The Wellcome Collection Podcast
A podcast exploring health and human experience. Brought to you by Wellcome Collection, a free museum and library in London.
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The Root of the Matter: Wasteland
08/18/2022
The Root of the Matter: Wasteland
In the final episode of ‘The Root of the Matter’, JC takes us to the least human habitat of all – the wasteland. It’s a space which often fills us with a sense of foreboding and yet, these places teach us some of the most profound lessons about the plant world and our relationship to it: Author of Islands of Abandonment: Life in the post-human landscape, , shows us how wastelands can demonstrate nature’s resilience in the most hostile of situations. Artist and writer explains how plants force us to fundamentally rethink our ideas about intelligence beyond the human. And , a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation of South Dakota, and founder of First Voices Radio, talks to us about the need to fundamentally change our language if we are to de-centre the human and heal our relationship with the earth. Presented by JC Niala Lead Produced by Alannah Chance Produced by Mae-Li Evans Music and sound design by Alice Boyd Artwork by Faye Heller The Root of the Matter is a for Wellcome Collection. You can find the full transcript for this episode, and much more, on the Wellcome Collection website:
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The Root of the Matter: Wetlands
08/11/2022
The Root of the Matter: Wetlands
What does the word ‘wetland’ mean to you? Many of us don’t encounter them at all, and at best we might think of a muddy, boggy marshland. But these landscapes, and the plants that thrive in them, are crucial for ecological health, biodiversity, and capturing carbon. In this episode, JC and her contributors invite you to see these misunderstood spaces in a new light. Ecologist and writer talks about the cultural and ecological significance of Nam Lolwe (also known as Lake Victoria) to the Luo peoples who live on its shores. , of the USA's Sierra Club, explains the impact that human interventions have had on the Everglades in Florida, and the indigenous communities that call it home. From the other side of the Pacific, shares how mangrove swamps are crucial to both human and environmental health, and why they have been misunderstood in the past. Finally, we hear from the Wilder Landscapes advisor for Sussex Wildlife Trust, , about how we need to pay more attention to our own wetlands in the UK. Presented by JC Niala Lead Produced by Alannah Chance Produced by Mae-Li Evans Music and sound design by Alice Boyd Artwork by Faye Heller The Root of the Matter is a for Wellcome Collection. You can find the full transcript for this episode, and much more, on the Wellcome Collection website:
/episode/index/show/wellcomecollection/id/24013566
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The Root of the Matter: Woodland
08/04/2022
The Root of the Matter: Woodland
We think of forests and woodlands as wild spaces, or areas where we can lose ourselves in nature, and yet they also provide us with a wealth of resources such as food, building materials, or medicines. But they are also globally under threat of destruction… In this episode, JC delves into the contradictions in our relationship with woodlands, and explores different ways we can think about them, if we are to use and protect them more wisely. , a Yanomami artist from the Amazon, and anthropologist and interpreter Anna Maria Machado, share their understanding of the forest and the threats it is currently facing. Forestry expert , talks to us about how our models of forest conservation and usage fundamentally needs to change if they are still going to exist for future generations. And , author of ‘’, talks about the mind altering properties and potential benefits of psychoactive fungi which grow in the forests. Presented by JC Niala Lead Produced by Alannah Chance Produced by Mae-Li Evans Music and sound design by Alice Boyd Artwork by Faye Heller The Root of the Matter is a for Wellcome Collection. You can find the full transcript for this episode, and much more, on the Wellcome Collection website:
/episode/index/show/wellcomecollection/id/23945211
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The Root of the Matter: Farmland
07/28/2022
The Root of the Matter: Farmland
Fruit and veg are a clear link to our relationship to the plant world. Yet many of us have little understanding of the farming industry and the impacts it has on our planet, in bringing crops to our plates.In this episode, JC untangles the knots of these complex global food systems - and focuses on a grain that is central to many of our diets, wheat. Professor of Archeological Science, , shares how our early ancestors began to cultivate crops, and why crops may have begun to cultivate us too. Author and environmental activist sheds light on the impacts and fragility of the modern farming industry, its implications for our global food networks, and the changes that need to happen to make it more sustainable.We meet , a farmer in Oxfordshire whose organic agricultural methods may provide a potential solution for how we might better manage our farmland. Presented by JC Niala Lead Produced by Alannah Chance Produced by Mae-Li Evans Music and sound design by Alice Boyd Artwork by Faye Heller The Root of the Matter is a for Wellcome Collection. You can find the full transcript for this episode, and much more, on the Wellcome Collection website:
