Alasdair: We talk about his current tour where he takes on the monumental task of playing both Billy Connolly and Alasdair Gray.

Stay Up to Date:

If you want to keep up with Alan’s plays, books, or his touring schedule, check out the links below:

Official Website: alanbissett.com

Instagram: @boyracerbissett

Catch Alan Live: "When Billy Met Alasdair"

Sunday, 15th March 2026 Lochwinnoch Arts Festival (McKillop Institute) Doors 7:00 PM | Start 7:30 PM Get Tickets via Eventbrite

Saturday, 28th March 2026 Glasgow International Comedy Festival (Citizens Theatre) Start 7:30 PM Get Tickets via Glasgow Comedy Festival

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com

Poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action.

Audre Lorde

This bonus episode was recorded live at MF Coffee in Summerhall, Edinburgh in a room full to the brim of beautiful souls gathered to raise funds and awareness for Thousand Madleens to Gaza. The Thousand Madleens are an organisation who sail in a show of civilian resistance and they will be joining forces with other flotillas this spring to carry aid and a message of solidarity and hope to the people of Palestine.

Scott Cassidy was in conversation with Palestinian poet Salsabil El-awaisi, traditional musician Jonathan Foster, and activist Ruaidhri (Ru) Mackay (Munros for Gaza / Thousand Madleens). Together, they explore how culture acts as a counter-narrative to dehumanisation, boots-on-the-ground activism, burnout and the direct action required to break a physical and psychological siege.

Art as Necessity

We begin with the creative process of “bearing witness.” Salsabil shares her experience of standing before an audience for the first time to share poems about her roots, explaining how heartbreak and frustration are transformed into a beauty that stands in stark contrast to the barbarity being live streamed from her homeland. We discuss the movement to put “names over numbers,” challenging a mainstream media narrative that often reduces human lives to mere statistics.

* Culture as Survival: Salsabil reflects on how storytelling—through music, poetry, or food—is how a history lives on when a system attempts to erase it.

* Music as Solidarity: Jonathan explores the resonance between Scottish traditional music - and music as a whole - and the current struggle for Palestinian liberation. He talks of music as a tool for telling stories and shares the incredible tale of Callum’s Road, captured in song and showing what can be achieved when the power-that-be won’t listen.

* Tangible Action: Ru discusses the “Munros for Gaza” campaign—raising the Palestinian flag across Scotland’s 282 highest peaks—and the “Thousand Madleens” flotilla mission to physically break the siege of gaza in a show of legal and essential civilian resistance.

Key Questions Answered

* How does poetry act as a counter-narrative to mainstream media dehumanisation? Salsabil discusses the vital importance of capturing individual stories to resist the reduction of people to statistics.

* What is the link between Scottish traditional music and political resistance? Jonathan explains how the ceilidh (gathering) and traditional tunes are rooted in a history of displacement and community-led action.

* Is non-violent direct action effective for breaking a blockade? Ru explains the necessity of moving beyond placards toward high-stakes, peaceful intervention like the Freedom Flotilla.

Get involved/Contact:

Instagram -

The Thouseand Madleens to Gaza: @thousandmadleen.uk

Ruaidhri MacKay: @amsg2urudy

Salsabil El-awaisa: @seinterior

MF Coffee Shop (in Summerhall): @mfcoffeeshop

The Creative Resistance Podcast: @thecreativeresistancepodcast

Scott Cassidy: @scottcassidywrites

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com

“Writing the last word of a poem, knowing it has a message that might reach someone one day... that is a bigger buzz than gambling.”

In the first episode of 2026, I sit down with poet and advocate Cat Cochrane to discuss a journey that began in the smoke-filled bookies of Glasgow and led to a profound creative awakening in rehab. Cat opens up about the invisible line of addiction, the predatory targeting of the gambling industry, and how she used performance poetry to “rewire” her brain and reclaim her soul. This is a conversation about finding your tribe, speaking truth to power, and the radical independence of being a lone ninja in the creative arts.

