Talking Birds’ Podcasts

As far as we know, no-one is running a qualification in Artistic Director-ing, so how do you find out what skills you need, or what an Artistic Director really does, day to day? What sort of career path leads to becoming an Artistic Director? How do you go about becoming one? And – after this discussion – do you still actually want to? Our panellists are: Orit Azaz, Selina Thompson & Corey Campbell, chaired by Talking Birds’ Co-Artistic Director Derek Nisbet. Ep. 11 of our Nestival of Ideas panel discussions.

This discussion followed a screening at the Nest of Power Station - with panellists Jess Pinson, Farah Ahmed & Phil Beardmore.

Two artists in Walthamstow set out to take their street off the grid, kickstarting a solar-powered energy revolution.

Inspired by lockdown mutual aid initiatives, artist-activists Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn decided to turn their street into an energy-generating powerhouse – a prototype for a new way of living, with the hope of galvanising a wider push towards sustainable alternatives.

Directed by the duo, POWER STATION charts their turbulent journey, from pitching the idea to their neighbours and sleeping on the roof of their home, to raising finance and launching a bid for a Christmas number one single.

By turns funny and heartwarming, Powell and Edelstyn’s film is a vibrant portrait of their local neighbourhood, and a charming testament to the power of art in changing minds about what could be possible.

More info: https://power.film/

Who is actually making money in the music industry? Labels? Venues? Promoters? Managers? And how can it be right for anyone to expect gigging musicians to play for free? A Nestival of Ideas Panel Discussion to explore what’s happening, where the money really is, and how to make a career out of creating music.

 

In the latest of our Nestival of Ideas conversations, we unpick some of this with the help of our brilliant panel:

 

Ellie Ball – Music Publicist and Radio Plugger
Finlay Turner-Berry – Founder of Underbelly Promotions
Ammo Talwar MBE – CEO Punch Records
Charlie Tophill aka Bar Pandora - Artist, Music Producer & Facilitator

 

The discussion is chaired by Derek Nisbet, Composer and Co-Artistic Director of Talking Birds.

 

 

Ellie Ball is Head of Press and Radio at Someone Great PR, where she has spent the past decade running bespoke campaigns for independent artists and labels. Specialising in national radio, print press and online coverage, she has worked with acts across genres to amplify their stories and build sustainable careers in music. Ellie began her career at Tin Angel Records, overseeing press and radio for the label’s roster, and co-founded Boudica Festival, a Midlands-based, all-female music event.

 

Finlay Turner-Berry Underbelly is a Coventry based promoter that brings underground and left-field sounds to the Coventry masses. I was born and raised in Coventry and in my late teens was frustrated with the lack of alternative and left-field music available to me. Any time I wanted to see music that excited me live, I had to see them in other cities. It was no surprise then, that I left for the green pastures of Bristol for university and discovered a world of alternative music, an inclusive scene, and thriving DIY venues. Post-uni I moved back to cov and decided that I wanted to try and build a similar vibe in Coventry. I’ve been back in Coventry for three years now and the music scene has exploded in that time. There are so many great promoters, bands, and Venues all doing their thing in the city and it is fantastic. I think for the first time in a very long time a kid in their late teens now has a choice of DIY gigs to go to weekly, something I would never have pictured for Cov when I left the city at 18.

 

Ammo Talwar started life as a music maverick selling vinyl at his specialist record shop in the late 90s, which became a hub for DJs and artists from across the country. This laid the foundation for a long-term commitment to supporting artists, building infrastructure, and shaping cultural policy. His vision and strategic leadership built Punch Records from a shop into a nationally recognised agency, partnering with major institutions including Google, Coca-Cola, the British Council, and the 2022 Commonwealth Games to support grassroots music and creativity. He is currently Chairman of the UK Music Diversity Taskforce, where he recently led on developing the innovative 5 P’s (UK Music Industry’s Action Plan), a major music industry intervention to drive change to rebalance the industry’s workforce diversity deficit. He is also a BPI Council Board member.

 

Charlie Tophill is a West Midlands-based music artist and producer who performs under the moniker Bar Pandora - a name inspired by the literary café in Madrid where she joined her first feminist book club. Bar Pandora's 'shape-shifting alt-pop for the proudly imperfect' seeks to challenge self-limitation, and has been championed by BBC 6 Music’s Amy Lamé, Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson.

In addition to her own project, Charlie is also a seasoned touring and session musician, having toured the UK and Europe with bands Curtis Eller’s American Circus and The Howl & The Hum.

Charlie is a passionate advocate for women in music, and has appeared on BBC Woman’s Hour to discuss gender inequality and the gender tech-gap in music production. She is committed to supporting and advocating for women and gender expansive artists in the industry, and Co-founded Holle In Music, a collective born out of frustration with the lack of supportive infrastructure for marginalised genders in the music business.

 

Derek Nisbet is a composer & theatre-maker who specialises in creating music for unusual situations. He is Co-Artistic Director of Talking Birds and one third of The Sonoplasts. See less

Panel Discussion exploring where to draw the line in an impoverished sector when commissions, sponsors, or funders’ values might not necessarily align with your own.