/episode/index/show/wellcomecollection/id/23874252
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The Root of the Matter: The Garden
07/21/2022
The Root of the Matter: The Garden
Gardens are hugely personal, they are an extension of how we see ourselves and how we are in the world. They can also be a strong reminder of what is excluded as much as what is included. In this episode JC asks, what does the Garden reveal about the way we relate to the natural world and to each other? Writer and grower explores colonial legacies in the garden, through our use of language and readiness to embrace and celebrate some plants, whilst excluding others. We visit the , where artist and urban farmer, Michael Smythe showcases the uses of common so-called weeds like ribwort plantain and yarrow in locally produced remedies. Wilma Bol, a social prescriber at a local GP surgery, highlights the relationship between this urban nature reserve and the local community, when it comes to communal health. The gardening activist, , reflects on the image of horticulture today, and shares his introduction into guerilla gardening, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire. Presented by JC Niala Produced by Alannah Chance and Mae-Li Evans Music and sound design by Alice Boyd Artwork by Faye Heller The Root of the Matter is a for Wellcome Collection. You can find the transcript for this episode, and more, on the Wellcome Collection website using this link:
/episode/index/show/wellcomecollection/id/23803334
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The Root of the Matter: Trailer
07/14/2022
The Root of the Matter: Trailer
In Wellcome Collection’s new series, ‘The Root of the Matter’, we join JC Niala on a journey to understand how plants can provide a lens on human health, history and belonging.
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Hello Happiness: Ecstasy
02/02/2022
Hello Happiness: Ecstasy
In the final episode of our podcast, Bidisha takes us on a journey through the highest of highs, from nightclubbing and the ecstasies of religion and drugs, to mania. Artist shares his personal take on the connections between movement, music and bodies. (‘DJ Annie Mac’) speaks about the power of nightclubbing, how ecstasy and dance music go hand in hand and how she has managed to maintain her sense of euphoria and delight over the last couple of years. From taking MDMA in the 80s to the work of a religious professional, the vicar, musician and radio presenter reflects on his adventures with both chemical and religious ecstasy. Philosopher and drug science expert talk about how people have sought to lose control throughout history, and how psychedelics are being trialled to relieve hard-to-treat cases of depression. Finally, Bidisha asks, can you have too much of a good thing? Psychologist and writer talks about her patients’—and her own—experiences of mania as part of bipolar disorder. Presented by Bidisha Produced by Debbie Kilbride Sound design by Micky Curling Music by Sola Researched by Priya Jay Executive producer Emily Wiles
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Hello Happiness: Joy
11/24/2021
Hello Happiness: Joy
Bidisha explores joy, from the psychology of our earliest laughs to collective and solitary pleasures like comedy, food and performance.
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Hello Happiness: Tranquillity
10/27/2021
Hello Happiness: Tranquillity
When was the last time you felt utterly tranquil? Moya Lothian-McLean searches for an oasis of calm, taking Wellcome Collection’s ‘Tranquillity’ exhibition as a point of inspiration.
/episode/index/show/wellcomecollection/id/20926619
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Hello Happiness: Resolve
09/29/2021
Hello Happiness: Resolve
In this episode, Bidisha chats to a variety of guests about their personal experiences of resolve and considers its complicated relationship to happiness.
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Hello Happiness: Hope
08/25/2021
Hello Happiness: Hope
In this episode Bidisha asks: What are our emotions and how are they made? She then attempts to pin down the purpose and uses of hope.
/episode/index/show/wellcomecollection/id/20167583
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Hello Happiness: Trailer
08/16/2021
Hello Happiness: Trailer
Bidisha introduces a new five-part series from Wellcome Collection, exploring the meaning of positive emotions: hope, resolve, tranquillity, joy and ecstasy.
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