This episode features a conversation with Kristin Crane, director of Social Research & Planning for United Way Perth Huron, about the living wage, which leapt over $3 from $17. 55 to $20.70 when the most recent calculation was announced in November 2022. The numbers used in this discussion are from the area in which this podcast is produced: Perth and Huron County.
Episode 16 features a conversation with Toronto comedian Bonez Poley, who learned their performance chops in the Ontario punk and metal music scenes before crossing over into stand-up.
Poley’s debut comedy album is set for release on May 30, and in the discussion, there are hints at several other surprises to be announced soon.
In episode 15, Bruce Duncan Skeaff, the president and chair of the board at the Stratford Pride Community Centre, assesses how things have been going as it approaches the one-year mark since opening. He discusses what he had expected the role of the community centre would have been for the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community and how it has been utilized as a resource to help people.
On episode 14, Garth Mullins, host of the award-winning Crackdown podcast, drew on his experience as a drug user and activist to discuss harm reduction and the overdose crisis, the challenge of distributing a safe unadulterated drug supply, defunding the police, the positives and negatives of British Columbia’s decriminalization pilot, starting a grassroots drug user activist group, and his new band Low Dead Space.
On episode 13, one of the founding members and lead shouter of the renowned anarcho-punk band CRASS, Steve Ignorant, discusses the protest songs they wrote over 40 years ago, which he continues to perform.
“Sad thing is, those songs are still relevant; you’ve just got to change a few politicians’ names.”
On episode 12, Punjabi singer Hira Dhariwal speaks about making changes in his early 50s to follow his passion for music and how he gives back to his community through volunteer work with the Multicultural Association of Perth Huron. His music has been received quite well by audiences worldwide with millions of listens to his songs on Youtube.
On episode 11, ex-Chumbawamba member Dunstan Bruce speaks about the contemplation of his place in this world through his contemporary art, whether it’s singing with his new band Interrobang‽, treading theatre stages in his one-person show, Am I Invisible Yet? or scrutinizing his place in the Chumbawamba legacy in the film, I Get Knocked Down. (All images copyright Dunstan Bruce)
Episode ten features a discussion with Elza Kephart, director of the feature films, Graveyard Alive, Go in the Wilderness and most recently, Slaxx, a socially conscious satirical horror-comedy that sharply informs on the evils of fair trade, corporate globalization and, fast fashion.
Although we do discuss the films and series, Kephart is developing. Much of this conversation focuses on her climate activism with Extinction Rebellion, the Ministry of the New Normal, and as a member of SCALE (Sectoral Climate Arts Leadership for the Emergency), and the Directors’ Guild of Canada’s National Sustainability and Climate Action Committee.
This episode features a conversation with Sam Tecle about what is meant by the call to defund the police. Tecle works with Success Beyond Limits, a collaborative, youth-led, community-based movement providing youth with holistic support to complete their education and experience success in their lives and Jane and Finch Action Against Poverty, a resident-led grassroots coalition of community residents, activists, workers, organizations working to eliminate poverty. He is also an Associate Professor in the Sociology Department at Toronto Metropolitan University. His research and scholarly work span the areas of Black and Diaspora Studies, Urban Studies, and Sociology of Education.
Your doubt that music and art can make a positive difference in the world, well, I’m against it.
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