Welcome to our Shout Out to the Brave podcast.

Through this podcast series, we will celebrate the achievements of our students as they share the challenges of postgraduate study and the successes they have experienced as a result. We know that, in life, you have to take risks to reap the benefits. Our students share this same mindset.

It’s brave committing to postgraduate study. To focus on your ambition regardless of whatever else is going on in life – career, family, you. It’s not easy, but it pays off. Our students and graduates are proof of that. They’ve taken a risk and are achieving what they set out to do.

In this series, you’ll find out how.

The Shout Out to the Brave podcast

At UWE Bristol we are makers of change. We are a place where people thrive and flourish - working as one team to solve future global challenges through outstanding learning, research, and a culture of enterprise. 

This Changemaker podcast is a shout-out to our champions and catalysts for change. The button-pushers. The mould-breakers. The ones who stand up to stand out. Catalysts aren't afraid to make someone stop and think. Because when you stop and think, great things happen. Catalysts don't just play their part; they lead the charge for something better.

In this first series, we shine a light on UWE Bristol staff and our partners and discover remarkable projects that are shaping society and transforming futures.
Recorded at UWE Bristol in 2022. 

Presented and produced by Jeremy Allen. For information about working at UWE Bristol visit www.uwe.ac.uk/about/jobs.

The Changemaker Podcast

Business leaders share their insight and experience in this series of events organised by UWE Bristol.

Bristol Distinguished Address Series Podcasts

UWE Bristol’s brand new podcast series to remove the stigma around mental health. 

We are encouraging everyone to start a conversation about mental health as invited guests from across the University share their positive stories, and explore ideas to develop positive wellbeing in individuals and communities and raise awareness of mental health issues. 

This podcast follows our successful #LetsTalkNow campaign and is part of UWE Bristol’s Mental Wealth Lab initiative. 

For information about the wellbeing support options at UWE Bristol visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/wellbeing. 

For information about UWE Bristol’s Mental Wealth First Strategy and Mental Wealth Lab initiative, visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/about/mentalwealthfirst

Tweet us twitter.com/UWEBristol, like our Facebook page facebook.com/UWEBristol, and check out our Instagram instagram.com/UWEBristol. 

#LetsTalkNow #MentalWealthFirst #UWEBristol. 

Email us at mentalwealthlab@uwe.ac.uk

If you are concerned about someone, or need help with any of the issues discussed in this series, you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123.

Recorded at UWE Bristol by students from the Department of Computer Science and Creative Technologies. 

Presented by Jemma Griffiths. Produced by Conor Kearney, Tom McKirdy (twitter.com/sydneyaudio), Becky Street (www.beckystreetaudio.com), Ollie Cullen, Jemma Griffiths, and Sarah Atkinson.

Let's Talk Now

In this episode, hear from MSc Physician Associate Studies student Roberta. After coming to UWE Bristol via an unexpected path, she initially studied a biomedical sciences degree where she discovered that it was important to her to find a people-facing element in her daily working life. This then led her to postgraduate study. When she found the Physician Associate Studies Master’s degree at UWE Bristol, she knew it’d give her everything she wanted in a career.

She talks about the many challenges she has overcome, from alcoholism to being a single mother, and why postgraduate studies means so much to her.

“I know there are great things to come for my future career, and progression in the role I’m pursuing.” Roberta

Please be aware that this podcast episode discusses the following subjects: alcoholism, sexual assault, drug use, depression, self-harm, eating disorders. Please proceed with caution if you feel you will be affected by these topics.

Episode one – How overcoming personal challenges helped Roberta find her best self at UWE Bristol.

In this episode, hear from MSc Aerospace Engineering graduate Zoe. Zoe took a traditional pathway into higher education and studied Engineering at both undergraduate and then postgraduate level – both at UWE Bristol.  After reviewing her university options, it became apparent to her that Engineering wasn’t simply a career that fit her skills – it involved everything she loved. 

She tells us how, despite financial challenges during her postgraduate degree, she managed to fulfill her dream of working in the space industry.

“UWE Bristol has allowed me to pursue the space industry, which is what I’ve wanted to do with my life since I was four years old.” Zoe

Episode two – How working part-time helped Zoe fund her master’s and land her dream career.

Ben Osborn, Country Manager and Managing Director of Pfizer UK, delivered the University of the West of England's Annual Bolland Lecture as part of the 2021 Bristol Distinguished Address Series. 

Listen to his lecture titled: The power of the mission: how we can apply the lessons of the pandemic to make the UK a global life sciences superpower.

