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Bad Bunny, Pedro Pascal, Mick Jagger, and Lady Gaga all made this weekend’s SNL an “over-the-top” trending pop culture news story. 

An intelligence document from the Pentagon was delivered to Congress this week detailing its ongoing UFO investigations, called “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP)—over 200 sightings this year. It reveals there have been more UFOs sighted, but they’re doing no harm, according to the annual 2023 Annual Report on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has just been turned into a white man. The Samoan actor became a new flagship for Musée Grévin in Paris, a museum specializing in wax figures that just unveiled his arguable likeness. Baffled social media users rightfully noted the skin tone of this figure was far lighter than Johnson’s actual pigment.

Reflect back on 2022, and look ahead to 2023, with seven members of our artistic & creative community:

Caligo - Visual Artist
- "The feeling of collaborating with other artists, and then seeing my work on a gallery wall... An experience that I'm hoping to have more in the future.... I found my mind churning new ideas again.... I feel like my inspiration and creative drive have been re-ignited."

Ken Devine - Artist / Owner of Frederick Street Gallery
- "I want to evolve, I need to evolve as an artist... So for 2023, I'll continue my ongoing quest to agitate the artistic waters of stagnation as I chase that elusive, magical dancing light, colour, and painterliness that this artist in particular craves."

Glenda Young - Best-Selling Author
- "I'm a best-selling author, and I've waited all of my life to say that... My hopes and dreams for 2023 will be to calm down a little it, to have a quieter year. I've been very busy, which is fantastic, and I continue to write, but I just want to take a breather and enjoy the success a little."

Kathryn Barnett - Director of Regeneration North East / Producer / Artist
- "So what has 2022 taught us? Sadly, discrimination is still a major problem - not just for disabled people, but for all minority groups... We don't get up in the morning to win prizes, it's because we love what we do as artists, and we believe in its outcomes."

Jo Howell - Photographic Artist
- "Our world is seemingly on fire... Luckily we weren't affected too badly by the pandemic personally, apart from career wise. I hope 2023 means that we can look forward to some really really awesome stuff. Not only just for me, but for everybody."

Chantal Herbert - Founder of Sister Shack CIC / Founder of Sister Sounds / DJ Awkward Black Woman
- "2022 has just been beautiful chaos with all the things I have done so far, but I'm really proud of [our queer safe-space night] Bend & Shake. It seems to be a space that everyone has needed... And next year, 2023, I plan to make it even bigger and better."

Lyn Killeen - Contemporary Fine Artist / Participatory Arts Facilitator
- "I really am focusing on arts for health, and planning on starting a new programme which is therapeutic, and introducing some wellbeing techniques using instruments and workshops in nature, such as in forests on the beach, and I'm really excited about that."

More about ArtyParti:

Our website - www.artyparti.com
Twitter - @ArtyParti
Instagram - @Arty_Parti_
A Jay Sykes Media podcast

Our supporters and funders:

The ArtyParti podcast is made possible thanks to the support of our generous Patreon backers:

• Jo Howell - Photographic Artist based in Sunderland
• Stephanie Smith - Visual Artist based in Sunderland

ArtyParti's live "Celebration" events and website are made possible thanks to funding from the Arts Council England & National Lottery Heritage Fund, through the Unlock strand of Sunderland Culture's Great Place scheme.

With a plethora of sound art and experimental audio production which spans decades, Odette Johnson (a.k.a. Museleon - Artistic Musical Human) uses a combination of field recordings, found sounds, and digital processing to create rich, multi-layered, complex audio art.

Inspired by her work, Lewis Harrower, who graduated from MA Radio at the University of Sunderland earlier this year, took the "Muse" from Museleon.  He created a fifteen-minute audio documentary, exploring the world of Museleon and her sound art, giving us insight into her process as a sound artist.

Both Odette and Lewis join Jay in the ArtyParti studio to share their experiences working together; what they learned from their collaborative project, how it informed their own creative practice, and why they're passionate about audio production.

Featuring beautiful, original sonic creations by Odette Johnson, and Lewis Harrower's full 15-minute audio documentary.

More about ArtyParti:

Our website - www.artyparti.comTwitter - @ArtyParti Instagram - @Arty_Parti_ Produced and presented by Jay Sykes.

