How Not

Hello darling troublemakers!Yes, we are in fact back from hiatus with this brand new episode!Luca and Kim kicked off 2023 in true creative style by escaping the big smog and travelling to wondrous Wales. Luca still isn't exactly sure where they went but it was very very lovely indeed. Both Luca and Kim immersed themselves in creative adventure and whimsy - surrounded by birds, trees, expansive fields and even a windy ol' visit to see the sea. During this cosy week together they discovered many things... such as Kim's repulsion at the way Luca eats an apple as well as Kim's deep fascination with birds that can talk.On their final evening together, they set up microphones (it's a miracle they managed this tbh) and sat down for a right good chin wag... more things coming soon! x x x

WE ARE BACK BABYYYYY!For their grand return to the podcast airwaves, Kim & Luca decided to get together and discuss all things PUSSY RIOT. Dive in and hear them celebrate and discuss this trailblazing feminist punk collective of incredible troublemakers. Also mentioned :Joelle Taylor (@jtaylortrash) : joelletaylor.co.ukMonogramed / Hologramed notebooks from Paperchase (sponsor us?)Evan Biddell playsuit : https://biddell.shop/en-gbOh it's so good to be back!!! mwah mwah mwah xxx

Hello darling troublemakers! We are back! Welcome to this special archive episode featuring a chat Luca had back in Jan 2021 with the wonderful Xhosa Cole. Xhosa Cole is somewhat of a treasure on the young UK Jazz Scene. As well as being an incredible saxophone player, he is a kind, intelligent and genuine person who is well loved by many of his peers. Xhosa won BBC young jazz musician of the year in 2018 and has since gone on to win both a parliamentary jazz and Jazz FM award. Xhosa leads his own quartet and has appeared in various ensembles performing throughout the UK. When Xhosa talks about jazz I get excited, he has such an honest relationship to this music and we share a lot of common interests, we most recently discovered our shared love of cuban heel boots…here’s our chat ! . We’ll be sharing a couple of these cute lil archive episodes to ease us into our grand return.. more on that soon! One last thing.. Please excuse the awful sound quality, this was recorded early lockdown days before we’d all figured out how to be home studio professionals… ok! enjoy! 

Hello darling troublemakers! We are back! Welcome to this special archive episode featuring a chat Luca had back in December 2020 with the wonderful Stephanie Burrell.  Stephanie is an incredible dancer, movement director, linguist, cook, storyteller, creative force of nature and source of joy. We’ll be sharing a couple of these cute lil archive episodes to ease us into our grand return.. more on that soon! One last thing.. Please excuse the awful sound quality, this was recorded early lockdown days before we’d all figured out how to be home studio professionals… ok! enjoy! 

“You can't help it. An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times.”This week, Kim and Luca discuss the legacy of the high priestess of soul : Nina Simone. An incredibly figure in musical history and undoubtedly a good troublemaker, it seemed only natural that we celebrate the life of this iconic woman as well as discuss some of the mistreatment and prejudice she endured while fighting for her right to exist as her unapologetic self.Take a listen...x

Kim and Luca ask each other some big questions as they tackle the Proust Questionnaire. What is your idea of happiness? Which trait do you most deplore in others? Which is the most over-rated virtue? Come find out the answers to these and many more...Check out David Bowie's answers hereThere's also a book that compiles the answers from 100 cultural icons including Joan Didion, Gore Vidal, Arthur Miller, Ray Charles, Sidney Poitier and more...

This week, Kim and Luca check in for a chit chat uncovering : Kim’s flawed film watching habits, the brilliance of Andrew Mcmillan’s poetry, Kim’s awakening to  the one and only Bjork and much much more! Dive in x

Kim and Luca head back to the Priscilla Palace to discuss Abortion. With the issue never far from the headlines, it's back again with news that Texas is seeking to outlaw abortions after 6.5 weeks. Shame and fear make it difficult to talk about abortions and if there's one thing these Good Troublemakers hate most, it's shame. So come in and let's talk some real talk - the right to choice, how we all contribute to the culture of shame and secrecy - hiding tampons up our sleeves en-route to the bathroom, euphemisms for completely normal processes and sex education shrouded in mis/half/wrong information, the fallacy of good and bad abortions and much, much more.Featuring a reading of the incredible Lindy West essay, When Life Gives You Lemons.

Kim and Luca sit down to discuss On Connection, the first non-fiction book by the great Kae Tempest. Focused on the need for connection and how we can work to foster it through creativity, the book is a moving and inspiring call to action in a world where we are overfed and under-nourished.

With so much ground to cover, we couldn't fit it all into one episode so here's part TWO of our chat with the gorgeous Ian Shaw. We discuss ambition, Ian's work with refugees and muuuuuch more.

This week, Kim and Luca hung out with the legendary Ian Shaw. An evening filled with laughs, home grown heritage tomatoes, Shaw special Negroni’s and tales of the highest candour. The best news? This is just part 1… dive in!Ian’s podcast ‘Not Even Music’ : https://open.spotify.com/show/2t95blHcfOXNigvmXZugx3?si=9CVUTh5FSM6J_BJ-Li_xjg&dl_branch=1Side by side refugees :  https://sidebysiderefugees.orghttps://www.ianshaw.biz

This week, Kim and Luca take a dive into discussing and celebrating the life and work of James Baldwin. 

