Vandal Factory

Henry and Natalie interview Elvi and Chris about We're Not Going Back, a powerful play about Women Against Pit Closures during the 1984-85 Miners Strike. Argentinian artists Florencia and Clare from Music For Science discuss how they collaborated with scientists.

Natalie talks about her nourishing International Women's Day activities, and Henry shares a brand new poem recorded live. Plus music from Grace Petrie, Joe Solo and a brand new feature: The Freelance Feelings Factory!

You can support the podcast on Patreon! For as little as £1 a month you can be a mega legend and help make these podcasts...and allow us to commission other artists! Info here: patreon.com/VandalFactory.

Episode photo copyright Mike Bettney

Natalie talks to British-Palestinian Shaymaa Tannira who is desperately fundraising to help her family escape from Rafah, Gaza.

Please donate whatever you can via her Go Fund Me page: https://gofund.me/82a0748c

Shaymaa chooses to share two songs that have been giving her strength in recent months Habayebna by Angham and Ghorbet Watan by Mohammad Jneid.

You can support the podcast on Patreon! For as little as £1 a month you can be a mega legend and help make these podcasts...and allow us to commission other artists!

Support us on at patreon.com/VandalFactory.

Nat and Henry talk to two special guests: Occult metalhead comedian Andrew O'Neill about their 5-star show Geburah and trad folk singer Johnny Campbell about their latest album True North. Plus Cerys from Leeds band Ómoia introduces their track 'The Sickness'.

Stick around for Henry & Nat's chewy chat about silence, messaging and impact in performance and protest.

Come get naughty with the landscape! Find us on Facebook, Instagram and X and search Vandal Factory Playlist on Spotify.

You can support the podcast on Patreon! For as little as £1 a month you can be a mega legend and help make these podcasts...and allow us to commission other artists!

Support us on at patreon.com/VandalFactory.

Why did hundreds of protesters carry placards featuring watermelons through Leeds?

Every Saturday, over 1000 people of different faiths, ages and backgrounds march to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the miltary occupation of Palestine. On February 10th 2024, not only did this march centre the story of the watermelon, it featured the first ARTISTS & CULTURE WORKERS BLOC. People working in the arts sector marched shoulder-to-shoulder.

Featuring the voices of some of those artists, songs from the Commoners Choir and Henry & Natalie introducing the story of the watermelon as read by Zara, Harris and Safiya.

Find out more about Cultural Resistence by checking out our other podcasts on Palestine.

You can support the podcast on Patreon! For as little as £1 a month you can be a mega legend and help make these podcasts...and allow us to commission other artists!

Support us on at patreon.com/VandalFactory.

Political theatre, anti-war music and protest poetry!

Mark Thomas talks about England & Son, his one-man play by Ed Edwards about class, crime, capitalism, empire, stolen youth and stolen wealth. Seth Mowshowitz from Fold discusses their latest single 'Forever War' about the Military Industrial Complex. Fold are a Leeds band amplifying humanitarian perspectives & critical reflections.

Meanwhile Henry and Natalie are in That London for a Palestine Solidarity march, and meet Temina talking about her handmade stickers and hoodies from Gaza Activists.

Please subscribe and share! Find us and get in touch on Facebook, Instagram and X. Find for the Vandal Factory Playlsit on Spotify.

You can support the podcast on Patreon! For as little as £1 a month you can be a mega legend and help make these podcasts...and allow us to commission other artists!

Support us on at patreon.com/VandalFactory.

Saturday 6th January 2024 we attended an important community demonstration down our road. Crossgates Library is over 75 years old and for generations has been at the heart of this community in East Leeds. Unfortunately, due to 14 years of austerity and councils being desperate to balance the books, Leeds City Council have decided to sell the Library at auction.

People from 8 to 89 years old came together to say, 'Give us, the people of Crossgates, more time to try find an alternative!' listen to this clip to hear just a few of their voices.

Please lend your support to this campaign by doing the following:

1. Sign the petition: https://chng.it/NtHw5bXNMN
2. Email local Cllrs and MP
3. Attend the next demonstration this Saturday (more details on the Save Our Library Building FB Page)

Gill Crawshaw is a curator who draws on her experience of disability activism to organise art exhibitions and events which highlight issues affecting disabled people. We discuss the history of the 19th century textile industry and her new book Rights Not Charity. Plus her exhibitions and her most recent project, Any work that wanted doing, bringing together disabled people’s voices from the past and present, as disabled artists respond to the hidden histories of disabled mill workers.

ROAD TRIP! Henry and Natalie visited Manchester People's History Museum for the exhibition: Nothing About Us Without Us. How have disabled people used visual art, theatre, film and music to fight for equal rights, represention and survival in an ableist world?

You'll hear from poet and artist Vince Laws about his powerful shrouds, part of his DWP Deaths Make Me Sick series. Folk duo The Lunatraktors unpack their version of song Unquiet Grave and we chat to curator Gill Crawshaw about textiles, art and industry.

Plus we play banging music, Henry Does His Own Thing and Nat has a provocation.

Marena Riyad is a Palestinian comedian, actress and Henna artist living in Dallas, Texas. She was a semi-finalist for the funniest comedian in Texas and was as a finalist for Miss Arab USA representing Palestine. She talks about the power of a story-teller and her artistry on stage working with an audience.

Natalie and Henry talk about her Kufiya Comedy events for people who don't always feel welcome at mainstream comedy spaces (and how actually the bit after a gig is the fun part!).

Plus we dissect the Great British Bake-Off and Jaffa Cakes!

In this special 2-parter, we champion Palestinian artists and voices in the struggle for rights and freedom against a brutal military siege and occupation. Our hearts, our rage and our solidarity goes out to everyone during this horrific time.

Thank you to all the artists who continue to guide us through humanity's darkest hour.

In part 2, Henry and Natalie share ways people in the UK have been organising, fund-raising and taking direct action. How have culture organisations and workers rallied to stand with Palestine? We play audio from incredible Palestinian artists: poet Farah Chamma, illustrator Aya Ghanameh, multidisciplinary artist Areej Kaoud and musician Saied Silbak. Khairani Barokka, Hanan Issa, Mohammad Saloo share their heartfelt poetry in support, and Em from Rootweave introduces their vital song 'From The River To The Sea'.