Watch the pre-lecture interview with Ben here: https://youtu.be/Q8f55MdXCoY

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrOzUDjo8U6JTeJ02D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T  
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

Ben Osborn, Managing Director, Pfizer UK | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

In this podcast, we are joined by Lamare, an MSc Human Resource Management graduate. After studying his undergraduate degree, he realised that to really stand out in his career he needed more. 

Studying part-time around his day job was a challenge.  But he was also faced with the worry that he might not fit in. That as a black male from a non-traditional family, with little experience of higher education, there would be no one else like him on the course. Fortunately, the people at UWE Bristol were from a mix of cultures and diverse backgrounds, and he had a really positive experience here.

He talks us through the challenges he has overcome and why it was the best decision he ever made.

“I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn’t studied my master’s at UWE Bristol.” Lamare.

Episode three – How being part of a like-minded community helped Lamare to fit in and achieve more.

Ana Miguel-Lazaro and Rania Regaieg talk about how UWE Bristol is making a stand against all forms of discrimination, harassment, and inappropriate behaviour through its SpeakUp campaign. Drawing from their own experiences of harassment, they talk about the campaign and how it is effecting change across the University and the student community

More about UWE Bristol’s SpeakUp campaign: www.uwe.ac.uk/speakup

UWE Bristol

Changemaker Podcast Ep #3 - Speak Up: Tackling all forms of discrimination and harassment

Appolinaire Etoundi and Andy Lewis in conversation. When BRL roboticist Appo met Para triathlete Andy at a swimming pool, he promised Andy he’d help him develop the knee joint for his prosthetic leg – but only if he won a medal at the next Paralympics. He won gold in Rio the following year (2016) – and the rest is history!

See Andy’s website at www.andyjlewis.co.uk. Find more about the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) on their website: www.bristolroboticslab.com

Changemaker Podcast Ep #1 - Developing a new prosthetic knee joint for a Paralympic champion

Dick Shone and Henry James represent two generations of UWE Bristol alumni, and both are interested in contributing to a net zero future. Dick owns modular home manufacturer Boutique Modern, and Henry is a project manager at Wells and West Utilities. In this episode, they talk about how hydrogen-powered boilers could be one part of a more sustainable energy mix in the home.

More about Boutique Modern: www.boutiquemodern.co.uk

Changemaker Podcast Ep #4 - Our Path to 2030: How hydrogen could power our homes

UWE Bristol’s Verity Jones and primary school teacher Nat Brown paint a picture of what racism looks like in schools, and they discuss Verity’s pioneering project that looks at the impact of racism on the mental health and wellbeing of 10 to 11-year-olds.

More about the research project: https://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/uwenews/news.aspx?id=4200

Changemaker Podcast Ep #2 - Exploring the impact of racism on children’s mental health

Nikki Cotterill and Carla Southworth explain how one in five people in the UK suffer from incontinence. Nikki talks about some of the work she and Bristol Health Partners project manager Carla are doing to help people deal with bowel or bladder leakage. They discuss their community work and the CONfidence app they have developed to help people of all ages.

More about the research: https://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/uwenews/news.aspx?id=4154

Changemaker Podcast Ep #5 - Addressing inequalities in care for patients with pelvic floor disorders

The award-winning Green Skills for Jobs and Entrepreneurship initiative is a transformational programme offering Black, Asian and ethnically diverse 18-28 year olds paid training and businesses opportunities in the green sector. In this episode of Changemakers, Xavier Baker, Mentor and Cohort Manager for the programme, talks to learner Eshiva Wright about her experiences throughout the programme and the positive changes it’s had on her.

Find out more about the Green Skills programme 
at:https://www.greenskillsforjobs.co.uk/

Thanks to Tom Baldry and Roger Morford for their support with this episode.

Changemaker Podcast - How UWE Bristol are supporting an inclusive transition to a greener economy

In a rapidly changing world marked by the climate emergency, remote working, and digitalisation, the traditional transport planning approach of ‘Predict and Provide’ is no longer fit for purpose: it typically leads to the building of even more roads, resulting in issues around congestion and pollution.

In recognising the need for resilience and social transformation, development consultancy Mott MacDonald, in collaboration with UWE Bristol has developed FUTURES, a forward-thinking and vision-led planning tool based on an alternative approach: ‘Decide and Provide’.
 
In this episode, we meet Professor Glenn Lyons, Mott Macdonald Professor of Future Mobility at UWE Bristol and Annette Smith, Technical Director and lead of the Future Mobility Team at Mott Macdonald. Glenn and Annette discuss FUTURES,  a collaborative undertaking between Mott MacDonald and UWE Bristol for a vision-led approach to transport planning in an uncertain world. 
This interesting chat highlights one of the many ways UWE Bristol is transforming futures.
 
