Battersea Arts Centre has announced the launch of (Un)Common Ground, a new hour‑long arts podcast hosted by Artistic Director and CEO Tarek Iskander alongside theatre critic, journalist and author Lyn Gardner.
The bi‑monthly series aims to create much needed space for open, in‑depth conversations about key issues affecting the culture sector. Each episode will bring together a panel of guests from across the industry in a round‑table format, with a focus on live performance.
The first episode, released today, features director Erica Whyman, former Culture Minister Ed Vaizey and Jo Crowley, former Executive Producer at 1927. The discussion examines Baroness Margaret Hodge’s recent review of Arts Council England and questions what future arts funding should look like.
Future episodes will cover topics including ethical fundraising in the cultural sector and the complex pressures of self‑censorship for artists.
Tarek Iskander said, “Despite our commitment in the arts to telling stories and tackling difficult issues, there are some conversations that still rarely happen out in the open. This podcast is about creating space for those discussions in depth and in a long‑form way where there is room for dissenting voices, diverging views and plenty of grey areas. Working in live performance is wonderful, but it’s also not easy. Our world is full of trade‑offs and hard decisions. Through this podcast, Lyn and I want to create a respectful, constructive space where people grappling with these challenges can say what they really think and be properly listened to, even where there is disagreement.”
Lyn Gardner said, “When Tarek first asked me if I’d be interested in collaborating on a podcast, I said that I really didn’t think that the world needed another theatre podcast. But I hope (Un)Common Ground is different. Like many, I have mourned the demise of platforms where the challenges and the considerable joys of making theatre at this moment in time in an uncertain world can be discussed with real honesty. With this podcast, Tarek and I are eager to create a space where what’s happening here and now in theatre and the performing arts can be debated by a range of guests who bring widely sometimes wildly different perspectives to the table.”
(Un)Common Ground is available to stream via the Battersea Arts Centre website and can be downloaded for free on Spotify.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
