Behind The Spine

The abstract narratives offered through dance performances allow each audience member to experience a story unique to them - to draw their own conclusions of the events that are unfolding. It’s no surprise then that dance has become the perfect playground for experiments with immersive technologies, like virtual reality. Alexander Whitley is a London-based choreographer working at the cutting edge of British contemporary dance. Through a number of mesmerising projects he’s reinventing the landscape of dance. In this episode we discuss the powerful possibilities of storytelling through the human body, we find out how immersion is offering audiences a deeper sense of connection to dance, and how technology is augmenting and enhancing the artform. Find out about Alexander’s most recent production ‘Overflow’, which tackles what it means to be human in an era of Big Data. You can watch the trailer HERE.  And hear about his collaborative and immersive dance experience ‘Future Rites’, a unique interpretation of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Watch a short film HERE. Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood. Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here. You can view the full transcript here.

We’re back with series 5 of the podcast, with an exciting cast of new guests and the return of the Behind The Spine Writing Competition. Mark shares a taste of what’s to come, including a conversation with choreographer Alexander Whitley - going live on the 18th March. Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood. Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.

Nature is as beautiful as it is destructive. For those who live each day surrounded by it, nature isn’t always something to be romanticised.   In her English language debut, esteemed Welsh writer Caryl Lewis tackles nature’s duality beautifully through the character of the sea, drawing on her own connection and closeness to the landscape. ‘Drift’ moves between the Welsh coast and war-torn Syria to tell the unusual and captivating love story of Nefyn and Hamza.   In this episode we delve into Caryl’s love of the Welsh language and heritage, we learn many great lessons from the Welsh festival of culture - the Eisteddfod - including the wonderful notion that a “writer is a writer”, and we explore the ways in which we are all affected and influenced by our environment.   Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.   Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.   You can view the full transcript here.

Female representation in the sciences is getting better. It’s still not good enough, but we have come a long way. Set in the 1960s, Lessons In Chemistry is a novel which serves to remind us of just how far we’ve come, by recognising the struggles of the not too distant past. Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel tells the tale of chemist Elizabeth Zott, an unconventional heroine on a mission to upend the status quo. The book’s not out till the 5th of April, and it's already being turned into a TV series. It’s that good. In this episode we discover how anger can be a useful tool for a writer, if you learn how to channel it. We learn that a successful novel is often all in the rewrite. And we learn to challenge conventional assumptions about what is ‘possible’.  Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood. Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here. You can view the full transcript here.

The daily grind has a habit of stifling creativity. You may be struggling to innovate in a way you know you’re capable of - you may be burnt out without even knowing it. Sometimes it pays to take a step back. That’s why spaces like Watershed are so important, offering creators a chance to play with their ideas and to experiment in a safe environment.   Watershed is the South West of England’s leading film, culture and digital media centre. Victoria Tillotson is the organisation’s Talent Development Lead and supports artist development within its Pervasive Media Studio. She also works on Watershed’s magazine, ‘Rife’, which gives a mainstream platform to the voices of under 24s.   In this episode we find out how you can use technology to accelerate your creativity, we learn how innovative ideas can build brighter futures, and we discover what it means to ‘think global, and act local’.   Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.   Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.   You can view the full transcript here.

Whether you’re a stand-up facing an audience, or a writer thinking up jokes for the big screen, comedy is hard. As society becomes more culturally diverse, and as much of what we watch comes from the US, landing a joke is getting more tricky. Not only that, comedians these days also have to deal with social media’s ‘cancel culture’. So how are things shaping up for the future of the genre? Liam Pape is the founder of The West End Comedy Club in London. The club offers weekday performances for both established and up-and-coming comedians, with many using the London venue as a testing ground for their Edinburgh Fringe acts. In this episode we find out why audiences may need a little post-covid re-socialising now live events are back on, we learn how to benefit from the tricks used by observational comedians, and we take an intriguing look at the true face of ‘cancel culture’. Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood. Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here. Read the full transcript here.

Although the internet grants us access to boundless knowledge, algorithms and social media platforms create a very tribal online experience where our own beliefs are confirmed, instead of challenged. And it’s within these echo chambers that terrorists and violent extremists are able to radicalise others to their cause. Anne Craanen is a senior research analyst Tech Against Terrorism, and host of the organisation’s podcast. She and the team supports the tech industry tackle terrorist exploitation of the internet, whilst respecting human rights. In this episode we find out about the push and pull factors involved in online radicalisation, we learn about the post-apocalyptic narrative pushed by one faction of violent extremists, and we discover how you, as a writer, can play a role in developing counter narratives to dismantle problematic ideologies. Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood. Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here. Find the full transcript here.

When an artist chooses to portray someone’s image in a painting, they get to call the shots - to tell that person’s story however they see fit. A painting says more about the artist than it does of their muse. So what would happen if the painted could tell their own story? Sophie Haydock’s debut novel The Flames - out later this month - answers that question, in a breathtakingly unique way. Part fiction, part fact, she tells the story of the four women who posed for the artist Egon Schiele in Vienna more than 100 years ago. In this episode we discover why history is better told and justice is better served when engaging multiple perspectives, we find out why it’s important to take artistic liberties when turning fact into fiction, and we discover how to use the skills of a journalist to write stronger characters. Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood. Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here. Read the full transcript here.

Throughout the course of this series we’re following the journey of adventurer and extreme sports enthusiast Cazz Lander as she prepares to row 2000 miles along the coast of Great Britain. A lot has moved on since we caught up in episode 1, and after a raft of setbacks, training is in full swing.  Now in South Africa, the team of Cazz and her partner Andre are making great strides towards their goal of hitting the Great British waters in June, despite not yet having had a chance to row in the boat they’re going to use. In this episode we explore the formidable character of the weather, we discuss the importance of worrying less about the things you can’t control, and we learn how to keep pushing through when things go wrong.  Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood. Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here. Read the full transcript here.

During series 3 of the podcast we launched the Behind The Spine writing competition. You were tasked with writing a short story of no more than 1000 words, based on one of the writing lessons we’ve learnt from our many amazing guests. And you well and truly delivered! With entries from all over the world, it was hard to narrow down our choices, but two winners emerged.   ‘A Homecoming’, by Michelle Witton ‘A Teacher’s Note’ by Damian Clarke   In this special episode their stories have been brought to life by actors Sarah Agha and Damian Lynch. Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood. Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here. Read the full transcript here.