The UAL born collective Feminist Internet have teamed up with the UAL Creative Computing Institute to create an exciting new podcast series with Somerset House Studios.
The four-part series called 'Recoding Spaces' will include conversations with acclaimed guests such as; trans activist Charlie Craggs, night Czar of London Amy Lamé, Terry Tyldesley of ethical streaming platform, Resonate and creative technologist Alex Fefegha – exploring the theme of Recoding Spaces, both online and offline.
Here to explain what it’s all about is founding member of Feminist Internet and London College of Fashion master’s student, Clara Finnigan, who coordinated and hosted the series.
Tell us about the project
The Feminist Internet Podcast is our most recent project and the outcome of our artist residency with Somerset House Studios, a studio which is home to the largest and most diverse collection of creative organisations, freelancers, artists, makers and thinkers in London.
With the support of UAL Creative Computing Institute, the series invites diverse and expansive audiences to consider what on and offline equalities could achieve and how they can be defined. Exploring a wide range of themes, the podcast will question how we can diversify internet spaces, intercept homogenous zones and break the filter bubble, aiming not only to expose these spaces but to regenerate them in new and inclusive ways.
Each episode is co-hosted by a different founding member of Feminist Internet, bringing in their unique perspective – Artist Eden Clark; Journalist Sabrina Faramarzi; Poet Rhiannon Williams, and graphic designer Conor Rigby.
What’s in the podcasts?
The four episodes explore the following themes:
Recoding Voice Technology: Is a Feminist Alexa Possible?
This episode explores what voice technology could be and why we need an alternative to the default Alexa. Clara Finnigan and Eden Clark speak to the learning partners and students from UAL and Feminist Internet’s most recent workshop, ‘Designing a Feminist Alexa’ to find out what the consequences are of having such gendered voices encoded into our space. And what the potential of voice technology is outside of commercial contexts.
Guests: Feminist Internet's chief leopard Charlotte Webb, AI expert Josie Young and creative technologist Alex Fefegha, and UAL students Safiya Ahmed, Digby Usher, Arlette Dumas and Maria Than, who took part in the Designing a Feminist Alexa workshop series by Feminist Internet at the Creative Computing Institute.
Recoding Anger: Shaking off the shame of womxns rage
Hosted by Sabrina Faramarzi and Clara Finnigan, this episode looks into whether as womxn we are beginning to shake off the shame that comes with being angry, explores different types of anger but crucially, questions who in our society is allowed to be angry, and who is not.
Guests: Trans activist Charlie Craggs, author Soraya Chemaly, founder of Glitch! Seyi Akiwowo, and Artist Kate Durbin.
Recoding Music: Has the internet truly brought autonomy to musicians?
This episode discusses the effects of AI and algorithm led streaming sites on artist autonomy, representation and the value of music. Rhiannon Williams and Clara Finnigan speak to those in and around the music industry who are challenging the way we make and consume music in the age of streaming.
Guests: Journalist Liz Pelly, Terry Tyldesley of ethical streaming platform Resonate, Moonbow of SIREN collective and Mick Grierson from the Creative Computing Institute.
Coming soon!
Recoding Utopias: The importance of Queer Spaces
Hosted by Conor Rigby and Clara Finnigan this episode explores what it means to be queer and the act of queering itself. Since 2006 London has lost more than half of its LGBTQIA+ spaces; this episode highlights why these spaces are so vital to the city and its future by speaking to creatives and activists who are finding new ways of transforming and performing in Queer spaces.
Guests: Night Czar of London Amy Lamé, Founder of Queering the Map Lucas LaRochelle, Nadine Artois of Pxssy Palace, Jim MacSweeney from Gays the Word bookshop, and Ingo Cando from Wotever World.
Coming soon!
What is Feminist Internet?
The Feminist Internet collective was launched back in August 2017 through a two-week workshop, supported by the UAL Futures learning initiative. 16 UAL students and alumni came together with a common goal and passion - to advance internet equalities for women and other marginalised groups through creative, critical practice.
Since 2017, the Feminist Internet have made incredible gains on that mission, delivering seminars and workshops all over the world. In March of last year, they put on a weekend festival at the Photographers Gallery and presented at the IAM conference in Barcelona. Following their fellowship award with the Creative Computing Institute, the collective carried out a series of immensely successful workshops with UAL students on ‘Designing a Feminist Alexa”.
To hear more from us, follow @feministinternet on Instagram and @feministintrnet on Twitter.
The podcasts are available to stream and download from their release dates via Somerset House Studios listening platforms, Spotify, iTunes and Audioboom. Written by Clara Finnigan, Feminist Internet member and co-host of the Feminist Internet Podcast, produced by Somerset House Studios and supported by the UAL Creative Computing Institute.