Our panel: James Yarker (Stan’s Cafe), Hazel Sealeaf (writer, researcher & producer) Catherine Groom (Fierce) and Justine Themen (Theatre Director). Chaired by Derek Nisbet (Talking Birds). Recorded at Talking Birds' Nest in Coventry, 16th May 2025.

Both Hazel and Catherine were part of the group involved in putting together the Ethical Fundraising Toolkit which launched last year.

Trevor Goose (Talking Birds 30th Anniversary Edition) Live from The Nest/Daimler Powerhouse 17/12/22

Script & lyrics by Nick 'Annika' Walker
Music/MD: Derek 'Fingers' Nisbet
Design: Janet 'Vorgen' Vaughan
Hans: Craig Stephens
Ingrid: Sam Frankie Fox
Trefor: Graeme Rose
Special Guest: Corinne Emerson
Accordion: Karen 'Gaten' Street
Clarinet: Kate 'Brigitte' Luxmoore
Percussion: Tom 'Tromme' Peverelle

Sound: Jonathon 'De Bungle' Blackford
Lighting: Arnim 'Belysning' Friess
LX assist & livestream monitor: Tom 'Schnitzel' Simkins
Goose construction: Alison 'Kurt' Kirkpatrick
Production Manager: Tom 'Thomasz' Langford
General Management: Philippa 'Kris' Cross
Publicity Design & Photography: Andy 'Ørusund' Moore

(Note: contains gross caricatures of the Danish accent). 

Trevor Goose (Talking Birds 30th Anniversary Edition) Live from The Nest/Daimler Powerhouse 17/12/22

Script & lyrics by Nick 'Annika' Walker
Music/MD: Derek 'Fingers' Nisbet
Design: Janet 'Vorgen' Vaughan
Hans: Craig Stephens
Ingrid: Sam Frankie Fox
Trefor: Graeme Rose
Special Guest: Corinne Emerson
Accordion: Karen 'Gaten' Street
Clarinet: Kate 'Brigitte' Luxmoore
Percussion: Tom 'Tromme' Peverelle

Sound: Jonathon 'De Bungle' Blackford
Lighting: Arnim 'Belysning' Friess
LX assist & livestream monitor: Tom 'Schnitzel' Simkins
Goose construction: Alison 'Kurt' Kirkpatrick
Production Manager: Tom 'Thomasz' Langford
General Management: Philippa 'Kris' Cross
Publicity Design & Photography: Andy 'Ørusund' Moore

(Note: contains gross caricatures of the Danish accent). 

Panel discussion with Mandip Seehra, freelance photographer & part of the panel convened to draw up Fair Pay Principles for Coventry during 2021; Charlotte Jones, CEO of Independent Theatre Council (ITC), and Duncan Whitley, freelance artist & part of team that drafted “Creating the Conditions for Creation“. Chaired by Philippa Cross, Talking Birds. Held at The Nest, Coventry, 15th November 2024

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Rest: Necessity, Resistance or Privilege? – a panel discussion exploring the notion of Rest as Resistance, but also considering the complexity of choice (and who has, or is able to exercise, it) in relation to rest. The panel: Sym Mendez, Samantha Holley-Horseman and Jaz Morrison, chaired by Janet Vaughan. Held at the Nest, Coventry 17th May 2024.

 

All sorts of people make change in all types of ways, and for all kinds of reasons, but if you want to change something, is it better to work from the inside or the outside?

 

In this panel discussion we explore the relative merits and challenges of making change from a position inside or outside of an organisation or system; how the circumstances and environment might affect how an individual might approach making change and how successful they might be; and whether particular people might be best suited to one method or another.

 

In the latest of our Nestival of Ideas conversations, we unpick some of this with the help of our brilliant panel, which includes: Ola Animashawun, Laura Nyahuye and Hardish Virk. Chaired by Janet Vaughan, Co-Artistic Director of Talking Birds.

 

 

Ola Animashawun is a National Theatre Associate and Connections Dramaturg and the co-founder and Creative Director of the playwriting consultancy, Euphoric Ink. Ola is also a former Associate Director of the Royal Court Theatre.

 

Laura Nyahuye is a multi-disciplinary artist, storyteller, designer/maker, writer, curator, performer, changemaker and advocate. Challenging societal perceptions affecting minoritised groups, her work seeks to find the common thread that connect humans from all backgrounds and create a culture of solidarity and coexistence.

 

Hardish Virk has worked in the arts and cultural sectors since the 1980s as a DJ, actor, director, producer and author. The main focus of his work over the last 25 years has been on advising artists, arts companies and cultural institutions on organisational and audience development – specifically around access and equality.

When conflict strikes, ordinary citizens are often the first to suffer the consequences, and will continue to live with the legacy of war well beyond the conclusion of hostilities. Reflecting on recent and current events, our expert panel will explore the role of citizens acting both individually and collectively to repair damaged communities and rebuild international bonds.

Panel: the Very Reverend John Witcombe, Dean of Coventry Cathedral; Laura Payne from the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University; and artist and activist Dr Seyedeh Naseriniaki, founder of Chrysalis Craft; chaired by Talking Birds' Co-Artistic Director Derek Nisbet.