More information can be found on the Futures Webpage 
FUTURES at Mott Macdonald page
https://www.mottmac.com/article/59966/futures-vision-led-planning-for-an-uncertain-world?appliedFilters=[]&searchTerm=Futures&filterOption=exact

Changemaker Podcast: FUTURES - Toolkit for Vision-Led Transport Planning in an Uncertain World

Rivermaids: a radio play

This play - a drama piece about local water resilience and climate change, has been co-created with community members of Tewkesbury and in partnership with The Roses Theatre. It is a response to a research call encouraging new collaboration between Drama and Geography from the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Created by Hilarie Bowman, Helen Carver, Julie Field, Emily Hastings, Jan Millett, Katie Preedy and Carrie Sermon, in partnership with Sarah Berridge and Lindsey McEwen from UWE Bristol.

Written by Ingrid Jones from acta Community Theatre, Bristol,
Recorded by Laurence Nelson at Yellow Shark Recording Studios,
Hosted by the Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury.
Funded by the University of the West of England.

www.courses.uwe.ac.uk/W490/drama-and-acting
www.uwe.ac.uk/research/centres-and-groups/cwcr
www.acta-bristol.com/
www.yellow-shark.co.uk/

Rivermaids

Join us for the latest exciting event in our Bristol Distinguished Address Series, recorded live at the Watershed in Bristol. A conversation with Camilla Rigby and Rachel Mostyn, Co-Founders and CEOs of Bristol-based business the Women's Work Lab, as they explain how and why they are doing well by doing good.

Since launching, Women’s Work Lab has supported over 300 women – mostly single parents, many with experience of domestic abuse, children with SEN and their own health conditions – on their journey into work. Camilla and Rachel's shared vision is to become the UK’s biggest employability support for unemployed Mums.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrOzUDjo8U6JTeJ02D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T  
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

Rachel Mostyn & Camilla Rigby, The Women's Work Lab | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

There are many people in and across the University who are driving change. In this special changemaker podcast series we shine a light on some of our Black academics and the excellent work they are doing in the university and outside to help drive change. 

In this episode, Xavier speaks to Amy Saleh about the work she is doing to bring Black literature into schools, focusing on the Princess & The Hustler’ by Chinonyerem  Odimba.  

The play is a celebration of Black British-Caribbean girlhood, family, and culture, and is set in St Pauls amidst The Bristol Bus Boycott, a defining moment in Bristol’s history. 

Xavier talks to Amy about her career so far and how she found the transition from teaching in schools to working in Higher Education.  

Please see below for resources mentioned in the episode:  


UWE Staff Profile - https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/AmySaleh  

Press release about Lit Legacies launch event (Jan 2024) - https://www.uwe.ac.uk/news/new-resources-to-tackle-under-representation-of-black-british-voices-in-the-classroom 

Stormzy, Superheroes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-EW4-B11hw 

ENNY (feat. Amia Brave) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqp_fsJlw5A 

Chinonyerem Odimba – Princess & The Hustler – https://www.aqa.org.uk/spark-something/modern-texts/princess-and-the-hustler-by-chinonyerem-odimba (Link to feature on the AQA exam board’s website) 

Bristol Bus Boycott – The One Show (October 2023) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swAiI_ovs4I&t=1s 

Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other - https://bookbag.shop/products/girl-woman-other?_pos=1&_psq=girl+wom&_ss=e&_v=1.0 

Moses McKenzie 

An Olive Grove in Ends - https://bookbag.shop/products/an-olive-grove-in-ends?_pos=1&_psq=an+olive&_ss=e&_v=1.0 

Fast by the Horns - https://thebristolcable.org/2024/09/being-a-man-kills-your-feelings-moses-mckenzie-on-masculinity-liberation-and-community/ 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/apr/27/moses-mckenzie-fast-by-the-horns-an-olive-grove-in-ends-interview 

South West Anti-Racist Education Forum - https://schoolofeducation.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2024/08/09/south-west-anti-racist-education-forum/ 

Inua Ellams, Barber Shop Chronicles - https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/may/13/inua-ellams-barber-shop-chronicles-national-theatre-at-home 

Rye Lane - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqcF_GI3mOA 

Caleb Azumah Nelson  

Open Water - https://bookbag.shop/products/open-water?_pos=1&_sid=79e6175eb&_ss=r 

Small Worlds - https://bookbag.shop/products/small-worlds-pre-order?_pos=3&_sid=0eca987d6&_ss=r

Changemaker podcast series: Amy Saleh

In this episode, Marc Griffiths, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Health and sponsor for the Integrated Care Academy (ICA) at UWE Bristol, and Dr Peter Brindle, Visiting Professor and Specialist Consultant, introduce the ICA and discuss where it connects across the health and care spaces and with whom.

