The Good Listening To Show: Stories of Distinction & Genius

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An extraordinary episode with a man of true brilliance, courage, distinction & genius.
Delighted to welcome South African born Los Angeles-based Designer, Philosopher, Creative Mentor, Professor & Coach, Errol Gerson. A wise owl indeed!

Errol was 'Passed the Golden Baton' through previous Guest, Iain Thackrah.

Part philosopher, part accountant and natural born teacher, Errol has helped shape the creative minds of the world famous Art Centre College of Design in Los Angeles for over 50 years, preparing over 5,350 students to embark on incredible creative businesses and SUCCEED in an ever changing field.

You can also Watch/Listen to Errol here:
https://vimeo.com/chrisgrimes/errolgerson

And be sure to stick around after the outro for a wonderful post-script story from Errol too!

Errol Gerson is a lifelong learner, who trained as an accountant & has been sharing his business insight with creative people ever since. When Errol was himself at art school, one of his tutors acknowledged that he was a likeable lad but went on to say that, in his opinion, he did not have a creative bone in his body! 

Errol had left school with a certificate that declared him not suitable for university. At this point, he may have been down but he was definitely not out.  Inspired by people like Joan Baez & Bob Dylan, Errol Gerson learned to play the guitar, wrote anti-apartheid songs and sang them in coffee bars, where the customers applauded but the police took a somewhat different view! 

When a visiting American suggested he was possibly good enough to get a record deal & that America might appreciate his talents, whatever his South African critics might say, Errol set off for the USA with a very small suitcase and a tiny bundle of US dollars to match. He arrived 3 months early, in some distress. When he was evicted from his rooms for non-payment of rent, he took his last two bucks to a local coffee bar where, fortuitously, he found a job as a dishwasher, a free meal of sorts every day and even a single bed in exchange for cleaning, reminiscent of Roger Miller’s ironic 'King of the Road'.

Errol Gerson now has half a century’s relevant experience in the USA teaching at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. He himself has been inspired by all his teachers in California, as well as by iconic writers like Wayne Dyer, Stephen Covey, Viktor Frankl and Gail Sheehy. To avoid bearing grudges or allowing resentments to take root, Errol recommends a rigorous programme of prayer and meditation, as well as actively cultivating an attitude of gratitude, with the help of a moleskin notebook, on a daily basis. 

Errol continues to be inspired by people like Plato, Socrates and Descartes. 
Errol Gerson’s own story is well worth listening to & one of his favourite quotes says simply: “I touch the future. I teach.”

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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It's National Treasure Day here in 'The Good Listening To Show' as we welcome the incomparable, the legendary, the warm & wonderful Children's Author & Poet, Mr "Chocolate Cake" himself, Michael Rosen! Or as his globally renowned viral Meme would exclaim "Nice!" (Just Google 'Michael Rosen , Chocolate Cake & Meme' and all will become clear!)

With his Willy-Wonka-esque-ex-chocolate-factory office for his 'Clearing' (how perfect!), Michael welcomes us warmly into his world and into his glorious mindscape, as we riff together on a whole array of profound and poignant stories.

You can also Watch/Listen to Michael's episode here:
https://vimeo.com/chrisgrimes/michaelrosen

Described as “an optimistic nihilist” by his graduate daughter Elsie, Michael Rosen is a performance poet, professional broadcaster and abundant author of literally scores of different books, mostly for children but many for adult readers also, with nearly 200 books and 130 million YouTube hits to his name.

Above all, he is an extraordinary survivor. Aged 20, his latent hypothyroidism remained undetected for a potentially deadly decade. In his seventies, the treatment of his severe Covid required a medically induced coma, which in practice kept him unconscious in Intensive Care for 40 days - like a latter day Lazarus in his clinical cave. Now Michael Rosen has less than perfect hearing in one ear and less than perfect vision in one eye. 

Michael Rosen’s parents were both teachers. They spoke Yiddish as well as English and lived quite happily and quite colourfully in a flat above a shop in Pinner. Michael recently collected a nodular pebble from the now largely tarmac area behind the shop to remind him of his early childhood. In those days, his very bright older brother Brian, now a distinguished palaeontologist, took it on himself to teach young ‘Mick’ the basics of calculus or whatever he, Brian, was being taught at school. Michael Rosen was ‘porous’, he says, from an early age!

