An intimate chat (recorded over a brew) between artists Claire Weetman and Sheila Ghelani, both long term Heart of Glass collaborators. In their warm conversation the artists explore the parallels between their work and what it means to be an artist working in a community setting. They discuss the challenges and setbacks of working through a pandemic and whether art and its ‘weird magic’ can or should change the world. Before they chatted, Sheila and Claire mailed out packages to each other. Both artists used care packages as a way to connect with the groups during the pandemic. We listen as they unwrap their packages and talk about the objects inside - how they chose them, their symbolism and meaning and their hopes for how they might offer a moment of care and reflection to the individuals who received them. (Shout out to the amazing volunteers and organisations who supported them through the process including St Helens Carers Centre and Refugee Women Connect)

In our second HoGcast episode we meet artist Michelle Browne and ex-miner and St Helens good egg Gary Conley. Gary and Michelle have been working together on an upcoming project titled World of Work, which is a new cooperative game, an exploration of labour histories and futures, where the aim is to achieve a collective win.  This podcast was recorded in early 2020, before the COVID-19 restrictions took effect, and so was recorded in person in St Helens. Over a brew! HoGcast: Conversations over a Brew is a series of intimate recorded conversations exploring the stories of the people we make art with.

Our first episode focuses on Art and Mental Health. We meet artist / activist James Leadbitter aka the vacuum cleaner and Fox Irving mental health nurse and artist (not necessarily in that order). Fox and James worked together on the Madlove Take Over, an arts festival for mental health which took place in November 2019. HoGcast: Conversations over a Brew is a series of intimate recorded conversations exploring the stories of the people we make art with. They are typically recorded in St Helens, over a brew. This podcast is about the power of listening and conversation, and how making art can bring us together and create change.