Jemma Freese

In this episode, Hayleigh and Keren are joined by Byron Vincent, who is a working-class, neurodivergent writer, filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist who has made work for the BBC, RSC, BAC and other notable acronyms. He is currently developing Lashers, a feature film supported by the BFI, and The In Between, a feature documentary exploring neurodivergence supported by the British Council and Unlimited is currently touring festivals. Byron also directs Disco Neurotico, an award-winning accessible club night for neurodivergent audiences.

In this episode, Hayleigh and Keren are joined by Welsh producer and multi-instrumentalist The Anchoress (aka Catherine Anne Davies). She has released two acclaimed studio albums which have amassed an army of celebrity fans including The Cure’s Robert Smith, Caitlin Moran, and Elton John, as well as selling over 20,000 physical units in an age of streaming. Her trademark literate baroque songwriting mixes epic melancholic guitar anthems alongside “swaggering synth-pop” (UNCUT) and “shining alt-pop from the artisan of darkness” (RECORD COLLECTOR). Her second album The Art of Losing successfully transformed wall-to-wall critical plaudits into a Top 40 position in the UK charts. It was also named an album of the year by The Sunday Times, The Line of Best Fit, Mail on Sunday, Prog, and The Sun. She has been twice nominated for the Welsh Music Prize and has repeatedly collaborated with Manic Street Preachers and released a duo album with Bernard Butler. Catherine was previously part of the line-up of Simple Minds, appearing on the albums Big Music (2015) and Walk Between Worlds (2018) before departing in 2019. Versions, her 2023 collection of imaginative re-workings of indie anthems was named an album of the year by the Mail on Sunday and heralded by The Sunday Times as “beguiling and insightful”. This covers collection of tracks by Radiohead, REM, Depeche Mode, Nirvana, the Cure was hailed as “spine tingling” by BBC 6Music’s Chris Hawkins and described as “a thrill for teenage goth girls everywhere” by MOJO.

In this episode, Hayleigh and Keren are joined by Ali Wagner (she/her), who is a nightlife researcher and cultural producer based in London. She is the founder of Dancefloor Intimacy, a consultancy focused on making nightclubs and music venues more accessible and inclusive for Disabled, Neurodivergent, Deaf, Blind, and chronically ill people. Her work is community-led, with focus groups at its core. Recent collaborators include fabric, Joy, in Birkenhead, Horst, and the Cause. She is also ⅓ of WORMHOLE, a DIY Sunday event in London, and ½ of Uhaul Dyke Rescue, London's hottest FLINTA club night and festival pop-up with recent takeovers at Field Manuevers, WHOLE, Glastonbury, +more. In this episode, we talk about Ali's work and how nightlife spaces can be made to be more inclusive with some excellent tips for venues, event organisers, and promoters for how to do this.

We are back with a new name, new branding and a new season! In season 2 we will be deep diving into neurodiversity in the music industry and we have some fantastic guests lined up! We will also be joined by a fabulous co-host for the season, Dr Hayleigh Bosher.

In this episode, I chat to Zoe-Jane Littlewood, who is a dynamic and inspiring mixed race dyslexic woman on a mission to revolutionise the way people view dyslexia. As an advocate and content creator, she utilises her personal experiences and expertise to raise awareness and create a more inclusive society for individuals with dyslexia. We chat all about the misconceptions of dyslexia and Zoe's experiences of education, employment, and her various incredible projects.