Conversations with people making change
Episodes
Thursday Dec 05, 2019
Thursday Dec 05, 2019
Sarah Ann Macklin is founder of the Be Well Collective to improve mental health and wellbeing in the fashion industry. A model for 15 years, Sarah Ann has worked for designers such as Vivienne Westwood, and magazines from Vogue Italia to Esquire.
Against the backdrop of a demanding career in the spotlight, Sarah Ann's journey of self-care lead her to train and open a Harley Street practice as a nutritionist. She launched the Be Well Collective in 2016 to bring nutritional education and mental health coaching to fashion models; the women and men that represent society’s aesthetic paradigm, yet off camera, often face the greatest body consciousness, self-esteem and stress-related issues.
The organisation supports models across London through regular workshops and industry events and creates a safe online community of a wider audience via their website, including the newly launched Live Well Be Well Series; educational videos providing scientifically based expert advice and personal insights from influential individuals from the fashion community. The Be Well Collective is endorsed by the British Fashion Model Agents Association and the British Fashion Council.
We sat down with Sarah to discuss mental wellbeing in the fashion industry for young people like models, how she came to create a platform for others, and how to open up the discussion to seek long-lasting change.
Follow the Be Well Collective on Instagram @be_well_collective and find out more bewellcollective.co.uk.
Follow Future Heist on Instagram and Twitter @future_heist for episode updates, news and giveaways.
Produced and recorded by Rena Niamh Smith
Theme music by Benjamin Tassie
Artwork by Fleur Beck
Sound engineering by Gibran Farrah
Special thanks to Chloe Vasseghi
Thursday Sep 05, 2019
Thursday Sep 05, 2019
Women have routinely been written out of history, sidelined and forgotten. So have the working class. Dr Louise Raw, author of ’Striking a Light: the Bryant & May Matchwomen and Their Place on History’, in the book, she challenges the idea that the Dock Strike of 1889 was the first major strike in British history, and instead looks at an industrial strike the previous year, led by women, that was a key moment in the founding of today’s Labour Party.
Louise describes herself as an activist historian. She has created the Matchwomen Festival in London’s East End, celebrating their story, and unearths untold stories weekly on “London Lives” on the Robert Elms show on BBC London. They say the winners write history – the stories we know from the past and the ones we have forgotten tell us what kind of society we live in. The missing pieces give us the clue to set it right.
Follow Louise on Twitter @LouiseRawAuthor and hear her on the Robert Elms show on BBC London.
Follow Future Heist on Instagram and Twitter @future_heist for episode updates, news and giveaways.
Produced and recorded by Rena Niamh Smith
Theme music by Benjamin Tassie
Artwork by Fleur Beck
Sound engineering by Gibran Farrah
Special thanks to Chloe Vasseghi
Friday Aug 02, 2019
Friday Aug 02, 2019
In July 2019, Future Heist recorded a live podcast at Marxism Festival 2019, a celebration of socialist ideas.
Podcast host Rena Niamh Smith presented a political analysis of the fashion industry, looking at how the fashion industry has misshaped our consumption of clothing, why style should be respected as an art form by socialists and revolutionary styles from the past. The discussion, with members of the audience, addresses questions like the hijab, the gilets jaunes movement, sexism in the industry, and so much more. Together, we consider the shortcomings of the industry, and look to an alternate future.
Follow Marxism Festival on Twitter @marxismfestival and Instagram @marxism_festival. Find out more at marxismfestival.org.uk
Follow Future Heist on Instagram and Twitter @future_heist for episode updates, news and giveaways.
Produced and recorded by Rena Niamh Smith
Theme music by Benjamin Tassie
Artwork by Fleur Beck
Sound engineering by Gibran Farrah
Special thanks to Chloe Vasseghi
Friday Jun 07, 2019
Friday Jun 07, 2019
Moyra Samuels has lived near Grenfell Tower for over 30 years. On 14th June 2017, she watched in horror as catastrophic fire raged through the residential block, killing 72 people. She immediately became involved in the relief operations in the community following the fire and is now Project Manager for Justice4Grenfell.
A long-time activist from South Africa, Moyra grew up under apartheid and was radicalised as the movement for civil rights took off across the globe. We discuss the shape of the campaign so far, her own path to politics and the lack of action from government and corporations on what has become a tragic symbol of austerity Britain.
Follow Justice4Grenfell on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @officialj4g.
Follow Future Heist on Instagram and Twitter @future_heist for episode updates, news and giveaways.
Produced and recorded by Rena Niamh Smith
Theme music by Benjamin Tassie
Artwork by Fleur Beck
Sound engineering by Gibran Farrah
Special thanks to Chloe Vasseghi
Saturday May 11, 2019
Saturday May 11, 2019
Tony Sullivan is Senior Lecturer in Cultural and Historical Studies at London College of Fashion, UAL. He is contributing author in a new book "Fashion & Politics", which looks at fashion from the mid 19th century to today and how it has been used to express nationalism, terrorism, surveillance and individualism. His chapter, 'Dressing the Opposition: Sartorial Resistance on Europe’s Political Left', looks at the way in which politicians including Jeremy Corbyn, have used dress to transmit their message, and the importance of critiquing fashion from a Left perspective.
As lecturer, Tony works with today's students, tomorrow's fashion industry insiders. We discuss the need for change in the fashion industry, and the barriers to change that are a natural part of the system today.
You can hear Tony's talk "Fashion & Capitalism" from Marxism Festival 2018, or book to attend Marxism 2019 in central London, where there will be discussions on fashion, culture, and, of course, capitalism.