Let’s Talk Health and Care Podcast Ep #1: Intro to UWE Bristol's Integrated Health Care Academy

Noor Nixon, Inclusive Practice Project Manager at UWE Bristol and Antony Hill, Principle Investigator and Dean of Learning and Teaching at the College of Health, Science and Society, UWE Bristol, discuss the design and development of inclusive learning resources that enable workforce culture and behaviour change related to racism and discrimination in healthcare and education across the South West of England, as part of the Inclusive Training in Practice project. 

Useful links: 
https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/InclusiveTrainingwithinPractice

Let’s Talk Health and Care Podcast Ep#2: Design and development of inclusive learning resources

Dr Peter Brindle and Marc Griffiths are joined by Huda Hajinur co-founder and Director of Caafi Health, and Dr Ilhem Berrou, Senior Lecturer on the Independent Prescribing Programme at UWE Bristol to explore some of the causes of health inequalities, how trust underpins our communities’ interactions with the health and care system and the impact Caafi Health are creating through designing and delivering a model of community-powered healthcare.   

caafihealth.org.uk/
Community health clinics: https://youtu.be/dkRf_SYkqH0

Let's Talk Health and Care Podcast Ep#4: Addressing health inequalities at Caafi Health

There are many people in and across the University who are driving change. In this special changemaker podcast series we shine a light on some of our Black academics and the excellent work they are doing in the university and outside to help drive change. 

In this episode, Stephanie talks to Professor Emmanuel Adukwu about his work and how he is driving change. Emmanuel has had a varied career and led on many initiatives that are helping to drive change across the university.  

This episode was recorded in 2024.  

Please see below for resources mentioned in the episode:   

Professor Val Edward-Jones  - https://societyoftissueviability.org/person/val-edward-jones/ 

Africa Week  - https://www.bristol-business.net/uwe-africa-week-a-celebration-of-diversity-heritage-and-progress/

https://appliedmicrobiology.org/  

Trustee Applied Microbiology International Early Scientist Conference (AMI) - https://appliedmicrobiology.org/ems-event-calendar/past-events/ecs-research-symposium-2024.html  

Black + Bio medical Advisory Group https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/mrc/how-we-are-governed/mrc-black-in-biomedical-research-advisory-group/  

Bristol Legacy Foundations - https://www.bristollegacyfoundation.com/

American society for microbiology -   https://asm.org/

Employability in Applied Sciences  blog https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/employability-applied-sciences/  

Inspiring Stories of Excellence: A Showcase of Black Heritage Professionals in the College of Health, Science & Society at UWE Bristol  

https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/research-business-innovation/inspiring-stories-of-excellence-a-showcase-of-black-heritage-professionals-in-the-college-of-health-science-society-at-uwe-bristol/  

UWE Bristol’s Celebrating Excellence Collection https://www.uwe.ac.uk/-/media/uwe/documents/events/bhm-celebratingexcellencecollection.pdf  

1,000 inspiring Black scientists in America  - Cell Press https://crosstalk.cell.com/blog/1000-inspiring-black-scientists-in-america  



Changemaker podcast series: Emmanuel Adukwu

In this episode, we are joined by Professor Kieran McCartan, Professor of Criminology at UWE Bristol, and an expert in applying public health strategies.  Our focus is exploring a subject that is as challenging as it is crucial: the prevention of child sex abuse. Child sex abuse affects more children than most people realise, so highlighting the urgent need for effective prevention strategies is vital.

Trigger warning: This podcast episode mentions the sexual abuse of children in the context of how we work together to prevent it. It affects all communities, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 7 boys worldwide. Talking about child sexual abuse is important and part of the solution. If listening to the podcast has affected you and speaking to someone would help or if you simply want to learn more, the NSPCC website is a good place to start. 
nspcc.org.uk/

A curated list of relevant publications and outputs, for more please see my UWE webpage:

-	McCartan, K. F., Eason, A., Senker, S., Adiss, N., &Porter, C. (in press, 2025). Understanding and Developing a public health and criminological approach to tackling sexual abuse: prevention, treatment and integration. Palgrave Macmillan. NEW BOOK THAT PODCAST CHAT IS BASED ON

-	Uzieblo, K., Smid, W., & McCartan, K. F (2022). Challenges in the Management of People Convicted of a Sexual Offence: A Way Forward. Palgrave MacMillan.

