The Art of Bridging is a podcast from the Distant Voices project. Over the last four years, we‘ve been bringing people together to write songs in and around the Scottish criminal justice system. We set out to learn more about what it‘s like to come home after prison, and to try to build bridges through songwriting and creative practice. In the Art of Bridging, the community of people around Distant Voices - all of whom are connected to the criminal justice system in different ways - share some of what we‘ve made and learned along the way. Whether you‘re a music-lover, a community organiser or a system changer, we hope you‘ll enjoy this mix of thought-provoking conversations and compelling, challenging and beautiful tunes.
Distant Voices is a collaboration between arts organisation Vox Liminis, the University of Glasgow, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of the West of Scotland, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (Award No: ES/P002536/1)
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In this final episode of The Art of Bridging, we recap on our journey so far, and acknowledge some of the challenges along the way and what we can learn from them. And then we reach the other side, the dry land - or do we? You'll have to listen to find out.
In Episode 5, Jo and Gordon take us on a behind-the-scenes journey into the making of A Giant on the Bridge, a unique narrative gig from the Distant Voices project. We'll find out about TREEs (Tiny Research Explorations and Enquiries) and how they helped generate dialogue between people and perspectives. We'll hear what happens when restorative justice meets songwriting, and how this kind of encounter can shed new light on professional practice in criminal justice. Along the way we'll hear songs...
Episode 4 is a deep dive into all things poetic. We'll be chatting to Lisa, Alison and Pádraig from the Distant Voices community, and hearing a set of poems created by Pádraig Ó Tuama and the Vox Unbound Community as part of a project called Making Things New. Woven together from everyday observations and encounters, this multilayered poetry collection gives glimpses of the pressures, the despair and the hope of new beginnings after prison. We'll reflect on how creative practice can help spark c...
In Episode 3, Lucy is joined by Sharon, Oliver and Colleen from the Distant Voices community, to share songs and stories from a project that took us to Inverness to work with local communities on themes of addiction and recovery. We'll reflect on identity, inequality, fear and hope, with songs featuring co-writers Gus Bear, Donna Maciocia, Ross Clark (Fiskur), Gabi Froden (Foreign Slippers / Fires of May), and Martin, as well as insights from guest listeners William, Jim and Rachel. We'll glimps...
In Episode 2, Lucy is joined by Martin, Louis and Phil from the Distant Voices community, to chat about what happens in a Vox songwriting session, and about how songs might hold potential to work as 'problem-solving devices'. We'll hear tracks that express complex themes of protest, solidarity, survival and care, featuring co-writers Emma, Ashley, Louis Abbott (Admiral Fallow), Phil Crockett Thomas, Martin, Ross Clark (Fiskur), Tracey and Claire McKay (Martha Ffion). We'll also be joined by gues...
In this episode we’ll be asking what it’s like to re-enter society after a prison sentence. Together with Fergus and Iain from the Distant Voices community, we’re going to be imagining that coming home from prison is a bit like crossing a river, and trying to understand some of the currents in that river. We’ll hear a selection of songs written in and around the Scottish criminal justice system, featuring songwriters including Donna Maciocia, Lisa, Shuggie, Jill Lorean, Lee, C Duncan and Eddie.
Oct 30, 2021•43 min•Ep. 1
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