CFP #40 – Oliver Jones

CFP # 44 - Elizabeth Bananuka

Elizabeth Bananuka is a PR professional and the founder of BME PR Pros and The Blueprint, both of which promote racial diversity in the PR and communications industry. She's delivered diversity workshops for agencies, lobbied industry publications to diversify their judging panels, speakers and commentators, and in 2019 she organised the first BME PR Pros conference. In our fascinating chat, she tells me why she decided to start BME PR Pros and The Blueprint, and how she made the transition from being a full-time employee to a freelancer and company founder. Get in touch: creativeforcespod@gmail.com / https://twitter.com/creativeforcesp

CFP #43 – Matt Sewell

Matt Sewell is an artist, illustrator and author, best known for capturing the beauty of birds through his vivid watercolours. Over his career he's illustrated for The Guardian, The National Trust and The V&A, painted walls for Greenpeace, BBC’s Springwatch and Countryfile, and the RSPB, and his work has been exhibited in London, New York, Tokyo and Paris. In our conversation, Matt explains how he made the transition to being a full-time artist, why he loves heavy metal, and why he's so fascinated by drawing wildlife, particularly, of course, birds. Get in touch: creativeforcespod@gmail.com / https://twitter.com/creativeforcesp

CFP #42 – Blake Howard

Blake Howard is a writer, movie critic and podcaster, and the founder of One Heat Minute Productions. After starting out making my favourite ever podcast, One Heat Minute, in 2017, Blake has gone on to produce hundreds of brilliant podcasts under the One Heat Minute Productions brand, on a bunch of movies, including Last of the Mohicans, Miami Vice and Zodiac. On top of all that, he's written about movies for the likes of Empire Magazine, SBS Movies and Dark Horizons, among others. In our chat, Blake tells me how he started out in podcasting and why he loves audio as a medium for film criticism, and how it's felt to meet his heroes through his shows. Get in touch: creativeforcespod@gmail.com / https://twitter.com/creativeforcesp

CFP # 41 - Adam Gibbons

Adam Gibbons, better known as Lack of Afro, is a musician, multi-instrumentalist and producer. His first studio album, Press On, was released by Freestyle Records in 2009 and he's since gone on to release six more, all of which are infused with his unique take on funk, soul, break beats and rap. In our chat, Adam tells me how he became inspired to produce every aspect of his records, why taking control of his music and releasing it on his own label became so important to him, and the role his gran played in his early musical development.  Get in touch: creativeforcespod@gmail.com / https://twitter.com/creativeforcesp

CFP #40 – Oliver Jones

In 2010 Oliver Jones founded Deer Shed Festival, a family-focused music, arts and science weekend camping festival in North Yorkshire, with his wife Kate. Since then, it's gone on to become one of the best family-friendly festivals in the UK and celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. Oliver spent more than a decade working in the music industry in Bristol and London, which included playing at Glastonbury and studio engineering for Massive Attack, and ended up working in all sorts of jobs before setting up Deer Shed. In this honest and funny interview, which was recorded in front of a live audience at the Podcast Social Club [https://www.podcastsocialclub.com/](which he also founded) in Thirsk, hear Oliver describe the ups and downs of setting up a festival, the highs and lows of the music business, and the joys of heading down a YouTube wormhole.