Cat’s story is a vivid map of the modern landscape of addiction—moving from the social atmosphere of physical betting shops to the 24/7 isolation of online slots. We dive into the perfect storm of the lockdown years and the pivotal moment Cat realized that her creativity had been the first casualty of her gambling. It was only through an intense recovery process in Birmingham that she found a future “not where it used to be” and committed to writing and publishing her first book within a single year.

About Cat: Cat is a writer, journalist and performance poet from Glasgow. Dipping in and out of the west of Scotland patois, her storytelling delves into working class dreams and sensibilities.

She has two published books of short stories and poems titled Sugartown and Sweet Tease.

Cat is currently working on a new book and photography project titled Glasgow Hairdresser’s and Barber’s Tales and is producer and host of No Dice, an audio podcast series covering stories of female gambling addiction and journeys of recovery across Scotland, now currently available on Spotify.

The Core Conversations

* The Invisible Line: How a “restless” return to Glasgow turned into a decade-long battle with online gambling, and the specific moment in a Riverside casino where Cat decided to seek help.

* The “Pink Pound” and Predatory Marketing: An eye-opening look at how the gambling industry targets women, the LGBT community, and even children through the “gamification” of video games and “loot boxes.”

* Rewiring through Poetry: Cat explains how personifying gambling as a toxic relationship allowed her to set boundaries and why the adrenaline of a Tuesday night open-mic beats any high a roulette wheel could offer.

* Radical Independence: Why Cat chooses to remain a “sole trader” and “lone wolf,” keeping her voice independent of institutional lines so she can speak the unvarnished truth about the industry.

The Resistance Resource List

If Cat’s story resonated with you, here is the index of resources and creative touchstones mentioned in the episode:

* The Advocacy: Aila (the Gaelic-inspired support hub for women) and Gamblers Anonymous (GA).

* The Listen: The No Dice Podcast—Cat’s 12-episode journey arc exploring the female experience of gambling harm.

* The Verse: The work of Graham Fulton (the Paisley-based “optimist”) and the vibrant Glasgow performance poetry scene.

The Future: Look out for Cat’s upcoming social documentation project, Glasgow Hairdressers and Barbers Tales, launching Summer 2026.

Thanks for reading The Creative Resistance! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com

Possessions: Davina Quinlivan on Decolonising Class, Climate, and Career

"Are we truly happy, or are we just running faster and faster for golden rings that don't exist?"

This was the question at the heart of my conversation this week with the brilliant Davina Quinlivan. We sat down to discuss her new memoir, Possessions, and it turned into an essential manifesto for anyone feeling "severed" from their body by the modern digital workplace. We explore how to reclaim agency in an era of precarity, from the "Academic Barbie" persona to why the radical act of loafing is a vital defence against the demand for constant productivity.

About the Book: 'Possessions'

Launching in late January 2026 via Little Toller, Possessions: A memoir of transformation in an era of precarity is a genre-defying exploration of heritage, education, and the environment. Following her acclaimed work Shalimar, Quinlivan uses magical realism and visceral prose to navigate the tensions of mixed-heritage identity and the "rigged game" of the modern professional world.

The Deep Dive and Core Conversations

The "Academic Barbie" Mask: Davina unpacks the performative "chameleon" nature required to navigate elite institutions as a working-class person of mixed heritage. At what point does the mask stop protecting you and start erasing you?

The Cartesian Split (Digital Burnout): A profound look at how the Zoom era attempts to sever the head from the body, treating humans as data streams rather than physical beings.

The Sonic the Hedgehog Metaphor: Why the gig economy feels like a simulation where we run faster and faster for "golden rings" (funding and approval), only to risk losing it all on a single "spike."

Reclaiming the 'Radical Loaf': Turning the negative label of "loafing" into a positive act of resistance. How observing the natural world and "ancestral time" disrupts the colonial-capitalist clock.