Our supporters and funders:

The ArtyParti podcast is made possible thanks to the support of our five generous Patreon backers:

• Tel Erbie - Founder of Sister Shack / DJ Awkward Black Girl
• Jo Howell - Photographic Artist based in Sunderland
• Nicky Kaur - Founder of TryLife TV
• Stephanie Smith - Visual Artist based in Sunderland
• Laura Willis - Emerging Audio Producer

ArtyParti's live "Celebration" events and website are made possible thanks to funding from the Arts Council England & National Lottery Heritage Fund, through the Unlock strand of Sunderland Culture's Great Place scheme.

Meet the two organisations behind a new Arts Council England funded collaboration; pottery workshops for people with physical disabilities and long-term health issues.

Today's guests:

• Kathryn Barnett - Visual Artist / Director of Regeneration NE
• Gary Nicholson - Sculptor / Director of Regeneration NE
• Hugh Penney - Potter / Handknitted Pottery

More about ArtyParti:

Our website - www.artyparti.comTwitter - @ArtyParti Instagram - @Arty_Parti_ Produced and presented by Jay Sykes.

Our supporters and funders:

The ArtyParti podcast is made possible thanks to the support of our five Patreon backers:

• Tel Erbie - Founder of Sister Shack / DJ Awkward Black Girl
• Jo Howell - Photographic Artist based in Sunderland
• Nicky Kaur - Founder of TryLife TV
• Stephanie Smith - Visual Artist based in Sunderland
• Laura Willis - Emerging Audio Producer

ArtyParti's live "Celebration" events and website are made possible thanks to funding from the Arts Council England & National Lottery Heritage Fund, through the Unlock strand of Sunderland Culture's Great Place scheme.

When crafting and heritage conservation combines!

This episode was recorded at the "Conserve and Craft" event at the Holy Trinity Church in #Sunderland. Sophie Hearn from the Sunderland City Council Heritage Team guides us around the day.

Meet artists & crafters who share about their work, and a range of heritage-focused organisations.

Sophia Pearson Illustration shares about her freelance journey post graduation, her passion for illustration, and the intersections of heritage and art which run through her work.

Wendy Costello, who delivers clippy-mat workshops at Washington Old Hall, joins their Operations Manager Sarah Murray, and shows us how she assembles new intricate rugs from old jeans, as a way of bringing together past and present.

Colin Burnikell who's been delivering clay workshops at the Hylton Castle Project, shares his passion for demonstrating to members of the community.

Amanda Gerry of the Churches Conservation Trust, shares more about their multi-million pound development of the church, which is now underway.

Sarah Carr, Project Manager of the Sunderland Heritage Action Zone, shares about their plans (some underway, many still to come) to restore and redevelop buildings in the city.

And Callum Parker from the mental health charity Sunderland Mind, tells us about their young people's project WASP - "Wellbeing Action and Support Project", working with young people 7-18 across the city.

More about ArtyParti:

Our website - www.artyparti.comTwitter - @ArtyParti Instagram - @Arty_Parti_ Produced and presented by Jay Sykes.

Our supporters and funders:

The ArtyParti podcast is made possible thanks to the support of our five Patreon backers:

• Tel Erbie - Founder of Sister Shack / DJ Awkward Black Girl
• Jo Howell - Photographic Artist based in Sunderland
• Nicky Kaur - Founder of TryLife TV
• Stephanie Smith - Visual Artist based in Sunderland
• Laura Willis - Emerging Audio Producer

ArtyParti's live "Celebration" events and website are made possible thanks to funding from the Arts Council England & National Lottery Heritage Fund, through the Unlock strand of Sunderland Culture's Great Place scheme.

If we’re really going to change the habits that have brought us to the brink of mass extinction and societal collapse, then we need to talk about men, masculinity, and the patriarchal culture on which our cities and communities are built, from the founding stones up. This episode weaves together a narrative of the ways that masculine culture has come to threaten the contemporary moment with interviews from over a dozen academics, writers, feminists, activists and community leaders. The podcast also encourages you to follow a route through Newcastle and Gateshead, to bodily engage with how place shapes our lived experience and embeds our everyday choices in the broader currents of climate change, social inequality, and the changing nature of human identity. The podcast asks: is masculinity a stuck place of damaging patterns? Or can it become a fair and sustainable identity we can use to bring forth resilience and restoration?