In an era of dip pens, inkwells & blotting paper, a teacher called Mr Brown arrived from Manchester - in suede shoes! Thanks to this one and only Barry Brown, young Mick was soon inspired by plays and playwrights. He appeared on stage whenever he was offered a part, however minor and later the now published author Michael went on to write some plays of his own!

On a darker note, Michael’s own teenage son Eddie died one April night, suddenly and shockingly, albeit thank goodness, painlessly.  Every year Michael and his now extended  family commemorate Eddie’s premature death and celebrate his short life over a lunch. Death may not have worn ‘creaky boots’ but the Rosens can raise a glass and a smile regularly to remember the one they all lost so unexpectedly…

One of Michael Rosen’s earliest ever poems contained the immortal line (sic):

“And now the train is slowing down…”

The train may be. But definitely not the incomparable Michael Rosen. 

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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Prepare to step into the snow-laden landscapes of the Canadian wilderness with the delightful Gurdeep Pandher of the Yukon: The viral Bhangra Dancer whose radiant orange turban and infectious joy has carved a 'ray of hope' during the Pandemic and beyond, through his joy of spreading happiness, hope & positivity through his love of Punjabi Bhangra Dancing.

A  journey of rhythm, resilience and joy, as we explore Gurdeep's off-grid lifestyle, his love for the Canadian Yukon wilderness, and his fascinating collaborations.

Gurdeep first came to my attention through his good friend and previous Guest here in the 'Clearing',  Patrick Dexter, the Irish Cellist who also went viral during the Pandemic, by playing his cello outside his cottage on the wild cliff-scapes of Ireland.

Be sure to listen to Patrick's episode too :)

You can also watch/listen to Gurdeep's episode here: https://vimeo.com/845417924

Discover how Gurdeep's unassuming dancer's message of positivity, hope and happiness resonates across the Globe through his unique blend of storytelling and vibrant Bangrah dance sequences.

Delight in the four pillars of goodness that anchor Gurdeep's life: the awe-inspiring Yukon; his passion for dance; storytelling and his deep connection with nature. Accompany us as we illuminate the power of dance and positivity that have made Gurdeep a global sensation and a beacon of hope, spreading joy and optimism during trying times.

Finally, we journey into the heart of Gurdeep's philosophy, where we uncover his passion for balance, his introverted nature, and his love for the smaller joys in life. Listen as he shares his favorite inspirational quote, his thoughts on dealing with difficulties, and his outlook that even in the darkest times.

A testament to finding one's flow in the rhythm of life, this episode will leave you captivated, inspired, and filled with a newfound sense of optimism. Join us in celebrating Gurdeep's life and his radiant dance of joy, spreading happiness one step at a time.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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Ladies n' Genminminmin (er, min...) please welcome Award Winning Actress & fellow Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Alumni, Lucy Briers to 'The Clearing'.

Lucy is from Theatre & Show Business Aristocracy here in the UK, as she is the daughter of Richard Briers, the famous UK TV Actor and National Treasure, now sadly no longer with us, but listen with delight as Lucy describes her joy and luck at having her very own 'Dad cupboard: With 250 or so DVDs, capturing his wonderful career on screen, if ever she needs a 'top-up' to watch him speak and move!

Lucy Briers chooses Sheep Meadow, Central Park Manhattan as her ‘Soul City’ and as her 'Clearing'. 

Despite her ‘weird blood disorder’, Lucy is almost always smiling or chuckling - even when dealing with big or bittersweet issues. Like her father Richard’s fame and popularity interfering with their walks together as a child or her mother’s progressive  Alzheimer’s disease changing almost everything about her behaviour in her final years. Lucy herself alludes to her own serious illnesses in earlier years and how hands-on healing, helped her shrink a tumour by half! 

Listening closely to her narrative, we get a wonderful picture of a privileged, posh, bright, private-school-educated Sloane Ranger-type choosing a radical alternative to Oxbridge: a highly political, reputedly ‘gay’, transformative, red-brick university - Lancaster! - to do a Degree in Theatre and Sculpture (Independent Studies). Here our lovely young Lucy shaved off her long hair, dyed what was left a bright orange and picked up the placards of protest. 

Then she went on to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School - to learn how to act. 
In 2019 Lucy Briers won the prestigious Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actress. (Lucy hadn’t heard of it either - check it out, it’s impressive, with the likes of Gene Hackman & Christopher Walken as previous recipients!) 

