PODCAST · music
Holding Up The Ladder
by Matshidiso
A podcast about the creative process - the how, the why. Most artists are inspired by more than just their own medium – so even though podcast host, Matshidiso is a musician, the arts more broadly, politics, people – in short, life informs the music she makes. And why ‘Holding up the ladder?’ Because we’re all trying to get somewhere and Matshidiso believes we not only further the arts but each other if we ‘hold up the ladder’ rather than pull the ladder up from under us as we climb. Website: holdinguptheladder.com IG: @holdinguptheladder Twiiter: @hutl_ Hosted on Acast. See
Episodes
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It’s your job to make the work
Welcome to a special live episode of Holding up the Ladder in collaboration with The Royal College of Art. feat. Gülce Tulçalı and Phoebe Davies. As part of the Royal College of Art (RCA) MA graduate students', 'Curating Contemporary Art Exhibition' and their curatorial show, Feed Back, I was...
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Zadie Smith & Devonté Hynes
I can’t think of a better way to end season 4 and the never before heard conversations from my archive, than my conversation between friends, Zadie Smith and Devonté Hynes. I’d been badgering Zadie for a while to let me interview her and when she agreed, the day before our conversation was...
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I've been thinking about...friendship (Pt 2)
Welcome to part 2 of I've been thinking about...friendship. I talk about the importance of friendship and how pivotal it's been in my creative practice. Holding up the Ladder links: Find out ways to support the Israel-Palestine project click here Podcast Website Podcast IG Hosted on Acast. See...
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Francis Fuster (Pt 2)
Welcome back to part 2 of my conversation with Francis Fuster. We pick up our conversation in London in the 1980's. Francis is playing percussion for Hugh Masekela, he's touring with Paul Simon and that huge record, Graceland. We talk about playing in South Africa post apartheid and a short stint...
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Francis Fuster (Pt 1)
You’re in for a treat today! And a little interruption from conversations from my archive. I recently did a gig at London’s Jazz Cafe playing keys and singing for a special concert in honour of South Africa Freedom Day and the late great South African trumpeter, Hugh Masekela. The person leading...
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I've been thinking about...friendship (pt 1)
Today's episode of 'I've been thinking about' is a 2-parter and it's all about friendship and how it has impacted my practice. We talk about how much our families impact our lives, but not so much our friendships. Yet since we choose our friendships they are deeply significant - I explore why....
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Rich Harless (Pt 2)
Welcome back to the 2nd part of my conversation with Rich Harless. We caught up last month, and kick off our convo talking about how NFTs are no longer the hot topic, but the shift is to AI. And for context, the 2 artists Rich refers to are Sam Ryder who was runner up on the Eurovision song…
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Rich Harless (Pt 1)
In this week's episode we’re talking tech, marketing, AI and the music industry with entrepreneur, Rich Harless. Rich Harless is a Berlin-based, US-born entrepreneur and the founder of Feather, a company pioneering AI-powered brand measurement for digital advertisers. Prior to launching Feather,...
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I've been thinking about...maturity, ageing - the process produces the sound
What makes an artist great, how does an artist become great? In today's episode of I've been thinking about, I explore the idea of maturity, ageing and process. It seems to me that maturity, ageing in the Arts is actually beneficial. Unlike other professions where ageing is synonymous with…
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Carri Twigg
In the latest never before heard conversation from my archive, we're talking about America. You may be feeling over saturated with America at the moment as the loudest, brashest voice in the geopolitical room. I know I definitely feel like that these days, especially given everything that’s going...
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I've been thinking about...sacred spaces
In today's episode of I've been thinking about, I explore the idea of sacred spaces. Drawing from the famous Virginia Woolf lecture, 'A Room of One's Own'. She wrote, ‘a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction’. Although Woolf was referring to the condition of women...
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eL Seed
Who is art for? And how are we to engage with it? Should art be in museums or outside in parks, town squares or on the side of buildings? Is art the province of an elite few, the private collector, with a rarefied language that excludes? And why do artists make art, is it for ourselves, do we…
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I've been thinking about...the music that made me
In this week's episode of IBTA I'm talking about the music that made me. About the seminal musical moments that shaped not just how I write music but who I am. Holding up the Ladder links: Find out ways to support the Israel-Palestine project click here Podcast Website Podcast IG Hosted on Acast....
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Rakeb Sile
In today's episode of never before heard conversations from my archive, I speak with gallerist and co-founder of Addis Fine Art, Rakeb Sile. Addis Fine Art specialises in modern and contemporary art from the Horn of Africa and its diasporas. Along with co-founder Mesai Haileleul, Rakeb started…
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I've been thinking about...making room for delight
Today's IBTA is about making room for delight. Recognising that allowing space for pleasure and delight is an essential component to our practice. I also share a list of the things that bring me delight. From riding my bicycle, to dancing in the kitchen, to reading poetry out loud and my love of...
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Christian Allison
In today's episode of never before heard conversations from my archive, I speak with portrait painter Christian Allison. Christian hails from Nigeria, a self-taught artist who left a career in engineering to pursue art full time. We talk about his commitment to learning, to his love of painting...
