Dancer and facilitator Bryony Pennington finds freedom in movement, adventure and not needing to ask permission. I tend to find mine in stillness, structure and the safety of home. Together we explore what those differences reveal about the lives we have built as artists: touring and home, risk and care, quiet leadership, gender and the joy of helping others shine. A conversation about making space to feel free - without requiring freedom to look the same for everyone.

Movement artist Masumi Saito has been my friend and collaborator for almost 20 years, across stages, galleries and films. We talk about communicating without words, the Japanese heritage she once tried to shed, and how losing her mother deepened her connection to ritual, culture and beauty. A conversation about grief, identity and why “movement artist” is the only name broad enough for a life lived seriously and playfully at once.

Early in my career, commissions from the London Sinfonietta, BBC Philharmonic and BBC Singers arrived in a wave - then came a decade-long lull. I reflect on learning to create without waiting to be chosen, and on the renewed momentum of work with O/Modernt and English National Ballet YouthCo. An episode about deadlines, invitations and external accountability - and why being asked can give an artist permission, focus and a reason to finish.

Writer Lauren J Joseph and I met in the chaotic overlap of DIY opera and performance art, long before algorithms would have introduced us. Now, with a novel published by Bloomsbury, Lauren joins me to talk about autofiction, voice, visibility and the slippery line between memory and invention. At the heart of the conversation is Henry Nouwen’s idea: “Be fruitful, not productive” - a gentler measure of a creative life.

What happens when we stop fighting to keep everything afloat? Inspired by the words “let the ship sink”, I consider the dreams, identities and one-sided efforts we may be allowed to abandon - from an opera I never finished to friends who left music entirely. A solo episode about overwhelm, surrender and the fear of choosing one path - and why letting go can sometimes be the bravest way to move forward.

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Olivia Chaney helped me find my voice before I knew I had one. Filmed in York, this conversation follows our shared musical history and her journey through genre labels, a major-label deal and the freedom of returning to self-releasing. We talk about artistic identity, motherhood, musical community and making her long-awaited Purcell record on her own terms.

An Olivia Chaney lyric - “Can I get off this ride?” - stops me as I begin to recognise the edge of burnout. I contrast finite projects with creative lives that never really end, step into the garden after weeks without a day off and reconsider the pace of the podcast itself. An episode about infinite ambition, finite energy and learning that slowing down can be a way of continuing.

What if things go well? Dancer, choreographer and artistic director Monique Jonas joins me to talk about trusting imperfection, staying versatile and building Jona Dance as a place where young artists can grow with care rather than fear. We revisit our collaborations and explore transparency, positivity and why dancers must be treated as people before performers. A conversation about releasing control without lowering your standards.