Lucy now sees herself as a ‘structured person’ (even though she wittily describes herself as still being nevertheless ‘deeply superficial’!).  But Lancaster was the first 'radical reconstruction' for her. So was getting divorced. So was the deeply poignant story we also get to hear about caring for her mother through the 'great de-tethering' of her Alzheimer’s. 

Lucy has learned a lot of life’s lessons the hard way and changed, she believes, for the better. That is her objective - to deepen her understanding of the human condition and share it on stage, with the spirit of her famous father supporting her whenever needed with words of encouragement from the wings. 

Lucy admits to a continuing crush on Ryan Gosling as well as personal and professional admiration for Tom Cruise. She is a most fascinating paradox: a very private person, who is also an extrovert. 

Here is a truly wonderful woman and a truly wonderful conversation!

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

Send us Fan Mail

Delighted to welcome the trailblazing changemaker Melanie Vaxevanakis from the Bristol based Mazi Project, on a mission to help marginalised 16-25 year olds gain better access to more nutritional food, food education and self-care - and in a nutshell, 'bring them to the Dinner Table', with all the mental health benefits that the power of sharing & community can bring.

From FUMING to ACTION! A story about how the Mazi Project  was born, inspired by Mel's noticing the appalling quality of free school lunch provision being provided to families at the beginning of the Pandemic, to now shipping 70 boxes a day of fresh fruit, vegetables and a recipe card to young people who wouldn't otherwise have access or have been able to afford it.

Now two-and-a-half years on, complete with Maisie Williams “Game of Thrones” Actress (who also grew up in Bristol) as Charity Ambassador on board, the Mazi Project is going from strength-to-strength.

With Maisie Williams on board, it’s not so much “Game of Thrones” as “Game of Nom-Noms”! (See what I’m doing there?!)

You can also Watcvh/Listen To Melanie's episode here:
https://vimeo.com/841229639

More about Melanie:

Pull up a chair and prepare to be inspired as we share a compelling conversation with the remarkable Melanie Vaxevanakis.  

Drawing on her Greek roots and Bristol surroundings, Melanie, founder of the Mazi Project, passionately discusses her journey from documenting stories through film to creating a powerful initiative that dishes out 70 fresh, nutritious recipes a week to young people in need. 

Melanie's story is one of anger, transformation, and ultimately, impact - as she took her frustrations with inadequate government-provided food packages and channelled it into a project that nourishes bodies and minds.

Finding solace in her 'Clearings' - the kitchen and the sea - Melanie reveals how these spaces nourish her creative energy and inspire her work with the Mazi Project. 

Beyond just providing sustenance, she's determined to build a community space that reduces social isolation, fosters confidence, and empowers every participant to feel extraordinary. 

While the Pandemic may have been the catalyst for Melanie's journey, it's also been a lesson in resilience and the importance of mental wellbeing, a lesson she's keen to share with her listeners.

From the power of protests to the significant moment the Colston statue was dropped into Bristol harbour, Melanie's insights shed light on the potency of collective action and the need for continued social justice work. 

We also dive into personal distractions, strategies for overcoming them, and explore the transformative power of storytelling. 

Wrapping up the episode, Melanie shares her inspirational mantra and the best advice she's ever received. So tune in, listen close, and get ready to be moved by Melanie's passionate journey and the impact of the Mazi Project.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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Ladies n' Genminminmin (er, min...) please welcome the magical Stella Taliadoros to 'The Clearing'.  Stella was "Passed the Golden Baton" to be in the show by Ivor Novello Award Winning Musician & Composer, Renell Shaw.

Ever found yourself lost in the hustle of life and seeking a path that aligns your soul with the universe? Stella Taliadoros, an Angelic Reiki practitioner, illuminates our show with her journey of self-discovery and growth. We journey with her from therapy sessions to her mystical community space, "The Twelfth House", where Stella helps others navigate their spiritual paths. Stay tuned as she also reveals the charm of her favorite reflective spot, Caffercito Organico in California as her 'Clearing'.

Stella is also the Curator of the Artistic Movement called "I'm Lost Too!" acknowledging that "we're all lost and in search somehow," but remember: "All those who wander are not necessarily lost!" and Stella can help with that!

You can also Watch/Listen to Stella's episode on Vimeo here:
https://vimeo.com/840097820

Our discussion takes an intriguing turn as we delve into how Autumn seasons, food preferences, and social influences shape our lives. Stella sheds light on the significance of the mind-body connection with food, her experience with warm Greek Cypriot hospitality, and the community-building prowess of her café, Win Wood Art District. Don't miss out as she takes us on an exploration of her brand "I'm Lost To," her favorite quote, and the most impactful advice she's ever received.

