Trailblazers by Periplum

Episode 1: Vici Wreford-Sinnott, Punk Activist and Theatre-Maker

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 19:24:55 +0000

Hartlepool-born writer, director and Disability rights activist Vici talks about discovering counter-culture while growing up in a pit village in the East Durham coalfield. She shares her memories of moving to London where “the streets were paved with punk”, her love of bands including New Model Army and Spear Of Destiny, and of being inspired by the DIY ethos of the movement.

Vici talks about the evolution of her career as a theatre-maker. She recalls her award-winning work in the Republic of Ireland, her part in holding one of the first disability arts festivals, and her decision to return to the north-east to make work that reflects the lives of her and her friends, including her 2025 production ‘Unruly’.

Vici talks about her conditions, mental and physical, about the urgent challenges facing Disabled people in Britain today, and the political necessity of being a Disability Rights Activist. She discusses society’s obsession with perfection, the good and the bad in the high-profile media surrounding the London 2012 Paralympics, and how the struggle for equity continues.

She also pays homage to her fellow travellers, and some of the many trailblazers and inspirational figures in the disabled arts world.

Interviewed by Claire Raftery. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund.

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

The words and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Periplum, or any other individual, organisation or funding body associated with the interview.

Episode 2: Christine Sketchley, Educational Psychologist

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 19:13:40 +0000

On 2nd August 1990, in the lead-up to the first Gulf War, British Airways flight 149 was grounded in Kuwait. Christine was on-board that flight, and was one of 385 passengers and crew taken hostage by the Iraqi military. She describes how that life-changing experience has informed her practice as an educational psychologist dedicated to improving children’s lives.

The innovator behind the revolutionary Adults First system, Christine talks about growing up in Manchester, her childhood and education, and the influence of the rock band The Doors in choosing psychology as a career path. A 20-year resident of Norton in Stockton-on-Tees, Christine describes her innovative methods which are inspired by animal psychology and seek to empower parent-carers to effect positive change for young people.

Interviewed by Claire Raftery, Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 3: Amy Walton and Kelly Ensbury, Founders of Urban Kaos

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 19:07:35 +0000

Now celebrating their 20th year, Urban Kaos Dance Company is led by Stockton-based founders Amy and Kelly. They recall their life-long dancing careers and the evolution of the company - from their rebellion against the body perfectionism of professional dance to forming their own ethos where movement is for everyone.

They talk about their work which has reached thousands of people of all sizes, shapes, ages and backgrounds, including in community centres and schools, with an asylum support group and in Young Offenders Centres. They speak about their award-winning company and how they turned down Dragon’s Den - because they’re not franchiseable. And all of this born from the night they saw a field full of unicorns just off the A1.

Interview by Lynne Lawson. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund.

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 4: Jennifer Yuill, Activist for the 'No More Page 3' Campaign

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:53:07 +0000

10 years ago, the ‘No More Page 3’ campaign finally achieved its goal of removing the regular photographic feature of topless female models shown on Page 3 of The Sun, a self-proclaimed family newspaper.

Hartlepool native Jennifer Yuill was one of the core activists in that movement and recalls her fellow campaigners, the strategies and techniques they deployed, battling with online trolls, and how it felt to succeed in their goal. She talks about the ongoing friendships she made in the movement, her commitment to tackling sexism in the media, and her current work with the Youth Justice Board.

Jennifer is an educator and co-founder of Woman Up!, a charity that raises the voices of marginalised, underrepresented and vulnerable women.

Interviewed by Vicky Jackson. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

This interview contains swear words.

Episode 5: Ella Brewster, Elite Rugby Player & Artist

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:48:14 +0000

Artist, film-maker and professional rugby player Ella describes her journey to the top domestic levels of the sport, from a childhood in Darlington when she was the only girl on the pitch, to playing with some of the best rugby players in the world.

She talks about the camaraderie and friendships born from rugby culture, highlighting the body positivity it encourages and how there’s a place for every size and shape. She also discusses the challenges, from pre-match nerves to injuries and funding cuts.

Ella describes her cultural career, inspired by her artist parents Lee and Jill Brewster, and how she’s balanced working creatively at ARC Stockton, Generator North-East and recently the BBC with training and playing rugby at the highest level.

Interviewed by Claire Raftery. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 6: Yusra and Abigail, Mother and Daughter

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:43:41 +0000

Mother and daughter Yusra and Abigail describe their individual journeys from North East Brazil to North East England. Yusra tells how she came to this country in order to find a safer life, for herself and her family. She speaks about her experiences of the asylum system as she was moved from Croydon to Birmingham and finally to Teesside. Teaching herself English, she speaks of the support given by the local drop-in groups, ARC Stockton and the joys of the UK library service.

Meanwhile daughter Abigail talks about uprooting to a new culture, assimilating to a new culture, navigating the asylum system, falling in love with Stockton and finding love in Darlington.

Interviewed by Lynne Lawson. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 7: Maureen Richardson by Chris Corbett, Teesside Archives

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:23:46 +0000

Middlesbrough-based Maureen Richardson was one of a kind - an early environmental campaigner and one-woman protest movement. Here, Chris Corbett, Community Engagement Officer at Teesside Archives, talks about how she found inspiration in the life of Maureen, and how it resonates with her own passion for protecting the natural environment.

Chris describes how the 1970s saw Maureen engage in large and small-scale activism, from taking on Phillips Petroleum and Warners to highlighting wasteful packaging in local shops. Chris recalls how Maureen was immortalised in song by local legend Vin Garbutt and had an oilfield (ironically) named after her.

Chris also highlights the local environmental work of Angela Cooper and the value of community engagement in ensuring Teesside Archives reflects the stories of everyday people.

Interviewed by Damian Wright. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 8: Ellie Lowther, Trans Educator and Founder of the Free to be Me Project

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:16:57 +0000

Ellie - full name Elisha Rosemary Lowther - is founder of the Free to be Me project in Stockton and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Her work on raising cultural awareness around intersectional inclusion and transgender issues has been nationally and internationally recognised. She has been nominated for a National Diversity Award, formed the all-inclusive choir Systemic, set up the first trans-specific safe house (in Stockton) and addressed the House of Commons.

Ellie talks about all of this and more in a freewheeling, open and frank interview that quotes Kierkegaard and Aldous Huxley. She describes the struggles of coming out in Middlesbrough, being diagnosed with Autism, a life-changing encounter with the notorious serial killer Robert Black, and finding solace in dedicating her life to supporting others and working towards a truly inclusive society.

Interviewed by Claire Raftery. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

This interview contains swear words, references to drug use and references to sexual, physical and psychological abuse.

Episode 9: Sarah Bullock, Environmental Scientist

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:12:01 +0000

Environmental Scientist Sarah talks about the impact of contaminated land on communities in former industrial areas as well as how her work in regenerating those landscapes is reconnecting her with generations of her family that laboured in the steelworks and other local industries. Born in Guisborough and raised in Redcar, Sarah describes her fascination with geology, and how the Environmental Protection Act, brought in at the time when she was leaving University, led her to a role in helping to transform Teesside landscapes.

Sarah also discusses the change in attitude towards green spaces and mental health, the challenges and sacrifices she’s faced on her journey to becoming a woman in a senior role in business, and the support of her family throughout.

Interviewed by Claire Raftery. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 10: Lucy Bentley, Operations Manager at Cornerhouse Youth Project

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:02:26 +0000

In a frank and fearless interview, youth worker Lucy recounts her upbringing in Yarm, her early love of writing, reading and sports, and her discovery of rave culture as a regular at the legendary Tall Trees nightclub.

She talks about the evolution of her career, from becoming a key player in Teesside’s drug rehabilitation initiatives to her current role as Operations Manager at the Corner House Youth Project in Stockton - now in its 25th year. She describes how this journey went hand-in-hand with her own personal and social challenges - becoming a parent, being diagnosed with autism, struggles with housing and relationships, and finally finding stability with her passion for safeguarding young people.

She talks about the inspiration she finds from generations of her family in the Stockton area, and from colleagues and friends who’ve supported her through good times and bad.

Interviewed by Lynne Lawson. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

This interview contains swear words and references to drug use.

Episode 11: Sylvia Unthank, Animal Rescuer and Equestrian

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:57:47 +0000

Born in 1937, Sylvia recalls moments from a remarkable life full of fearless adventure and a love of animals.

She remembers taking dance classes at the age of three, singing at army camp concert parties, and becoming a competitive tap dancer as a child. She also describes the adventures of adulthood - living in places as far apart as Manchester, Copenhagen, South Africa and Redcar, and her working life in jobs ranging from bookkeeper to horse-handler to actor. She appeared in Brookside and Coronation Street, played rugby for Redcar ladies and still sings for three choirs. Throughout all life’s changes, Sylvia’s self-discovered role as a rescuer of strays and sick animals has been a constant.

Now 88, and still keen to swim with dolphins and ride in a rodeo, Sylvia extols the virtues of outdoor play and shares the advice she gives to her family - if you think you’re being badly treated, “thump the desk”.

Interviewed by Jackie Martin. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 12: Clare, Campaigner for Parent-Carer Rights

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:52:46 +0000

Clare’s life was transformed after becoming the adoptive mother of 3 children with special needs. She left her vocation as a nurse in London and found a new life in Redcar with her family. Claire talks about growing up in Bermondsey and finding her career path before her life changed radically. Now a campaigner for parent-carer rights,

Clare describes the challenges of navigating the social care, education and health systems. She emphasises the need to reach out to other parents in similar situations, and how she set up a support group specifically for adoptive parents like herself. Clare also speaks about her sense of identity changing over the years and finding meaning in new challenges, including becoming a trustee of the Grenfell Club in Redcar, supporting children, young people, and adults with learning and physical disabilities.

Interviewed by Lynne Lawson. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 13: Kirsten Luckins, Poet and Director of Tees Women Poets

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:46:45 +0000

Writer, Artist and Director of Tees Women Poets, Kirsten Luckins recounts the family myth surrounding her name and the travels of her freewheeling youth. Now based in Hartlepool, she talks about her attraction to extremes, the upside-down nature of life in Hong Kong and the joys of walking in urban and natural terrains

As a poet, Kirsten maps her movement away from personal verse towards non-human connections. She describes her founding of Tees Women Poets as a way not just of living her feminist principles, but also of helping her understand and become a better version of herself. She talks about her connection with the Hartlepool coastline, formed during lockdown, and her concerns about some of the current crisis-points for humanity - from the polarised battlefield of social media to the climate emergency.

Interviewed by Katherine Atwell-Griffiths. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund.

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

This interview contains swear words.

Episode 14: Linda Dooks, Published Writer

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:41:55 +0000

Billingham-based author Linda Dooks recalls her strict upbringing on her adoptive family’s farm, where an overbearing mother told her she would never amount to anything and that there was little point in wasting time on reading. Linda remembers how, despite this, she would hide books in the hollows of trees to sustain her love of literature, both reading and writing.

Leaving her unconventional school with no formal qualifications, she eventually worked for Ryedale District Council, where she met her husband and became mother to two children with learning difficulties. She tells us how, with the encouragement of her husband, she joined writing groups in Helmsley and Stockton before coming up with the basis for her first novel - “Land Of Opportunity” - which she saw published at the age of 70. With the central character, Rose, being based on her own harsh childhood, she is currently working on the third installment of Rose’s life.

Linda describes her own story of becoming a published writer in her 70s as proof of the power of conquering obstacles to follow your dreams.

Interviewed by Lynne Lawson. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 15: Lisa Connor, SEND Educator

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:21:13 +0000

Lisa is Creative Director at Priory Woods School & Art College, an all-age community special school in East Middlesbrough. Raised in a council house in Thorntree, she talks about how her journey began as an energetic three year old. In an emotional and honest interview, Lisa recalls how her mother used to clean the dance studios to pay for her to attend dance classes.

She describes how she became a child dancer, excused from school to work at Billingham Forum every year, and the importance of beginning to earn her own money at the age of 9, and wanting to share this with her family. She went on to develop her ambitions to be a teacher - leading her first dance class at the age of 13. Having struggled with her schooling, Lisa describes the revelation of going to university, and how she worked 3 jobs to sustain her studies.

After suffering an injury, she went on to a life in education, eventually becoming head of faculty at Acklam Grange and then Creative Director at Priory Woods. She describes how teaching SEND pupils has changed her perceptions on education; the difference between giving praise and giving value, and the importance of process over the end product.

Lisa has recently been diagnosed with ADHD.

Interviewed by Jennifer Essex. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 16: Dr Vera Jones, Environmental Consultant

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:15:08 +0000

Environmental Consultant Dr Vera Jones, who has been shortlisted for the WISE Outstanding Women In Science Award, is a specialist in water quality, and talks about the global threats posed by water pollution. She discusses the lack of female role models at the beginning of her career, her work in improving gender equality within her field, and breaking through old stereotypes of leadership to become a cutting-edge female scientist and manager within a multi-national engineering consultancy.

Originally from Athens and now a resident of Guisborough, Vera describes her early years, her love of nature, her education and career, including work in France and the USA. She talks about some of the environmental challenges we all face, her love of Teesside landscapes, and how her mother’s thirst for knowledge inspired her own journey.