-	McCartan, K. F., & King-Hill, S. (2024). Developing a Framework for the Prevention of Sibling Sexual Behaviour. Child Abuse & Neglect doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106849

-	McCartan, K., & Kemshall, H. (2023). Incorporating Quaternary Prevention: Understanding the Full Scope of Public Health Practices in Sexual Abuse Prevention. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 67(2-3), 224-246.  doi.org/10.1177/0306624X211049204 

-	McCartan, K. F. (2024). Scoping review of international approaches to child sexual abuse and exploitation prevention interventions by law enforcement. ECPAT International.

-	Kemshall, H., & McCartan, K. F., (2022). Desistance, recovery, and justice capital: Putting it all together. HM Inspectorate of Probation. 

-	McCartan, K. F. (2022). Adapting out thinking on theory and practice in working with people convicted of a sexual offence. HM Inspectorate of Probation. HM Inspectorate of Probation. 

-	UWE Change makers on collaborative work on Child Sexual Abuse prevention with NSPCC Together For Childhood. soundcloud.com/uwebristol/changemaker-podcast-together-for-childhood?in=uwebristol/sets/changemaker-podcast 

-	I contribute regularly to the ATSA (Association for the Treatment & Prevention of Sexual Abuse) blog  
blog.atsa.com/ 

Let's Talk Health and Care Podcast Ep#7: The Public Health approach to preventing child sex abuse

In episode 2 we talk about the research methods of interviewing and photo elicitation and consider the role of language translation during data collection and analysis (this episode is in two parts).

The Words for Leadership - Episode 2 Part 1

In episode 3 we discuss the challenges of working across different languages; the differences we noticed and the translation decisions we made (this episode is in two parts).

The Words for Leadership - Episode 3 Part 1

In episode 1 we discuss why it’s important to study EDI across different language contexts and how we began the research process.

The Words for Leadership - Episode 1

Episode 1: An in-depth look into the barriers underserved entrepreneurs face in accessing financial services. Aimed at surfacing unseen challenges and lived experiences, with representation from entrepreneurs and financial institutions.

Topics: Personal financial history, credit access, banking assumptions, gender bias in funding.
Theme: How systemic design leaves people out — and what’s lost because of it.

Fear of Finding Out - Episode 1

Episode 3: Exploring how designing financial services for accessibility and inclusion from the ground up creates
better experiences for everyone, not just those with specific needs.

Universal Design - Episode 3

In this episode we speak with three entrepreneurs and our focus is on innovation in health technology. 

We are joined by Professor Matt Freeman, who is the Centre Director at Future Space, which is an innovation centre that has become the gold standard for university-industry collaboration. Future_ Space at UWE Bristol is a multi-award-winning innovation centre designed for pioneering high-tech high-growth businesses solving tomorrow's biggest challenges.

We are also joined by Dr Jenny Bailey Cooper, CEO and co-founder of Ferryx, a university spin-out company developing innovative gut health solutions and Dr Zeke Steer, founder of Milbotix, has developed smart sock technology that's turning this everyday garment into a powerful health monitoring tool.

Links:
⁠https://www.futurespacebristol.co.uk/ ⁠
⁠www.ferryx.com⁠
⁠https://milbotix.com/

Let's Talk Health and Care Podcast Ep#9: Health Technology and Innovation Special

To mark Ada Lovelace Day 2025, UWE Bristol is celebrating Women in Tech Week - a programme of events and resources designed to celebrate, challenge and change the narrative around gender equity in technology.

The initiative began with a simple question: What would it take to make tech feel like a place where women belong, thrive and lead? The answer is a week that combines visibility, allyship, practical action and storytelling.

To round off the week, this special episode of the Changemakers podcast explores the power of storytelling, with four of UWE’s inspiring women who teach and study technology subjects. They share their journeys, reflect on the challenges facing women in tech, and discuss how we can all play a part in changing the narrative.

Changemaker Podcast: Stories of Women Shaping the Future of Tech

In this episode, we’re on location at the For All Healthy Living Centre in Weston-super-Mare - a unique space that brings together a GP surgery, café, library, children’s centre and community services all under one roof.

We are joined by Mark Graham, Chief Executive of the Centre, and Jo Pool, Director of Nursing at Weston General Hospital, to explore how collaboration across sectors is creating new, community-centred approaches to healthcare.

Together, they share how a shared mission to improve local health outcomes has brought hospital and community leaders together to rethink how services are delivered with a focus on accessibility, prevention and people-first care.