Our enlightening conversation with Stella extends to the realm of psycho-spiritual healing, as we discuss her journey with Angelic Reiki and how it can be integrated with Counselling. 

We also explore the critical roles creativity and nature play in our lives. 

Stella's story invites us to reflect on our own narrative, emphasizing the power of storytelling in understanding oneself. 

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when you merge an a cappella vocal virtuoso with a passion for storytelling and a love for connecting with audiences? You get the enchanting Kate Dimbleby! Join me as we explore Kate's incredible journey, from her album 'Songbird' to her recent performance with Gifford's Circus during the Royal Variety Performance, and her co-founding of the storytelling software platform Stornaway.io

You can also Watch/Listen to Kete's time in The Clearing here:
https://vimeo.com/834414868

Kate and I dive deep into the power of imagination and the significance of holding onto our inner truth. We discuss the importance of pushing one's own boundaries and how our voices can create a powerful noise if we let them out. Moreover, we touch on Kate's life-changing move to Canada, her discovery of the Alexander Technique, and her journey to her creative center point.

Kate's warmth, generosity, and creativity shine through in every moment of our discussion, and her passion for storytelling is nothing short of contagious. Tune in and be inspired by the captivating world of Kate Dimbleby.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when you combine the power of music, visual art, and the lessons learned from martial arts? You’ll find out in our conversation with the extraordinary Renell Shaw, an Ivor Novello award-winning composer, songwriter, and music producer. Renell takes us on a fascinating journey through his life and creative process, revealing how he uses a daily walk to clear his mind and let his music emerge authentically.

You can also Watch Listen to Renell's interview here:

https://vimeo.com/833613312

Renell’s diverse influences, including theatre, martial arts, and mentorships, have not only shaped his personal development but have also played a crucial role in his approach to music. Join us as we discuss  "The Windrush Suite", a captivating trilogy in the making, and explore the impact of the Windrush generation on Caribbean families in the 60s. Plus, you'll hear about the unique collaboration between Renell and his wife, as they blend bass and tap dancing in a mesmerizing performance.

As we delve deeper into Renell's creative world, we also discuss the potential of combining music and animation, and the joy of playing music with other musicians. Renell shares his favorite inspirational quote from Einstein and the best piece of advice he's ever received. So grab your headphones and get ready for an insightful and inspiring journey with the remarkable Renell Shaw!

Renell Shaw is a nature lover as well as an extraordinary musician, who has found a way to live his life in balance and in harmony, on a daily basis. He starts each day with a meditative walk and allows the music to reveal itself to him. In earlier days, Renell used to strive to make things happen. Today he trusts in the process that he has developed. It works for him! His grandfather was a trumpet player, who was inspired by Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. His godfather was an expert in martial arts. His father was a sound engineer. His mother gave him his first Carlos Santana record as a teenager, which inspired Renell  to learn to play the guitar, while she continues to provide him with lifelong encouragement. Renell won the Ivor Novello award for his work on the Windrush Suite, which was commissioned before pandemic restrictions  changed everybody’s lives. So far Renell has written the first two of a Windrush trilogy - a Griot yet to be completed At the time of this conversation, he is waiting for the music to reveal itself to him. Given his Caribbean family of origin, Renell starts from the enviable position of wanting to express the Windrush story from the inside out rather than the outside in. Quincy Jones provides Renell Shaw with his ideal role model for a multitalented musical career. Collaboration and community are concepts that appeal to Renell, who has his favourite Einstein quote tattooed on his arm:

" We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them".

Happiest? When playing music with other musicians. How would he like to be remembered? For reflecting the culture in which he finds himself. Renell Shaw is an articulate advocate of life’s abundance of available  opportunities & time-honoured values. 

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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Delighted to welcome the wonderfully wise and enigmatic Iain Thackrah to the 'Clearing' for a special 'Founder Story' Episode of the show, in which we uncover together the story of "who-the-what-the-how-the-why" of why you do what you do!

Iain is a creative mentor to creative entrepreneurs. Writer, speaker, creative. Creative generalist. Creative specialist. Jack of all trades, master of some.

https://www.iainthackrah.co.uk/

Also recorded as a LinkedIn LIVE:

https://www.linkedin.com/video/live/urn:li:ugcPost:7054740938635517952/

Iain Thackrah’s extraordinary commercial life really did begin at 40. He started his ordinary life as a child on his father’s farm in Yorkshire, with a pig for a pet and a bike to take him to the nearest town, 13 miles away for a McDonald’s.