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I've been thinking about...staring up at the sky
In this week's IBTA I talk about dreaming, pondering...day-dreaming. Why taking time out to dream is a necessary part of our work. That art and Its utility isn’t measured by its function. Its utility simply is. It is because you are and you are the maker of it. Links Website:...
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Adam Rogers
Welcome back! I’m so pleased to start this series of never before heard conversations from my archive with a dear friend of mine - photographer, artist and co-founder of menswear brand Adret, Adam Rogers. Along with his co-founder Seto Adiputra, Adret is discreetly tucked away between the high...
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I've been thinking about...Us
To kick of Season 4 we start with a new segment where I share things I've been thinking about pertaining to the creative process, it's called 'I’ve been thinking about' (IBTA) The first IBTA is a manifesto of sorts. A reflection on my time away, why I love the Arts so much, why the Arts are...
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Season 4 - Trailer
Welcome back, it's been a long time! Season 4 is special as I'll be sharing never before heard conversations from my archive. We've also got a new segment called 'I've been thinking about' where I share my thoughts regarding creativity, basically things I've been thinking about! Those will air on...
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Salon Series I
Holding up the Ladder Salon Series I This episode is in collaboration with Black British Art, an arts platform that focuses on championing, educating, curating and advising on all that is Black British Art. Its founder Lisa Anderson-Diffang, a curator, consultant and Interim Managing Director of...
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Makoto Fujimura & Haejin Shim
We have come full circle and reached the end of season 3 - time really flies! I started this season expressing my desire to talk about social justice, racism and discrimination. I gave the example of the Japanese art of Kintsugi - the broken vessel that is mended to make new. And who better to…
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Alexander Liebermann
Have you ever asked yourself the question - what is music? Does nature around us - the birds, the trees - make music? What is music supposed to do? I had never thought of these questions (and I didn’t even plan on asking them) until I spoke with my guest today, composer Alexander Liebermann....
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Yvadney Davis
As we continue our conversations about the ways in which art and creativity can be used to bring about social change, I wanted to talk about how normalising the ordinary can actually be a form of activism. I’m joined by kids’ fashion stylist, blogger, lecturer, start-up entrepreneur, artist, wife...
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Topher Campbell
ADVISORY: This episode contains adult themes unsuitable for younger audiences In this week’s episode of HUTL we’re talking about the idea of radical homelessness. Where do we find home? What does home mean? Is home a physical or geographical location, is it a state of being or is it both? And how...
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The Temple of Her Skin
Who gets to tell stories, who gets to tell your story? How does story relate to the body? What are the stories our bodies tell? These are some of the questions I delve into through the prism of African women, tattoos and scarification, with my guests today Laurence Sessou and return guest Jessica...
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Felix Howard
I’ve been thinking a lot about how Black culture shapes mainstream culture so sometimes it can feel like we’re everywhere - but actually when it comes to positions of leadership and ownership - female bandleaders, women producers, label or studio owners, songwriters, women of colour who are...
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Dr. Mark Breeze
What do you think of when you think of shelter? Have you even thought about what it means or what it’s meant to do? Is it just something that provides immediate protection from the elements? And what about architecture? Is architecture about buildings that we find aesthetically pleasing (or not!)...
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Art of Change
When is enough is enough? When is adapting no longer the appropriate response? When do people stop adapting because of their resilience and say we’ve had enough and we need to do something to change this? I’ve changed this week’s programming (we were due to talk about music with A&R manager Felix...
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Dr Lemah Bonnick
This is the 3rd and final instalment on the series of discussions on race, class and education in the UK. It only felt right to interview the person who is the reason I am who I am, who has shaped the way I see the world - the person who literally brought me into the world, my mother, sociologist...
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Dr Michael Taylor
I’m delighted to bring to you part 2 of our 3-part series on race, class and education in the UK. This week we’re joined by historian Dr Michael Taylor, author of what I’m calling ‘required reading’ & shortlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing 2021 - The Interest, How The British...
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Reni Eddo-Lodge
Today’s episode is the first of a 3-part discussion on race, class and education in the UK. A 3-part conversation that really is the basis for the theme of season 3 - arts, anti racism and social change. We kick off the discussion with journalist and author of Sunday Times bestselling book Why…
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Dr. Zoe Whitley
In this week’s episode of HUTL, we’re talking art, access and representation with art historian, writer, curator and director of London’s Chisenhale Gallery Dr. Zoe Whitley. We talk about the importance of seeing oneself reflected in culture and having teachers who create spaces for that...
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Eric Collins
It’s great to be back and with the first episode of season 3, a season dedicated to the arts, creativity and social change. My guest today is serial entrepreneur, investor, tech executive, CEO and Founding Member of Impact X Capital Partners, Eric Collins. Bio London-based Eric is a serial...
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Season 3 - Trailer
Welcome to Season 3 of Holding up the Ladder In the few months between the end of season 2 and the start of season 3 it seems the world isn’t calming down any time soon - in fact in many ways, it feels more intense and more far-reaching. We’ve had the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of...