Part 2 of our incredible afternoon spent with Adam Jeanes...In this episode, we highlight the amazing work of our favourite troublemaking nuns : 'The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence' and celebrate the life of the iconic Derek Jarman. Adam tells us about his time spent as a Sister and how they came to canonise the great Derek Jarman before his death. Not to be missed!Read more about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence : https://www.thesisters.orgRead more about Derek Jarman and his work : https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/derek-jarman-2327

The Good Troublemakers are BACK! Rested, recharged and ready to take on the world once again, Kim and Luca present the first of a very special two parter featuring the glorious Adam Jeanes. Adam was Chair of The Pride Trust between 1993 and 1997, organising LGBT Pride London - the largest free to attend pop festival in Europe at that time.Ahead of Adam donating his large collection of documents, banners and other important memorabilia from his time at the Pride Trust to be kept in an official archive, Kim and Luca sat down with Adam to discuss Pride through the decades - the trials and tribulations, the celebrations and a look at where we've come since the first ever march to mark the 1st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

It's the last day of term at the How Not Academy so before heading off on their summer break, Kim and Luca took a trip to Ryoji Ikeda's exhibition at 180 The Strand. We discuss the exhibition as well as a plethora on other things on our minds -football football chants - how do the fans learn them, is there a whatsapp group, is it a jam?Christian MarclayNam June PaikJames BaldwinCoffeeThe Establishment Laura Mvula's new album, Pink Noisebell hooks - Teaching to TransgressA new word for TERFsThere's an interjection by Kim's dog Ripley, Luca's mic has some weird stadium reverb on it, Luca misses a call from his delivery man trying to deliver a dress...All the chaotic energy of a no-school uniform day with your board games and your half days...Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hownotpodcastRyoji Ikeda exhibition: https://www.180thestrand.com/#exhibitions

Kim and Luca celebrate the life and work of trailblazing designer Alexander McQueen.Fashion should be a form of escapism and not a form of imprisonmentFrom his formative days as an apprentice for Cornelius O'Callaghan on Savile Row, his pivotal meeting with Isabella Blow, spending unemployment benefits on fabrics to becoming Creative Director of Givenchy, McQueen's life was one of extremes, excesses, passion and emotion. We discuss some of his groundbreaking shows including the robots painting Shalom Harlowe in #13, his depictions of Scottish history in the Highland Rape and Widows of Culloden, his literary and historical influences, his Clothes as Armour approach to empowering women, his difficult relationship with the media and much more. If you like what you hear, consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hownotpodcastLinks: #13 show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4oKJ8WoMiIWidows of Culloden show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCrx8l5YFMQ&t=1033sHorn of Plenty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er20fZrHzUcMcQueen documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHCPZA4XaMA

Let's get some eroticism all up in your business...!Taking Audre Lorde's seminal work from 1978, The Erotic as Power, Kim and Luca talk about eroticism and this is a BIG ONE.Every oppression in our history must corrupt or distort the sources of power that provide energy for change. (Audre Lorde)Among other things, we cover...What's the difference between erotic and pornographic?Pleasure Activism and the work of Adrienne Maree BrownEthical pornography and Tristan TaorminoArtists whose work has inspired and moved the discourse around female and queer eroticism on, like Tracey Emin and Nan Goldin.If you like what we do, please consider supporting us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/hownotpodcast

It's time to celebrate everyone's favourite art world dissidents, The Guerilla Girls!Kim and Luca discuss the 'conscience of the art world', the anonymous art activist group The Guerilla Girls. Set up in the 1980s, their work has focused on the under-representation of women artists and artists of colour in the art world. Donning gorilla masks and using female artists from history as their pseudonyms, they produce striking, newspaper-style billboards and posters that use facts and statistics to raise awareness about the disparity in representation and as calls to action to address it.As ever, the conversation is far-reaching but includes...the pros/cons of anonymity and pseudonyms in activismissues of safety surrounding activismSome of the GG's best loved campaigns and visualsThe democratisation of art and mass-manufacturingTheir newest commission as part of Art Night in the UK, The Male GrazeAnd much moreCheck out more of their work here - https://www.guerrillagirls.com/Support us on Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/hownotpodcast

Kim and Luca sit down to discuss the life and work of one of Kim's biggest inspirations - John Cage.In a conversation as far-reaching as Cage's influence we cover...Zen BuddhismSilenceHuman cyborgsHis Philosophy on music and artHis relationship with Merce CunninghamHis collaborators including Merce, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Nam June Paik and more.(And as a special treat for those who make it to the end, we take a peek at some James Joyce's letters to Nora Barnacle.)Links - Gagosian Premieres - Gerhard Richter's Cage Paintings w/ Patti SmithInterview with John Cage and Merce CunninghamNeil Harbisson - I Listen in Colour

Kim and Luca go back to June 28th 1969 when police in New York City raided a packed house at The Stonewall Inn. This pivotal moment marks a shift in Gay Activism, prompting the creation of the Gay Liberation Front and later the Gay Activist Alliance. The Good Troublemakers talk about the facts, the fiction, the build up and the aftermath and celebrate some of the extraordinary figures that paved the way for activists the world over. Sources and Resources: The outside projectLady Phyll Alok Travis alabanzaQueer MarchHeritage of prideUK black prideStonewallTransmissionsLondon trans prideDalston superstoreWe exist AKT GALOPBook : better than this : edited by Amelia Abraham