OffScript

What does it mean to stay balanced and grounded in a shifting world?

This episode of OffScript was recorded live at STEADY, the second event in Dash Arts’ We Are Free To Change The World series. Through live performance and conversation, the evening focused on staying; on staying open without burning out, staying yourself in dialogue without collapsing into agreement or disagreement and staying human amid pressure, speed and polarisation.

Hosted by Dash Arts’ Artistic Director Josephine Burton, with Natasha Walter, Liz Slade, Tasneim Zyada, and Mohammed Ali, the contributors shared perspectives rooted in activism, faith, art and lived experience. Together, they reflect on what it means to remain grounded while responding to a world in flux — and how steadiness itself can be a radical, collective practice.

Find out more about their work here:
Natasha Walter - www.natashawalter.co.uk
Liz Slade - www.elizabethslade.uk
Tasneim Zyada - www.instagram.com/tasneimzyada
Mohammed Ali - www.artofmohammedali.com

The live event was co-presented by Dash Arts, Arts Admin and Fete of Britain.

Get your tickets for the live events for We Are Free To Change The World by going to the Dash Arts website : https://www.dasharts.org.uk/we-are-free

Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of OffScript Josephine Burton is joined by Professor Lyndsey Stonebridge. They delve into Hannah Arendt's belief in collective action as the essence of freedom.

Lyndsey discusses Arendt's life, her impact on political philosophy, and her relevance in contemporary social movements. Exploring how her theories inspire artists and activists today, the conversation highlights Arendt's idea of politics as something we perform in public and the power of human resilience and action.

Get your tickets for the live events for We Are Free To Change The World by going to the Dash Arts website : https://www.dasharts.org.uk/we-are-free

Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi

Photo of Lindsay Stonebridge by Ione Saizar.

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Headlines in the episode:

00:00 Introduction to OffScript
00:46 Exploring Freedom with Lyndsey Stonebridge
02:56 Hannah Arendt's Life and Influence
12:51 The Relevance of Arendt's Ideas Today
23:24 Art, Performance, and Political Action
28:42 Navigating Dark Times with Hope
40:22 Conclusion and Upcoming Events
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to prepare for change — artistically, emotionally, politically?

This episode of OffScript was recorded live at the opening event in Dash Arts’ We Are Free To Change The World series.

Through performance and conversation, the event explored the conditions that help artists and creative activists find their ground to listen, to make, to resist, and to come together.

Hosted by Dash Arts’ Artistic Director Josephine Burton, the conversation features Bishi Bhattacharya, Lehni Lamide Davies, Carole Cadwalladr, and Sam Lee, reflecting on readiness rooted in care, courage, and collective imagination.

Find out more about their work here:
https://www.bishi.co.uk/
https://www.lehnilamide.com/contact
https://broligarchy.substack.com/about
http://samleesong.co.uk/

Get your tickets for the live events for We Are Free To Change The World by going to the Dash Arts website : https://www.dasharts.org.uk/we-are-free

Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of We Are Free to Change the World, Dash Arts’ Artistic Director Josephine Burton is joined by the legendary artist Peter Kennard.

Inspired by Hannah Arendt’s belief in our freedom to begin anew, Josephine and Peter examine how art becomes a form of political action—shifting public consciousness, exposing injustice, and giving shape to the possible futures.

They discuss the challenges of making radical work in increasingly authoritarian and fearful times, and why visual art still has the power to mobilise, unsettle, and inspire.
Peter shares stories from five decades on the frontlines of artistic dissent, reflecting on collaboration, solidarity, and the urgent need to make work now more than ever.

Get your tickets for the live events for We Are Free To Change The World by going to the Dash Arts website: https://www.dasharts.org.uk/we-are-free

Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“[Dash] reaches beyond the creation of its work and its interpretation of human experience. You go to places that others don't.”

For Dash Arts’ 20th anniversary, OffScript host Josephine Burton is joined by one of the UK’s leading champions of justice, Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC.

Helena and Josephine explore how the arts and the law shift public imagination, from movements for social justice to the urgent need for transitional justice in Ukraine and beyond.

She also reflects on her decades-long groundbreaking work in fighting for human rights, women’s rights, and miscarriages of justice—and why jury trials are essential to any healthy democracy.

Get your tickets for the live events for We Are Free To Change The World by going to the Dash Arts website : dasharts.org.uk/we-are-free

Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.