Follow Marxism Festival on Twitter @marxismfestival and Instagram @marxism_festival. Find out more at marxismfestival.org.uk
Follow Future Heist on Instagram and Twitter @future_heist for episode updates, news and giveaways.
Produced and recorded by Rena Niamh Smith
Theme music by Benjamin Tassie
Artwork by Fleur Beck
Sound editing by Simon Guy
Special thanks to Chloe Vasseghi
Friday Apr 12, 2019
Friday Apr 12, 2019
Jasmine Fischer has been a vegan for 5 years, but her politics has changed over time. While she still believes people should consider the environmental and ethical impact of their decisions, she believes veganism is an individualistic approach that will not end the suffering of animals.
For Jasmine, the meat, dairy and egg industries are driven not by cruelty alone, but by capitalism. Only by dismantling capitalism will there be an end to the cycle of oppression, not only for animals, but for people as well.
Follow Marxism Festival on Twitter @marxismfestival and Instagram @marxism_festival. Find out more at marxismfestival.org.uk
Follow Future Heist on Instagram and Twitter @future_heist for episode updates, news and giveaways.
Produced and recorded by Rena Niamh Smith
Theme music by Benjamin Tassie
Artwork by Fleur Beck
Sound editing by Simon Guy
Special thanks to Chloe Vasseghi
Friday Mar 22, 2019
Friday Mar 22, 2019
Aimée Cohen is a co-founder of 52GIRLS. 52GIRLS aims to bring together a space for women, trans, non-binary people and allies to bring empowerment to the foreground. The event aims to celebrate women’s exploration of music and women in music. Aimée co-founded the event with Raissa Pardini.
The regular club night, which has held events in East London and Glasgow, puts women, femmes, trans and non binary people at the forefront of the lineup, and each night is dedicated to a different charity. As well as raising money for a cause needy of support, the organisers make the night a space to discuss the issue at hand with guests.
In this podcast, Aimée discusses the origins of the night, why women, trans and non-binary people are excluded and ways you can support the movement.
Follow 52Girls on Facebook and Instagram @hey52girls.
Follow Future Heist on Instagram and Twitter @future_heist for episode updates, news and giveaways.
Produced and recorded by Rena Niamh Smith
Theme music by Benjamin Tassie
Artwork by Fleur Beck
Sound editing by Simon Guy
Special thanks to Chloe Vasseghi
Friday Mar 01, 2019
Friday Mar 01, 2019
Zak Cochrane is the National Organiser at Love Music Hate Racism, a platform set up in 2002 to challenge the growth of the far right. Born out of the Rock Against Racism movement, which goes back to the 1970s, Love Music Hate Racism organise gigs that allow people of all backgrounds to mix, over a shared love of music, and empower the anti-racist message by showing how we have more in common with our neighbours than differences, which racists seek to exploit.
Artists who have performed under Love Music Hate Racism banners so far include Ms Dynamite, Kasabian, Hard -Fi, Babyshambles, Akala, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Estelle, The View, Lethal Bizzle, Kano, Roll Deep and Basement Jaxx. Zak explains how the organisation has developed, the strategy of local gigs and events, and how you can get involved.
Follow Love Music Hate Racism on Twitter @lmhrnational and on Instagram @lovemusichateracism. Find out more at lovemusichateracism.com
Follow Future Heist on Instagram and Twitter @future_heist for episode updates, news and giveaways.
Produced and recorded by Rena Niamh Smith
Theme music by Benjamin Tassie
Artwork by Fleur Beck
Sound editing by Simon Guy
Special thanks to Chloe Vasseghi
Friday Feb 08, 2019
Friday Feb 08, 2019
Taban Shoresh was a teenager when she escaped genocide in Iraq. She escaped to the UK, where she grew up, but quit her City job to go back to Kurdistan to help refugees displaced by conflict, and set up Lotus Flower.
Lotus Flower is a non-profit that supports women and girls impacted by conflict and displacement. They empower vulnerable women and girls so that they are safe, have opportunities to learn, given the tools to become financially independent and have the freedom to speak out and lead change.They create and operate community centres for women and girls that provide programming structured around 6 pillars chosen in accordance with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Each centre offers bespoke programming based on the community's needs and incorporating their feedback, with classes like boxing, English language and computing skills.
Follow Lotus Flower on Twitter and Instagram @thelotusf and find out more at www.thelotusflower.org
Follow Future Heist on Instagram and Twitter @future_heist for episode updates, news and giveaways.
Produced and recorded by Rena Niamh Smith
Theme music by Benjamin Tassie
Artwork by Fleur Beck
Sound engineering by Simon Guy
Special thanks to Chloe Vasseghi
Friday Jan 11, 2019
Friday Jan 11, 2019
When Saffiyah Khan stood smiling in the face of a screaming member of the English Defence League in Birmingham, little did she think she would become the face of a multicultural, confident youth in the face of racism.
Recorded in the summer of 2018 a year after that picture went viral, we catch up with Saffiyah, now signed to model agency Elite and a photographer and activist.
Now volunteering with Off the Scale Vintage, a mental health charity reaching out to students, we caught up with Saffiyah to find out how she has been using her moment in the spotlight as a force for good, tackling the growing mental health crisis in the youth, and building unity on the left.
Follow Saffiyah Khan on Instagram @saffiyah__khan.
Follow Future Heist on Instagram and Twitter @future_heist for episode updates, news and giveaways.
Produced and recorded by Rena Niamh Smith
Theme music by Benjamin Tassie
Artwork by Fleur Beck
Special thanks to Chloe Vasseghi