Festival Line Up for Interrogate! 2012
Headline acts and speakers confirmed so far include: Tony Hawks, The Baghdaddies, Daniel Bye, Maurice Glasman, Mona Siddiqui, Phillipe Sands …
Miriam Akhtar
Miriam Akhtar is a positive psychologist and one of 100 experts in the science of happiness who contributed to the World Book of Happiness; she is also the author of Positive Psychology for Overcoming Depression. Miriam puts positive psychology into practice as a coach and trainer educating people on the habits for happiness. She enjoys combinations of people and food (e.g. walking and talking with the end result being a cream tea) and holds the ‘honour’ of being the first person to graduate as a positive psychologist in the UK, but this is only because her surname begins with A!
Rebecca Alexander
As a journalist who has worked on two business magazines and the business sections of various newspapers, interviewed 100s of business people, and surveyed several hundred more, Alexander became fascinated by why so many of us can spend Sunday evenings dreading work the next day. She then joined Psychologies magazine, where she’s spent the past few years interviewing psychologists, academics and Nobel Prize winners to find out how we can all be happier, both at work and everywhere else. As well as working at Psychologies, Alexander runs The Coaching Studio, working with executives to help them rediscover their zest for work. She’s happy to report that she hasn’t had the Sunday night blues in a long time…
Tom Andrews
Amongst watching Charlton Athletic FC win, thinking about his family and feeling he has given his all Tom Andrews is Founder and Chief Executive of People United. For the last 18 years Tom has been using the arts to benefit communities. People United researches and develops imaginative ideas that build kind, caring and actively engaged communities. Before People United Tom Founded and ran the highly praised charity Music for Change, promoted artists from around the world, and wrote the first education pack on Tibet. We think Tom Andrews should be feeling incredibly happy as there’s not many who could dispute Tom has not given his all!
The Baghdaddies
The Baghdaddies pump out an eclectic fusion of rhythms and melodies plucked from around the world that are guaranteed to raise your spirits! Festival favourites, The Baghdaddies play Balkan gypsy with Middle Eastern flavours, shades of klezmer and tango, jazz and reggae plus a touch of ska – all laced with funky dance grooves. ‘One of the most danceable bands on this or any other planet’. We’re all too excited to have the Baghdaddies at this year’s Interrogate! and we’re certain their deliciously danceable beats and rhythms will leave you a whole lot happier!
Phrased and Confused – Emma Bennett
Emma Bennett is a writer, performer and artist living and working in London. Rigorous and playful, her work crosses the fields of live art, comedy, poetry and multimedia. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally in the UK and Europe. As one-third of performance outfit These Horses (2005-8), she co-created a body of acclaimed interdisciplinary work for stage, gallery and page. More recent solo projects include Like a Glove (2010), an exploration of literalness and pedantry developed in residency at Bristol’s Arnolfini gallery and the Bird Series (2011-12), an ongoing investigation into the relationship between description, mimicry, inarticulacy and song.
Linda Butcher
Linda is Chief Executive of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK), a charity that connects, informs and supports campaigners across the UK. Before coming to this role in 2008 Linda was very active in the voluntary and community sectors and worked as a campaigner for almost three decades. Linda was also previously Chief Executive of Off the Streets and Into Work (OSW), 2001-2008. OSW is a charity that worked to alleviate poverty, homelessness and disadvantage. Aside from campaigning Linda is certain to be smiling when singing, making and fixing things, gardening or on a motorbike.
Daniel Bye
Daniel is a maker of theatre. Sometimes he writes, sometimes he directs, sometimes he performs. The Times has described him as ‘part of the future of British Theatre’. His work is immediate, playful, surprising and engaged with the world we all live in. At Interrogate! 2012 Daniel will be performing his latest work ‘The Price of Everything’ where he’ll be comparing the price of an object against its value. In this performance lecture Daniel will present bizarre facts and impassioned arguments as he helps us to question the price of everything. And if that wasn’t enough to tempt you there’s a free glass of milk for all at the end!
Alex Coulter
Alex has been director of Arts and Health South West since 2010. Starting out as a practising artist and teacher Alex has worked in arts and health for 15 years and now manages the arts programme at Dorset County Hospital. Before working for Arts and Health South West Alex was a freelance arts and health consultant working in several hospitals and within public and mental health. Alex has said she is ‘intrigued to take part in an event that brings together people from many different areas of expertise and interest to discuss such an intangible subject!’ We look forward to the discussion!