Interviewed by Claire Raftery. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 17: Aisha Lama, Founder of Write Yourself Well

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:53:53 +0000

Poet and creative learning practitioner, Aisha discusses her love of Teesside and how she made it her home after leaving her native Reading. She talks about the notion of home, being half-Nepalese and half-English, the influence of her family and the shock of the 2024 Middlesbrough riots.

Aisha describes how creativity can be found in the everyday - from text messages to Excel spreadsheets. She also talks about troubled teenage relationships, the current online environment for young men, and how all of this has influenced her current work with young people and hopes for the future, including through her Write Yourself Well initiative, which encourages writing for fun, empowerment, and creative expression.

Interviewed by Katherine Atwell-Griffiths. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

This interview contains swear words.

Episode 18: Jane Bizimana, Visual Artist

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:43:13 +0000

Jane is a visual artist whose work has been shown at ARC Stockton, the Python Gallery, Middlesbrough, and in South Korea. Born in Rwanda, she came to Teesside at the age of 20.

She talks about her childhood in Africa, and her arrival in Britain, from the difference in the way the food tastes to her wonder at seeing fields of yellow flowers lining the roads on her first journey to Stockton. She speaks of becoming a mother, how her thoughts, feelings and actions changed, and how this led her to take part in a wider community of shared childcare.

She praises the importance of Stockton’s drop-in centres and sessions in her early years in the town, and how they helped support her community-based artistic practice. Jane also discusses the importance of Stockton International Riverside Festival, her involvement in Stockton Carnival, the two-way joy of community work, and how her new art base, Bizi Studios, is open to youth groups, dance sessions, sewing classes and bingo nights.

Interviewed by Lynne Lawson. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 19: Jan Doherty, Textile Artist

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:32:38 +0000

Jan Doherty is a Textile Artist and former Artistic Director of Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF). She talks about the evolution of her creative life, from being raised in a female household in Dundee and developing a childhood passion for textiles inspired by her family.

Jan describes how she forged a career in the arts, developing arts & crafts festivals in the East Midlands before going on to work with communities in the former coal-mining villages of Nottinghamshire and Durham in the wake of pit closures. She shares her belief that art can help generate a new sense of hope in communities.

Jan recalls her work as Head of Arts at Stockton Council, her sense of responsibility on becoming Artistic Director of the much-loved S.I.R.F., and its importance locally, nationally and internationally. She also talks about her role as Chair of Tin Arts and the Watershed Workshops, and how in recent years, textiles have again become the centre of her creative life, basing herself at a studio in Assembly House Studios in Leeds surrounded by new generations of artists.

She shares some of her biggest challenges, including surviving breast cancer and the shock death of her son, and how her partner’s family have helped her come to terms with the bereavement.

Interviewed by Claire Raftery, Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 20: Karen Norton MBE, Retired Head Teacher

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:21:08 +0000

Karen Norton has been awarded an MBE for her lifelong services to education. The retired head of Junction Farm school in Stockton, Karen talks about her upbringing in Middlesbrough with a close, supportive family. She recalls how her parents were the first people in her family to own their own home. She describes the culture shock of going to university in inner-city Birmingham and her experience of working at a multi-cultural nursery school before her first primary teaching job in Ingleby Barwick.

Karen discusses the importance of greeting her pupils at the school-gate every morning, the unpredictability of a day as Headteacher, the impossibility of work-life balance, and the challenges she faced as both a parent and head teacher. In addition, she lists her heroes, her achievements and the shock of being awarded an MBE for her work.

Interviewed by Paul Pearce-Burton. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com

Episode 21: Sophie McKenna, Campaign Manager for Power of Women

periplum heritage — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:09:26 +0000

Power of Women (POW) was set up by Dr Jane Turner, Pro Vice Chancellor of Teesside University, after a shocking 2016 report identifying Middlesbrough as the ‘Worst Place to Grow Up a Girl’.

Here, Sophie McKenna, Campaign Manager for POW, recalls her own happy childhood in the village of Brotton, her education and career, and how working for The Shore Trust - with its emphasis on supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable young people - ignited her passion for equality work.

She describes her work with POW in helping young girls - and boys - to explore their future possibilities and not be limited by presumptions over sex and gender. Sophie also discusses the challenges of funding, of imposter syndrome and of digital detox. She talks about finding inspiration in the Tees business community, her hopes for her own children, and the importance of involving boys in the conversation when it comes to violence against women and misogyny.

Interviewed by Lynne Lawson. Audio Mastered by Barry Han. Edited by Damian Wright.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

For full transcript please contact periplumcic@gmail.com