Let's Talk Health and Care Podcast Ep#10: Weston-super-mare

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, we explored the dynamic evolution of the publishing and creative industries through the lens of Stephen's extensive experience. It delves into how technological advancements, sector strategies, and leadership approaches are reshaping creative communities. Paying particular attention to engagement with UK Government through bodies such as the Creative Industries Council and regional growth in cities such as Bristol. Hosted by Nikesh Shukla, award-winning novelist and screenwriter, the event will also address the continued technological developments and their implications for the creative sector; highlighting opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable leadership in a rapidly changing cultural and economic landscape. Stephen Page is Non-Executive Chair of Faber & Faber, one of the world’s leading independent literary publishing houses, where he was Chief Executive from 2001 to 2021.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr…2D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series 

Navigating Change | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, step into the world of immersive arts – where creativity meets cutting-edge technology and audiences are part of the action. This inspiring evening will explore how art is being reimaged in bold, interactive ways, whilst making art more inclusive and accessible. Hosted by Verity McIntosh and featuring a panel of artists working with the grant Being Human Festival

This event is part of the Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 6 - 15 November 2025. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. 

About Verity
Verity McIntosh is Director and Principal Investigator of Immersive Arts, a £6m UK-wide programme of research, training, funding and events, supporting over 200 artists to engage with immersive technologies. Funding for Immersive Arts is provided through a collaboration between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England (ACE), the Arts Council of Wales (ACW), Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI).
Verity is Associate Professor of Virtual and Extended Realities at the University of the West of England where she founded one of Europe's first dedicated XR masters programmes. Through her research she works collaboratively with creative practitioners, companies, communities, policymakers and governments around the world. Her work has been discussed in the UK’s House of Commons and House of Lords, EU Parliament, Council of Europe and in multiple print and media contexts. Current research interests include inclusive and accessible experience design in XR, the ethics of virtual presence, and the role of human rights in multi-person, spatial computing paradigms.

Bristol Distinguished Address Series: The Bristol Distinguished Address Series (BDAS) - Events | UWE Bristol
Watershed: Watershed | Cultural cinema, talent development and creative technology in Bristol
Being Human Festival https://www.beinghumanfestival.org/

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr…2D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

Between Digital and Physical Worlds | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

In this special reflective episode, hosts Dr Peter Brindle and Professor Marc Griffiths look back over a remarkable year of Let’s Talk Health and Care, exploring the themes, insights, and powerful human stories uncovered across 10 episodes and 15 inspiring guests.

From 3D-printed food and smart socks to social enterprise, restorative justice, and community-led health innovation, this episode weaves together the key patterns that have emerged across conversations, technology with purpose, research with impact, and people at the heart of everything.

Peter and Marc revisit:

- The transformative potential of low-cost, high-impact tech, including web-based stroke rehab, 3D-printed prosthetics, and digital continence tools.
- The vital role of community-driven care, with reflections on Caafi Health, the For All Healthy Living Centre, and the shift towards neighbourhood-based health models.
- Tough but necessary conversations, including confronting racism in healthcare and exploring the sensitive realities of child sexual abuse through restorative justice.
- Entrepreneurship with social purpose, spotlighting innovators driven by personal experience and their determination to create fairer, more accessible solutions.
- What it means to build a truly modern, civic-facing university, connecting research, education, tech and community partners in ways that shape healthier futures.


Let's Talk Health and Care Podcast Ep#11: Reflecting on a Year of Let’s Talk Health and Care

Episode 1 welcomes David Henderson from Penny with the conversation focusing on internal culture and inclusive strategy. 

Inclusive Marketing: Sector Interview 1

Episode 2 welcomes Jo Price from Darlington Credit Union with the conversation focusing on clear communication and empathy in customer messaging.

Inclusive Marketing: Sector Interview 2

Episode 3 welcomes Steven Wright from GR Finance with the conversation focusing on using customer insight to inform inclusive language. 

Inclusive Marketing: Sector Interview 3

In this powerful episode of Let’s Talk Health and Care, Marc Griffiths and Peter Brindle take listeners inside Empire Fighting Chance, a Bristol-based organisation transforming the lives of young people who have been, in their own words, “knocked down by life.” Through boxing-inspired therapy, culturally competent support, and deep community connection, Empire Fighting Chance is reshaping how we think about mental health, violence prevention and youth engagement.

Marc and Peter speak with Co-Founder Martin Bisp, who shares the origins of their unique model, the evidence behind their impact, and what traditional services can learn from meeting young people where they truly are. Together, they explore the challenges of working with young people affected by trauma, the urgent need for systemic change—including calls for an Office of Violence Prevention—and the importance of empowering local communities rather than replicating top-down interventions.

Listeners will also hear from a box therapist, who brings to life what therapy looks like in the gym environment, and a young person turned staff member, who shares their journey through adversity and how this approach helped them rewrite their story.

Marc and Peter close this episode with reflections on what health and care professionals can take from the Empire model: the value of culturally relevant support, the power of safe non-clinical spaces, and the need to be braver in commissioning innovative approaches for those who need them most.