John Crace
John Crace is a journalist, best known for his ‘The Digested Read’ column featured in The Guardian, in which he reviews new fiction by condensing it into short narratives of about 700 words in the style of the book itself. He is also a novelist writing semi-fictional memoirs; ‘Baby Alarm: Thoughts from a Neurotic Father’ and ‘The Second Half: Thoughts from a Male Mid-life Crisis.’ John will be debating what all the fuss is about happiness on our Saturday morning panel.
Paddy Cullivan
Paddy Cullivan is a singer, songwriter, comedian, satirist, writer, Radio and Television contributor, awards Presenter and Host. As well as leading the House Band on the world’s longest running chat show, the ‘Late Late Show’, Paddy has forged a separate life as Political Satirist and Commentator In the Leviathan, Political Cabaret in Ireland, Paddy writes material to order as dictated by the debate subject matter. With an Irish father and American mother, Paddy has a complex DNA made up of a tolerance of suffering AND the pursuit of happiness, let’s hope Interrogate! Get Happy helps with the latter!
Jules Evans
Jules Evans is the author of Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations, which was described as ‘something of a revelation’ by the Observer and ‘a wonderful book’ by Lord Richard Layard. It looks at how people use ancient philosophy as a way of life today, and also examines the links between ancient philosophy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Jules is policy director at the Centre for the History of the Emotions at Queen Mary, University of London, where he is researching the growth of grassroots philosophy groups worldwide. He is co-organiser of the London Philosophy Club, the biggest philosophy club in the UK. He has written for publications including the Financial Times, Economist, The Times, Spectator, Wired and Prospect, and spoken on Radio 4, Radio 3, RTE-1 and ABC Australia, as well as at the RSA, IPPR, Hay-On-Wye, Latitude and other festivals. He blogs at www.philosophyforlife.org.
Phrased and Confused – Julian Fox
After a short spell in Seattle, Julian returned to London in August 1995, a couple of years after his return he was offered a job as a stage-door keeper at the Barbican Theatre. He said that he would do it for three months until they found someone a bit more permanent, yet is still working there today. It was whilst at the stage door, and Inspired by a self-help book called the Artist Way, that Julian started writing. His works include ‘A Slackers Opera’, ‘Rebranding Mr God’, and ‘Goodbye Seattle Coffee Company’. He’s performed with many people in many weird and wonderful venues. In 2005, Julian became a supported artist at Battersea Arts Centre where he developed his next piece, ‘You’ve Got to Love Dancing to Stick to It’, partly about Julian’s love of his local Brockwell Lido.
Anna Freeman
Anna Freeman is an award winning poet, comedian and ginger-liberation activist. She travels about saying words at people in cities all over Britain, the US and Canada and spends summers touring the music and literary festivals. Her work is funny, mostly, but with a spine of genuine pain and humiliation at the inarguable fact of her own existence. She has been known to leave an aftertaste of lingering wrongness. Like a kebab. She teaches students at Bath Spa University and so far no one has outed her as a fraud.
Andy Gibson
Before drifting up the streams of the digital revolution Andy Gibson was a historian. Now an entrepreneur and consultant specialising in social applications of new technologies, he is also a speaker and author. Amongst other projects Andy is the founder, director and ‘mind’ behind Mindapples, the “5-a-day for your mind” campaign. Mindapples helps people to give their minds a bit of TLC and educates us public about how our minds work and how to manage them better. I think it’s more than fair to say; we all need a bit of help with that at times!
Maurice Glasman
Maurice Glasman is a labour life peer, Director of the Faith and Citizenship Programme and senior lecturer in political theory at London Metropolitan University. Until 2010 he worked for ten years with London Citizens and through this developed an expertise in community organising. Maurice coined the term ‘Blue Labour’ which he defines as a small-c conservative form of socialism which advocates a return to the roots of the pre-1945 Labour Party by encouraging the political involvement of voluntary groups from trade unions through churches to football clubs. He emphasises ethical social institution rather than moral individualism, criticises commodification and the money economy and seeks to revive the concept of the ‘common good’ at the forefront of British politics.