It was idyllic until it wasn’t. His father lost all his sheep, lost all his cows, lost all his cash and eventually also lost the farm itself. Perhaps in response to this, Iain prolonged his student days right up until the age of 27, picking up a small clutch of degrees in the process, before teaching Philosophy and Psychology for the next 10 years. 

In time, he became a clock-watcher, seeing himself in older colleagues in the Staff room - and not liking what he saw. When he’d had all he could take of such a secure career choice, Iain joined a startup Newco, on a six figure salary - until it folded beneath him. Iain was back at Square Zero! 

On the credit side, he had an awesome wife and two beautiful daughters. He also had his health and his house. But on the debit side, he was very light on any other material assets and his prospects were, at best, unpredictable. Fortunately Iain thrives on challenges like this. He has no ambition to be like ‘most people’ or to behave like ‘most people’ do. Iain’s ethos revolves around achieving lots and lots of ‘small wins’ and accumulating them consistently, on a daily basis. 

Iain talks about the compound interest created by this series of ‘small wins’. These produce compound interest that in time adds up to a different kind of ‘Big Win’. 
“By the inch, it’s a cinch. By the yard, it’s hard” 

Iain is committed to helping Creative Entrepreneurs grow the commercial side of their businesses. His coaching company only wants a maximum of 30 clients at any one time. Iain is the complete opposite of the ‘never mind the quality, see the width’ school of thought. 

His publishing company is not interested in producing potboiler best-sellers. Brilliant limited editions appeal more to Iain’s unusual mind. 

Once it was “Iain against the world”. Iain’s significant psychic change means that he is now ‘internally focused.’ He simply wants to be better and to make a difference to the people he coaches and the businesses they run. Iain is still a teacher at heart. A good one. A different one. A great guy to have on your side. Because, as you will hear here, there is only one Iain Thackrah!

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

Send us Fan Mail

Delighted to welcome legendary Event Producer & Creative Director Dan Tsu to 'The Clearing'. Dan was passed the "Golden Baton" to be here in the 'Clearing' by Performance Poet Toby Thompson.

Dan is an Event Producer, Live Promoter, International Facilitator & Teacher of Event Management. 

Co-founder of  the infamous Glastonbury Festival venue "Rum Shack", he has being hosting innovative and independent live shows for the last 15 years.  Dan  holds a reputation for championing and collaborating with young talent, working closely with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Akala & Kate Tempest, to name but some of many many more.

Dan is also founder & director of the Live Events & Education company Lyrix Organix: A design consultancy for groundbreaking programmes, working collaboratively with major youth organisations and charities.  

Lyrix Organix uses rap, poetry, music & and cross-disciplinary approaches to amplify social action.

When Dan Tsu describes himself as a ‘Jack of all Trades’ he does not begin to do himself justice. As his name may suggest, Dan is mixed heritage: Anglo-Chinese, Singapore British, Hong Kong Chinese. 

At school Dan began to hone a particular skill in being able to be both an 'outlier' and an 'inlier', able to get the best from relationships around him.  He made friends easily, with an ability to be able to move freely between a variety of different ethnic and religious groups, who all tended to sit in different corners of the classroom and not necessarily mix with each other in the playground.  Dan was a free spirit, without an obvious ego, therefore able to weave his way into all kinds of diverse and interesting circles. 

He has always been inspired by words, poetry and by music like hip-hop and rap. His signature venue "Rum Shack" at the Glastonbury Festival is particularly important to him, as is Glastonbury implicitly for its unique authenticity & ‘irreplaceable and indescribable’ spirit.

Dan created early opportunities for the now superstar singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and the rising star performance-poet, Toby Thompson, as well as scores of others.  

Dan does not speak Chinese but he is still inspired by the iconic Chinese artist and activist Ai Wei Wei. Dan’s personal goal is to ‘change the world in small ways.’

As a facilitator, educator, events producer and creative director, Dan Tsu is creating his own dynamic legacy, on a daily basis. He is delighted when people acknowledge the difference he has made to their lives - which people regularly do now, in random encounters, on average now once or twice a week!

Dan sees himself as a Londoner.  Happy both in the darkest corner of a lively nightclub or in the solitude of ancient woodland in Dulwich.

An extraordinary & distinctive story indeed.

Enjoy!

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening!