The Zara Show: Recent Episodes
Zara Jayne
Zara Jayne is a performance maker and writer with hidden disabilities. With arts venues closed for most of 2020 and operating at reduced capacity in 2021, Zara decides to team up with the charity Sense to make a podcast. She explores the lives of artists and performers who have disabilities, and talks to them about their work, world views and life coming out of lockdown. With frank conversation, Zara continues her podcast adventures.
Written & hosted by Zara Jayne.Direction & music by Sam Frankie Fox.Mixed by Fox&Rocha.Artwork by Channi Dorset.Produced in collaboration with Sense.
Lisa Simpson is a Liverpool based Choreographer & Workshop leader with quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy and no verbal communication. She’s the director of Lisa Simpson Inclusive Dance and an Artistic Director at Sense Touchbase Pears, working on a new National Inclusive Dance Programme. For this interview she is joined by her husband John who acts as translator, and her colleague Rebecca Randall who is Resident Dance Artist at Sense. Lisa shares her love of technology and visual arts, explains how she uses her eye gaze communication tool, and delves into her deep passion for choreography and how she helps others realise their choreographic visions with the revolutionary ‘Simpson Board’.
Lele is the youngest guest to appear on The Zara Show. She’s right at the beginning of her creative journey, but already has experience of working in the professional arts sector. Lele is based in Birmingham, she lives with Cerebral Palsy and is passionate about theatre, arts-in-health and arts-therapy; currently studying ‘Applied Theatre’ at Birmingham City University. She has some excellent advice and anecdotes around patience and slowing down, and shares her fears and excitements about a future career in the arts, and her ambitions to work in a leadership position.
Jess Thom is a writer, artist and part-time superhero, who co-founded Touretteshero in 2010 as a creative response to her experience of living with Tourettes Syndrome. She campaigns for disability rights and social justice and is on a mission to change the world ‘one tic at a time’. Jess has an energetic conversation with Zara about the urgency of her work, what her tics feel like, the importance of language and her love of banana ice lollies.
* Listeners should be aware that due to some of Jess’ tics, this episode includes some obscene language. In the editing process we did not want to sensor Jess in any way so the conversation is unedited, therefore listener-discretion is advised.
Performer and creative writer Dr Jessi Parrott talks to Zara having recently completed a PhD
which centred around research into disability as an employment issue in UK theatre and
television. They discuss balancing creative and academic work during the pandemic
and how singing in a virtual choir has helped them feel connected to a wider community and
been a tonic for feelings of isolation and loneliness. Self-described as a queer disabled artist,
Jessi has a lot of enlightening views around representation and inclusion within the arts industry,
and celebrates the resourcefulness and openness of the disabled community. As well as shining
a light on Jessi’s quick wit and fierce intelligence, the podcast also celebrates Zara and her
guest’s passion for myths and fantasy - join them as they agonise over their preference for
unicorns or dragons in an entertaining game of ‘would you rather’!
Performer Raji Gopalakrishnan is a close friend and collaborator of Zara’s, and the pair share
stories of making, baking and exploring together both online and in person on long walks in the
countryside. Raji is deafblind and uses tactile British Sign Language - using her hands to feel
the signs - and for this episode she is joined by her communicator-guide Sally McNeill, who
voices Raji’s interview. This is a buoyant conversation where Raji expresses her appreciation of
nature, appetite for travel and how dancing is her ‘happy-place’. She urges listeners to think
about inclusion and always try to be equal, and makes an appeal on behalf of all disabled
people - “don’t forget about us”.
Episode Transcript: https://bit.ly/3jzgdM8
Spoken word artist, performer, songwriter and poet Miss Jacqui has a conversation with Zara
about how she has been working creatively at home during the pandemic. She makes work so
that listeners can see the world differently - and as a special treat she performs the first poem
she ever wrote, where people with disabilities are described as ‘fireworks in the daytime’! Tune
in as they both discuss Jacqui’s creative journeys, her love of animals, prioritisation of kindness
and mission to challenge societal perceptions and share what it actually means to be a black
woman with a disability.
Transcript: https://bit.ly/3kBO2gp
Credits
Written and hosted by Zara Jayne
Direction and music by Sam Frankie Fox
Edited & mixed by Fox & Rocha
Artwork by Channi Dorset of cr8tivewallflowerinc.com
This podcast is produced in collaboration with the ‘Sense Arts and Wellbeing
Team’. Sense is a national disability charity that supports people with complex
disabilities including deafblindness.
‘Sense, Connecting Sight, Sound and Life – No one left out of life, no matter
what’.
Supported by DCMS, #letstalkloneliness
TheZaraShow
@zara_jayne87
@sensecharity
www.sense.org.uk
Episode 3 transcript available here - http://bit.ly/2LFToby
Mixed-media artist Clarke Reynolds has not stopped during lockdown! Between showing his art in international online exhibitions, printing bespoke t-shirts and home schooling, Clarke is a man on a mission . This final episode is a fast-paced, dynamic conversation between him and his new friend Zara; they discuss shifting attitudes around how disabled people are perceived, and they have some fun unpicking why Clarke choses to principally place braille at the heart of his art and his world.
Written & hosted by Zara Jayne Arnold: @zara_jayne87
Guest artist Clarke Reynolds: @clarke_reynolds (instagram) @3dpointlism (twitter)
Direction & music by Sam Frankie Fox
Produced in collaboration with Sense
Episode 2 transcript available here - http://bit.ly/38ePpdx
Musician Robin Jax talks to Zara about his music projects and processes, and the story of setting up his neuro-diverse label Tiergarten Records. This episode focuses on wellbeing so as well as sharing his deep love for music, he offers some top tips on keeping mentally healthy. Listen out for some insightful stories about disability rights and inclusivity too.
Written & hosted by Zara Jayne Arnold: @zara_jayne87
Guest artist Robin Jax: @robinjaxrpc @Tiergarten_Recs
Direction & music by Sam Frankie Fox
Produced in collaboration with Sense
Episode 1 Transcript available here - http://bit.ly/3qv2tTQ
Visual artist Tanya Raabe-Webber is a “painter of people”. She takes Zara and her listeners on a guided tour of her home studio and let’s them get up close and personal with her artwork - including a piece that is part of a ‘visual manifesto’ she has created for Sense Arts. Their conversation centres around resilience and they both share their individual philosophies on how to power through and find your own voice as an artist.
Written & hosted by Zara Jayne Arnold: @zara_jayne87
Guest artist Tanya Raabe-Webber: @tanyaraabe
Direction & music by Sam Frankie Fox
Produced in collaboration with Sense
Introducing The Zara Show, a podcast created in collaboration Sense, the national disability charity. For this pilot series Zara explores the lives of artists and performers who have disabilities, and talks to them about their work, world views and life in lockdown.
Written and hosted by Zara Jayne Arnold: @zara_jayne87
Direction and Music by Sam Frankie Fox: @samfrankiefox
Edited & mixed by Fox & Rocha
Artworks by Channi Dorset : @cr8wallinc
Supported by DCMS #letstalkloneliness : @DCMS
In collaboration with Sense Arts: @Sensecharity @StephSenseArts @SunneySenseArts @OliviaSenseArts