Tony Hawks
Comedian, writer, musician and philanthropist Tony Hawks will be joining us at Interrogate! Happiness Festival. Not to be confused with the skateboarder, Tony has partaken in many unusual ‘dares’ resulting in rib-tickling books and comical films – bestseller, ‘Round Ireland with a Fridge’ and ‘Playing the Moldovans at Tennis’ are just a few of his tales. Tony also stormed the charts in 1988 reaching Number 1 as part of Morris Minor and The Majors with their hit single ‘Stutter Rap (No Sleep Til Bedtime)’. On Saturday Tony will be completing the line-up for The Happy Cabaret as well as chairing the discussion about Creativity – ‘The Creative Buzz?’.
Suzie Hayman
Whilst looking forward to enjoying listening to and learning from a range of interesting people at Interrogate! Get Happy, Suzie is a teacher, Relate-trained counsellor, accredited Triple P parenting educator, a broadcaster and author of twenty nine books. Phew! Suzie also works for Family Lives as a spokesperson and trustee and as a trustee of The Who Cares Trust, working for “looked after” children. Suzie makes frequent appearances on national television and in national magazines and newspapers; BBC Breakfast, Women’s Hour, You and Yours, the Times, Independent and Guardian. When she’s not busy working away, Suzie enjoys a good walk in the Lake District, come rain or shine.
Joe Hoare
With years in the laughter business Joe Hoare is the man to go to for some good old fashioned chuckling. Aside from leading the longest-running series of laughter workshops outside of India and teaching doctors, nurses and other health professionals how to chortle, Joe initiated and co-runs the Laughter Network’s Laughter Facilitation Skills course teaching people the many benefits of laughter, how to generate joyfulness in your life and much much more. And amongst all this Joe also found the time to organise the UK’s first laugh-a-thon, a gaggle of gigglers gathering together to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.
Steve Jones
Recent former Principal of King Edward VI Community College, Totnes, a Trustee and strong supporter of Dartington for many years, Steve Jones was a founding and active member of the arts partnership Dartington Plus. His outstanding track record and experience bring a strong education perspective to our work and a commitment to the local community. Steve will be joining us for the panel ‘The Happiest Days of our Lives?’ where we will be looking at the importance of happiness in schools.
Vanessa King
Vanessa is a Board member of Action for Happiness. She led the development of its 10 Keys to Happier Living and the core psychological content of its extensive website, co-leads on AfH’s work with organisations and has spoken on its behalf across the world. She is one of a small group people globally to have completed a Masters degree in Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Vanessa’s an experienced leadership and organisation development consultant, with a background in finance and HR. She works nationally and internationally, with large and smaller organizations, across a wide range of sectors. Lots of things make Vanessa happy – including being in the sun by the sea, cooking meals with friends and family, good design and continually discovering new ideas.
William Lana
William runs the organic textile company Greenfibres, which he co-founded in 1996 after working on Wall Street and in the City in the 80’s, and for the Commission of the EU in Brussels in the 90’s. He is Trustee of a number of environmentally focused charities including: the Sharpham Trust, Transition Network, and the Centre for Contemporary Art in the Natural World. He was Chair of the Soil Association’s Organic Textile Standards Committee from 2001-2012 and helped found the Organic Trade Board (a trade association with over 150 members) in 2008. He has degrees from the University of Kent and the London School of Economics, lives in Totnes with his two organic teenage kids, and has a license to grow hemp.
Richard Layard
Labour economist Professor Lord Richard Layard is Emeritus Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics. Until 2003 he was the founder-director of the Centre for Economic Performance before going on to be the head of the Centre’s Programme on Well-Being. In 2000 Lord Layard became a member of the House of Lords where he’s keen to see the government’s key priority become the subjective well-being of us lot! Amongst many other things Lord Layard advises the government on mental health policy, advises the UK Office of National Statistics on the measurement of national well-being and on 13th October he’ll be advising us as to why we need to talk about the black dog.
Gerard Lemos
While at his happiest balancing movement with stability, Gerard also balances a rather busy working life. Whilst leading the research team at Lemos&Crane (a company that provides practitioners and policy-makers with information for action on social problems), Gerard is also the author of several books, Chairman of the Money Advice Service, and Vice-President of the British Board of Film Classification. And all this as well as formerly Chairing the Board of Trustees of the British council, acting as a visiting Professor at Chongqing Technology and Business University, and formerly Chairing the Akram Khan Dance Company. In 2001 Gerard received a CMG in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his services to the British Council.