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Reflections
And so we come to the end of Season 2! And what a season it’s been. I would normally have another wonderful guest to come and share their process with us, but this time I wanted to do something a little different. I feel like I had some real personal awakenings that I’m going to share with you....
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Shruti Kumar
We talk about access to musical education, about bridging the gap between classical music and other musical genres. We talk about the role of arts in society, about creating safe spaces, safe spaces for artists, for women artists. We talk about starting musician-led spaces rather than seeking a...
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Elora Hardy
Today, we’re talking about the future - about creating a world we haven’t yet seen and a future that hasn’t yet been imagined. We’re talking about outside the box thinking, dreaming, playing, experimenting. I'm talking AI, living on Mars, the Elon Musks, the Will. I. Ams, my guest earlier this...
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Money Talks
In this special bonus episode of Holding up the Ladder, we’re talking money! Money and the music industry. I’ve brought in some formidable women to talk about these issues and made a point of including not just artists but people who work in what I call the administrative side of the industry -...
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Daley
I’ve probably said this before but the thing I love most about music, apart from the music itself is who you get to meet through it, the relationships that are forged - I’ve made friends whom I now consider my extended family. One of those people is the reason I know today’s guest. His name was...
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Building Creative Community
In this week’s special bonus episode of Holding up the Ladder, we’re talking value systems and building creative community. I’ll be sharing some of the lessons I’ve learned/am learning over the past 8-10 years building my music production company. I’m joined by my good friend Ramona Harris- she…
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Makoto Fujimura
Born in Boston, Makoto Fujimura or 'Mako' the name he goes by is an artist, arts advocate, writer, thinker and filmmaker. He studied 16th & 17th century Japanese art in Japan and practices the Japanese art of Nihonga or ‘slow art’. This beautiful ‘refractive’ art requires you to slow down in…
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Pura Fé
It’s not everyday you get to talk to artists you admire and then they turn out to be even more wonderful in person. I’ve been listening to the music of today’s guest for many years now and every time I return to it I’m reminded of why I love music from authentic voices. Pura Fé (meaning ‘pure...
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Leeroy Jason - Part II
ADVISORY: In this episode we talk about issues of domestic and sexual violence Welcome back to the second and final part of my conversation with South African photographer Leeroy Jason. If you haven’t listened to part 1 yet it’s worth tuning in so you get a sense of Leeroy, his work, his values…
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Leeroy Jason - Part I
ADVISORY: In this episode we talk about issues of domestic and sexual violence If you’ve been listening to this podcast at all you’ll hear me talk a lot about South Africa and you’ll also know that I’m half South African. I love South Africa it is home for me as much as London is my home - yet I...
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Chef Pierre Thiam
My guest on today’s episode of Holding Up the Ladder is chef Pierre Thiam. Hailing from Dakar in Senegal, now residing in New York, Pierre is an author, restaurateur, social entrepreneur and culinary ambassador. He is the executive chef of awarding-winning restaurant Nok by Alara in Lagos…
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Beatie Wolfe
Some conversations are less about answers and more about the questions. Getting to ‘the why’ of an issue. And sometimes those questions, those ‘whys’ open the door to unexpected discoveries that give rise to even more questions. That’s how I would describe my conversation with today’s guest…
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Heidi Vogel
Every city has its ‘scene’ those spaces where groups of people with a similar aesthetic, value system or art discipline or music style find each other. Well in London the jazz, soul, session musician scene is on one hand really big yet on the other really tiny - everyone knows each other and if...
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Lisa Anderson
My guest on today’s episode of Holding Up the Ladder is art writer, curator, advisor and founder of Black British Art, Lisa Anderson. With a background in international relations and an MA in Human Rights, Lisa’s love of art and curation was sparked while at university - it’s an intimate story…
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Season 2 Trailer
The trailer for Season 2 is here! Episode 1, Season 2 out on Friday 16th October 2020! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast about the creative process - the how, the why.
Most artists are inspired by more than just their own medium – so even though podcast host, Matshidiso is a musician, the arts more broadly, politics, people – in short, life informs the music she makes.
And why ‘Holding up the ladder?’ Because we’re all trying to get somewhere and Matshidiso believes we not only further the arts but each other if we ‘hold up the ladder’ rather than pull the ladder up from under us as we climb.
Website: holdinguptheladder.com
IG: @holdinguptheladder
Twiiter: @hutl_
Hosted on Acast. See
HOSTED BY
Matshidiso
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Holding Up The Ladder have?
Holding Up The Ladder currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Holding Up The Ladder about?
A podcast about the creative process - the how, the why. Most artists are inspired by more than just their own medium – so even though podcast host, Matshidiso is a musician, the arts more broadly, politics, people – in short, life informs the music she makes. And why ‘Holding up the ladder?’...
How often does Holding Up The Ladder release new episodes?
Holding Up The Ladder has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Holding Up The Ladder?
You can listen to Holding Up The Ladder on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Holding Up The Ladder?
Holding Up The Ladder is created and hosted by Matshidiso.
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