Shoutouts were given to the mighty Bookbag in Exeter, and Edinburgh’s Argonaut Books and The Portobello Bookshop

Connect with Davina - 

Instagram: @qdavina

Publisher: www.littletoller.co.uk

More about the book - https://womensprize.com/why-i-write-imaginative-memoir-by-davina-quinlivan/ 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com

In this episode of the Creative Resistance podcast, Scott speaks with author Caro Giles about her books Unschooled and Twelve Moons. The conversation roams widely and looks at writing as activism, the harnessing of rage, capitalism’s drive to produce cogs for the machine, and the importance of moving away from a ‘one-size fits all’ education system.

Bio: Caro is an author living in Glasgow with her four daughters. She has also worked as an actor, a musician and a teacher. Caro is a full time carer to two of her daughters who are unable to access education at school. She writes about the challenges of trying to access support from underfunded and often hostile systems, and uses her work to highlight educational and care issues, describing her writing as a form of activism. Caro is the author of two memoirs - Twelve Moons (HarperNorth 2023) and Unschooled (Little Toller 2025). She writes about female identity and the value of creativity amongst the challenges of full time caring. She is a monthly columnist for Psychologies and has written for publications including The Sunday Times, The i and Grazia. She was names BBC Countryfile’s inaugural New Nature Writer of the year. Her words can also be found on Substack and Instagram @carogileswrites.

Instagram: @carogileswrites

Substack: carogiles.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com

In this episode Scott is joined by broadcaster, author and all round creative conjuror Gemma Cairney.  In this deep dive conversation they roam far and wide discussing art as salvation, systemic racism, capitalism, cuts and so much more before exploring the universe of Gemma’s new book - The Immortal Sisterhood. 

Gemma Cairney is a British broadcaster and published author that has explored the intersections of creativity that is in her DNA since training in Theatre at the start of noughties at The BRIT School for Performing Arts...

Decades later, her CV is expansive, from honing her craft in live radio for years hosting daily shows at the BBC to using her voice for global campaigns, founding a boutique production company and writing published books on subjects that explore humanity, arts and culture. She is Chair of the Board for the Edinburgh Art Festival where she is currently based and her new book (which she's also cultivated into a live experimental ensemble-led experience) will be published by Canongate in 2026.

www.theimmortalsisterhood.live

www.gemmacairney.co.uk

Instagram: @gemagain 

Patreon: www.patreon.com/gemmacairney

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com

This week Scott chats to the awesome Kirsty Mulcahy, founder of SoberBuzz Scotland and SkyRose Coaching, as she tells the tale of her journey to sobriety and we discuss killer cultural norms, shifting attitudes and sources of much needed support. 

Kirsty Mulcahy is a transformational coach, speaker, and founder of SkyRose Coaching and SoberBuzz Scotland. Sober since 2017, she believes choosing an alcohol-free life in a booze-soaked culture is a rebellious act of self-love and one of the most empowering decisions you can make. Her mission is to show others that life without alcohol isn’t about what you give up, but everything you gain.

https://skyrosecoaching.com/

https://www.soberbuzzscotland.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyrosecoaching_ and https://www.instagram.com/soberbuzzscotlandcic

Support: https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice-and-support/alcohol-support-services/support-lines

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com

This week Scott is joined by Keiran Goddard for a conversation that carousels through creative roots, class identity, social mobility, echo chambers, friendship and the importance of change being rooted in love.

Keiran is an internationally published novelist, poet and social theorist. His first collection was shortlisted for the William Blake prize, his debut novel HOURGLASS was listed for the Desmond Elliott prize and his latest novel I SEE BUILDINGS FALL LIKE LIGHTNING has been published to widespread acclaim, nominated for the Gordon Burn Prize, and is currently in production as a major feature film ( adapt - Enda Walsh, Dir- Clio Barnard, prod - BBC ). He also writes regularly as a critic for The Guardian and The Observer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com