Rosie MacGregor
Rosie MacGregor is a lady of many talents. Folk singer by night, trade unionist by day Rosie is a member of the South West Trade Union Congress (TUC), Executive Chair of the White Horse (Wiltshire) TUC and an active member of UNISON, having been its South West Regional Convenor for 10 years until 2009. Rosie seamlessly combines her talents by running song workshops within the trade union movement on a variety of subjects, from Songs of Dissent to The Suffragettes. When performing she takes on the name Rosie Upton, singing folk songs with passion and integrity. This is one of the many things that makes Rosie happy, amongst silence, a good book and chocolate. Good choice we say!
Hugh Nankivell
Hugh is a composer and music-leader based in the South West, known regionally, nationally and internationally for his work. Recently, Hugh has been writing songs with children in Japan who live on a volcano, he has been working with four year-olds on an experimental composition project called ‘Shared Inventions’, and has just recorded a CD with his band ‘Natural Causes’. Over the next year Hugh will be working with the National Theatre of Scotland in the Shetlands and South West Music School in the English Riviera Global Geopark. Amongst all this we’re sure Hugh finds time to do some of things that make him happiest such as swimming in the sea, finding the tortoise or writing a new song.
David Randall
David has been news editor of three national newspapers, and is now chief news writer of the Independent on Sunday, columnist for Internazionale magazine in Italy, and has written six books, which are now in 21 languages. In 2007, he started the Independent on Sunday Happy List as an antidote to the Sunday Times Rich List. It lists 100 people who give back to society, and make Britain a happier place. Happy Lists now exist in Australia, India, Italy, and, he hopes, more places soon. In 1975, he co-founded a charity for the single homeless in Croydon.
Philippe Sands
With a long standing family connection to Dartington, Philippe is looking forward to ‘engaging with others in a great place on issues that matter’. Philippe is currently a barrister at Matrix Chambers and practises public international law, appearing regularly before English and international courts. As well as writing regularly for the press and serving as a commentator for the BBC, CNN and other radio and television producers Philippe also writes. He has written many academic books, including ‘Principles of International Environmental Law’, and many political works, including ‘Lawless World: America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules’. Should things start to feel a little doomy and gloomy for Philippe a quick thought for Arsenal is sure to brighten him up.
Anthony Seldon
Anthony Seldon is a leading authority on contemporary British history and one of the country’s most high profile independent school headmasters. He became the 13th Master of Wellington College in January 2006; he is also author or editor of over 25 books including ‘Churchill’s Indian Summer’ and ‘Major: A Political Life’. His latest books are ‘The Powers Behind the Prime Minister’ and ‘Foreign Office: A History of the Place and its People’. As one of the leading authorities on contemporary history, Dr Seldon appears frequently on TV and radio, and writes for several national newspapers.
David Sillito
After 20 years of reporting for BBC TV News, David appears to have acquired a specialism in ‘Happiness’. He has coerced people in Scarborough in to being more grateful. He has spent time with the ‘happiest man in the World’. And he feels he has, at certain moments, displayed the brain pattern of a Franciscan Nun. David believes it to be the most important question – ‘how should I live and what is it that makes life worthwhile’ – we’re certain David will give some interesting insights over the weekend. David finds happiness by being totally absorbed in a conversation, a project or a thought. (These are his own views and not those of the BBC).
Mona Siddiqui
Mona Siddiqui is Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies at the School of Divinity at University of Edinburgh. Coming to the post in 2011, Mona is the first Muslim woman to be appointed the position. She is also a Professor on an international scale, visiting the universities of Utrecht and Tilburg and an associate scholar at the Berkley Centre at Georgetown University, Washington DC. Mona is regularly found on the airwaves frequently contributing to BBC Radio 4’s and BBC Scotland’s ‘Thought for the Day’ and chair to the BBC’s Religious Advisory Committee in Scotland. Earlier this year Mona was awarded an OBE for her services to interfaith relations, that’s certainly something to get happy about!