A compelling episode that challenges assumptions, highlights community-led innovation, and offers a hopeful look at what’s possible when we design services with young people, not for them.


Links: 
Empire Fighting Chance - https://empirefightingchance.org/
Uncovered: Identity-Based Mass Violence in Urban Contexts | IBMV - https://ibmv.org/

Let's Talk Health and Care Podcast Episode #12: Meeting young people where they are: The Empire Fighting Chance story

Join Karen Wallace, CEO of Right Way Credit Union, as she shares her journey from volunteer to leader and explores how design thinking is transforming financial services. In this episode, Karen discusses embracing technology on a shoestring budget, tackling challenges like automation and AI, and keeping human-centred values at the heart of innovation. Discover how a simple design thinking approach helped her team streamline processes, free up time for member care, and build confidence to tackle future challenges. 

Future Finance Podcast: Karen Wallace on Innovation and Design Thinking in Credit Unions

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, we explore how ideas of what was considered “natural” had been shaped, challenged, reclaimed, and mobilised for social change. It examined how concepts of “natural” had been constructed, contested, and transformed into fuel for activism. Through science, storytelling, activism, and lived experience, the panel discussed Pride as a living movement of resistance, visibility, and community.

Held during LGBTQ+ History Month, the panel was hosted by Louise Ndibwirende and featured Daryn Carter and Antonia Forster, inviting audiences to rethink what “natural” really meant — and how that understanding could be mobilised to build a more liberated future.

LGBT+ History Month
LGBT+ History Month (UK) was celebrated every February to honour the lives, culture, and achievements of LGBT+ people. Launched by Schools OUT UK in 2004, it promoted visibility, education, and inclusion across schools, workplaces, and communities. The 2026 theme was Science & Innovation.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrOzUDjo8U6JTeJ02D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T  
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-distinguished-address-series

From Evolution to Activism | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

What to succeed in business without selling out? Join three inspiring UWE alumni for a panel discussion on how to carve out a successful career that aligns with your personal values. 

Future Impact: How to Build a Career in Business Without Selling Your Soul

In this episode of Let’s Talk Health and Care, Marc Griffiths and Peter Briddle explore the hidden complexities of the blood supply chain and the radical innovations that could transform it.
Our guests in this episode, Professor Wendy Phillips, Dean for Research and Enterprise, and Dr Helen Sanderson, Senior Research Fellow, both from the College of Business and Law at UWE Bristol, share insights drawn from a decade of pioneering research into redistributed manufacturing and next‑generation blood products.
 
Together, they discuss:
- Why the blood supply chain is far more vulnerable and complex than most people realise
- Their work to address battlefield blood supply challenges
- Emerging innovations including walk‑in blood banks, freeze‑dried plasma, and lab‑grown red blood cells
- Ethical and cultural questions around artificial versus donated blood
- How military‑driven innovation could strengthen resilience across the NHS and civilian healthcare
- What the next 5–10 years could look like as technology reshapes how and where we manufacture blood
 
This episode offers a fascinating look at the future of life‑saving care, from regulation to innovation pipelines to the possibility of “better‑than‑natural” blood.
 
The Redistributed Manufacturing in Healthcare Network: ⁠www.RiHN.org.uk

Let's Talk Health and Care Podcast Ep#13: The Fragile Lifeline | Reinventing How We Make and Move Blood

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, we explore the powerful role music can play in creating belonging, dignity and human connection. What is it about making music together that can instantly bring people closer? And how can this be used to support people who have been displaced from their homes?

We’re joined by Dr Jonathan James, Artistic Director of Dovetail Orchestra, a charity working across Bristol, Cardiff and London with musicians from displaced communities around the world. Through conversation and live demonstrations with members of the orchestra, this session offers unique practical insights into how collective music-making can foster connection, creativity and community.

This event is delivered in collaboration with the Centre for Music (CFM) at UWE Bristol, an organisation championing accessible and diverse musical practice, as part of their Festival of Sound programme.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr…2D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

Finding Sanctuary in Music | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

Imagine losing part of your face, your smile, or even your identity and then meeting a team who can help you rebuild it.  In this remarkable on site episode, hosts Marc Griffiths and Peter Brindle take listeners inside the groundbreaking Bristol 3D Medical Centre, the first NHS facility in the UK to bring 3D scanning, digital modelling and 3D printing together under one roof to transform patient rehabilitation.
Our guest, Amy Davey, Lead Reconstructive Scientist and Lab Manager, guides us through the full journey: from ultra precise facial scanning to digital sculpting, from high tech resin and PEEK printing to the traditional hand crafting of prosthetics even down to the Singer sewing machine used to tailor bespoke silicon garments.