Phrased and Confused – Jason Singh
Jason Singh is a Beatboxer, Vocal Sculptor and Sound Artist whose work is rooted in inspiring people to engage in exciting creative experiences through the voice, technology, performance and participation. Using his voice and a range of samplers and loop pedals, he can vocally recreate sound and music compositions mimicking a wide range of instruments, atmospheres, wildlife, and abstract experimental sonic environments. A prolific solo artist, he has also created collaborations with organisations such as the V&A Museum, Southbank Centre, PRS for Music, Serious, National Portrait Gallery, BFI, Rajasthan International Folk Festival, Jaipur Literature Festival, Royal Albert Hall, Glastonbury Festival, The Sage Gateshead and the BBC.
Chris Snowdon
Working as an independent write and researcher, Christopher Snowdon joined the Institute of Economic Affairs in January of this year. Alongside his blog, Velvet Glove, Iron Fist, Christopher has had several books published, the most well-known being The Spirit Level Delusion. In this book Christopher examines all available evidence to test the theory that ‘more equal’ countries are healthier, happier and more successful. Christopher will be joining us for the debate ‘Should governments care about people’s happiness?’
Peter Stanford
Helping us to explore the road to happiness, writer, journalist and broadcaster Peter Stanford will be stopping by for a good old debate. A journalist for the Daily Telegraph, the Independent and the Observer, Peter is also a former editor of the Catholic Herald (1988-1992). A lot of Peter’s work is centred on religion, making him a perfect candidate for our Faith provocation session! He is a former Moral Maze panellist, makes religious television programmes (Catholics and Sex) and writes extensively about religion. Peter shares his trials and tribulations of raising Catholic children in today’s society in his monthly column in the Tablet.
Marc Stears
Marc Stears is fellow in politics at University College Oxford and visiting fellow at the institute for public policy research. His primary research interest is in radical political thought. Before going to Oxford, Marc was Fellow and Tutor in Politics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and University Assistant Lecturer in Politics in the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge. Previously, he was University Lecturer in the Department of Historical Studies at the University of Bristol, and Prize Research Fellow in Politics at Nuffield College, Oxford.
Henry Stewart
Henry Stewart is Founder and Chief Executive of Happy Ltd – honorably living up to its name Happy Ltd has been rated the best company in the UK for customer service and, for five successive years, one of the top 20 workplaces in the UK. In 2011 Henry was listed in the Guru Radar of the Thinkers50 list of the most influential business minds in the world. Coined by Guru Radar list compiler, Stuart Crainer, as “. . . one of the thinkers who we believe will shape the future of business”. If this doesn’t make Henry happy then give him a sunny day or a steep hill to cycle and he’ll be shining!
Stewart Wallis
In 2003 Stewart joined the New Economics Foundation (NEF) where he works as Executive Director. Before his post at NEF, Stewart spent seven years with the World Bank in Washington DC working on industrial and financial development in East Asia. From 1992 Stewart worked as International Director for Oxfam. He was responsible for 2500 staff in 70 countries and for all Oxfam’s policy, research, development and emergency work worldwide. In 2002 Stewart was awarded an OBE for his services to Oxfam. So it’s no surprise that the things that make Stewart the happiest are giving and working for a cause he believes passionately in.
Mark Williamson
Mark is passionate about helping to create a happier society in which there is less focus on material wealth and more on the things that really matter. So it’s no surprise he is now the Director of Action for Happiness, a movement of people and organisations taking action to create a happier society. Mark has a diverse range of experience, before working for Action for Happiness his work included Director of the Innovation unit at the Carbon trust, founder of online initiative What You Can Do and a Senior Manager at Accenture. Stating that family, friends, making a difference and singing are the things that make him happy; Mark seems to have his happiness values in the right place!
Liz Zeidler
Liz Zeidler is co-founder and Director of the Happy City Initiative. Happy City exists to help demonstrate that being happier needn’t cost the earth. It’s a radically simple plan to grow happiness – one city at a time. The world needs a new story. Less ‘stuff for stuff’s sake’ and more ‘life for life’s sake’. A story that redefines what it means to be happy. Liz and the team at Happy City are helping communities across Bristol demonstrate Happiness is a viable alternative goal for society. They are piloting projects with diverse communities across the city, aiming to create an adaptable inspiring model for cities across the world. Having worked on these ideas with leaders and communities across Africa, the Middle East and throughout Europe, Liz is happy to be focusing on her home town for a while!