More than a technological deep dive, this episode explores the emotional and therapeutic dimensions of reconstruction. Amy shares powerful patient stories, including individuals rebuilding confidence after cancer treatment, trauma, or congenital differences, and reveals how a prosthesis can do far more than restore appearance it can help restore confidence and someone’s identity.
Along the way we discuss:

•	How the Centre supports patients from infancy to older age
•	The fusion of artistry, engineering and clinical care in modern prosthetics
•	The evolution and future of 3D printed medical devices in the NHS
•	The vital psychological aspects of appearance, identity and rehabilitation
•	The Centre’s growing partnerships with universities and robotics researchers
•	What ‘brilliant’ looks like for the next five years of innovation

This is an inspiring, moving and eye opening episode that showcases innovation in practice, delivered with compassion. A must listen for anyone interested in health, technology, engineering, patient experience, or the future of personalised medicine.

To learn more about the Bristol 3D Medical Centre and explore examples of their work, follow the link in the episode description.
https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/our-services/a-z-services/reconstructive-prosthetics/bristol-3d-medical-centre


Let’s Talk Health and Care, Episode #14 Rebuilding Identity: Inside the Bristol 3D Medical Centre with Lead Reconstructive Scientist Amy Davey

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series we ask how circular economy practices such as repair, sharing, reuse and composting help Bristol’s communities build skills, strengthen social connections and ease the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis.

This panel explored the power of community-led initiatives to reduce waste, build resilience, and create a more sustainable, connected city.
Host Laura Fogg-Rogers, Associate Professor of Engineering in Society at UWE Bristol, was joined by by Anna Perry, Chair of Share Bristol; Jenny Liggitt from Heart of BS13; and Andy Street, Chair of Fare Share South West and Feeding Bristol. Together they discussed how initiatives such as repair, sharing schemes, composting and food redistribution can strengthen communities, develop practical skills and support people through the cost-of-living crisis. Celebrating Bristol’s existing successes while exploring future possibilities for a more circular and resilient city.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address
Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr…2D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T
Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

Useful links:
Anna Perry - https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaperryprofile/
www.sharebristol.org.uk 
Jenny Liggitt - https://www.heartofbs13.org.uk/about-us/our-team-and-board/jenny-liggitt/
Our people - Fareshare South West - https://faresharesouthwest.org.uk/what-we-do-faresharesouthwest/meet-the-team/



Waste to Worth  The Power of Repair, Sharing and Reuse in Bristol | Bristol Distinguished Address Series

Let's Talk About… Mental Health and Leadership, with guests Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven West and Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees.

Episode 1: Let's Talk About… Mental Health and Leadership

Isaac, a student at UWE Bristol, and Daniella, who’s a lecturer in Adult Nursing open up about their experiences of anxiety, how it presents itself and ways of coping with it.

Recorded 8 March 2019. Follow Isaac ‘Lazy Eyez’ on Spotify.

Episode 2: Let's Talk About… Anxiety and Being True to Yourself

Harriet and Martin, both staff here at UWE Bristol, discuss the importance of self-awareness, and learning how to cope with periods of high anxiety and OCD.

Episode 5: Let's Talk About… Anxiety and OCD

Anna and Rick talk about how it feels to have depression, and how people’s understanding of the condition has improved over the last 20 years.

Episode 4: Let's Talk About… Depression

Rosie and Amanda talk about anxiety and why people shouldn’t feel like they’re alone in struggling with their mental health.

Episode 3: Let's Talk About… Social Anxiety and Not Feeling Alone

Dr Aida Abzhaparova, Associate Head for Student Experience in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, UWE Bristol, delivers a lecture on how her mother's lost Rubles turned her into a diplomat and how we gain achievement from loss.

Watch the lecture on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_ZmlkgAwoM&t=

Watch the rest of the Inspire:Me lecture series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrOzUDjo8U6KIAOPz2NI8CJr7ClZQvWFm

Inspire:Me Lecture Series - Dr Aida Abzhaparova

This episode features the three podcast hosts: Dr Petia Petrova (Associate Director of Academic Practice at UWE Bristol), Kat Branch (Leader of UWE Bristol’s Centre for Music) and Dr Sam Elkington (the co-author of ‘The Serious Leisure Perspective’, Teesside University) We introduce our live audience to the origins of the podcast and the concept of Serious Leisure. We discuss the importance of community and how making time for leisure significantly affects our sense of identity and ability to recharge. We explore in particular the significance of separation between private and work spaces. Finally, we reflect on how our leisure pursuits have been impacted by the Covid pandemic, how we have managed to sustain and grow some but reluctantly given up others.

UWE Bristol

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